Bass Nutz iz Nuts. Partz iz Partz

[ChWillie]

I've been trying to find pre-slotted left handed non-Fender type bass nuts. I've got a righty Epiphone Explorer bass that I'd like to swap out the nut on. The best I've found is a plastic blank thing which I'd have to cut and slot, something I've never done.

 

I live in the US, but do you guys know of a good source for lefty nuts that I'm not finding on my searches?   (I know, a walnut tree). 

[Piers_Williamson]

If it were me I would have a luthier do the cutting for you.  It's not a time consuming or expensive job for someone who knows what they are doing.

[PaulThePlug]

Width?..

Something from Ali Express to start with?

Edited May 29, 2022 by PaulThePlug

[uk_lefty]

17 hours ago, Piers_Williamson said:

If it were me I would have a luthier do the cutting for you.  It's not a time consuming or expensive job for someone who knows what they are doing.

I'd second this. Rather than buy something online that you haven't seen for yourself have a luthier make one for you. It will fit your bass perfectly and be the right height for your set up.

[ChWillie]

Yep, this one might be beyond my ken, but 've got that plastic blank, and I've just seen a Dan Erlewine that makes me think I should give it a go.  If I botch it, I've only lost a piece of plastic.  I live in rural Tennessee and the incompetent techs in the closest guitar shops have screwed up nearly every job they've done for me. 

 

 

[FinnDave]

If you botch it, you haven't just lost a blank piece of plastic, you will also have learnt a lot about how to do it better the next time. Plan to make several, each better than the last until you have one that satisfies you. It'll still probably work out cheaper than paying someone else to do it.

 

I used to have a work colleague in Finland who was from rural Tennessee, really good guy. I couldn't say where exactly he was from, but he used to say he was from a long line of radical rednecks. He was responsible for getting me back to listening to the Grateful Dead, for which I shall be forever thankful.

[ChWillie]

9 hours ago, FinnDave said:

If you botch it, you haven't just lost a blank piece of plastic, you will also have learnt a lot about how to do it better the next time. Plan to make several, each better than the last until you have one that satisfies you. It'll still probably work out cheaper than paying someone else to do it.

 

I used to have a work colleague in Finland who was from rural Tennessee, really good guy. I couldn't say where exactly he was from, but he used to say he was from a long line of radical rednecks. He was responsible for getting me back to listening to the Grateful Dead, for which I shall be forever thankful.

Ironically, when I lived in Germany for ten years,  My best German friend (a former, brilliant student of mine) turned me onto Zappa's gems.  I already loved Zappa, but it was a bit like taking a music appreciation class.  We were Dylan enthusiasts too, and he knew more of the catalog than I did.  He also got me into the Butthole Surfers, Dead Kennedys, Nick Drake, and Camper Van Beethoven.  I'm grateful to him, especially for the Zappa lesson. Interestingly, I've spent most of my life listening to British bands--similar way of looking at the world.  My own guitar collection is mostly Brit-influenced.  

[uk_lefty]

15 hours ago, FinnDave said:

If you botch it, you haven't just lost a blank piece of plastic, you will also have learnt a lot about how to do it better the next time. Plan to make several, each better than the last until you have one that satisfies you. It'll still probably work out cheaper than paying someone else to do it.

 

I used to have a work colleague in Finland who was from rural Tennessee, really good guy. I couldn't say where exactly he was from, but he used to say he was from a long line of radical rednecks. He was responsible for getting me back to listening to the Grateful Dead, for which I shall be forever thankful.

Ignore my previous advice, if you're handy with the tools then do this! Probably a better investment of time and money.

[LeftyJ]

7 hours ago, HippieNerd said:

My own guitar collection is mostly Brit-influenced.  

Aye, you can be a different Beatle every day! 

[ChWillie]

13 hours ago, LeftyJ said:

Aye, you can be a different Beatle every day! 

 

Guilty guilty

 

Half of my guitars pretty much cover most The Beatles's tones.

 

Ric 4001

Epi Casino

Höfner 500/1 

Tele

Two Strats

Les Paul

Martin D28

Ric 330 (George's was a 12 str, of course)

Fender Jazz B

 

Amps: Fender Deluxe (twin sounding) and Vox AC30.  (Bass amps aren't Beatley--Ampeg V4-B and two Fender Rumbles)

 

 

 

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

When I put together my fretless precision bitzer I didn't want to spend a fiver on a nut blank I was probably going to ruin, so I went to the nearest Chinese food wholesaler, Wing Yip in Croydon, who supply restaurants & takeaways, but is open to everyone, and I bought a box of fake ivory plastic chopsticks for about a quid. I cut a few down to the length of a nut, filed them to the width of a nut and cut the slots using a variety of needle files and wet & dry paper wrapped around things. I ended up with a perfect nut on my first attempt and no elephants were killed. The material the chopsticks were made of was perfect s it is quite a dense plastic which files very well.

[ChWillie]

I've actually found a few that I'm going to try. I have several projects and will need them in any case.  I'm really looking forward to getting this bass swapped over.