Scale from 1-10... cutting your own nut

[MikeS]

I know that's going to invite a myriad of juvenile remarks, but what the hell.

For someone that is perfectly comfortable with performing 100% of his own electronics, is capable of near professional quality finishes on necks and bodies without the use of professional equipment, and isn't afraid to get some basic files out when hardware doesn't fit quite right, how difficult would cutting, shaping, and slotting a nut on a Gibson headstock be? Would it make sense to invest in the tools required to perform the task if it were something that would only be done once every couple years?

Thoughts?

[JB_From_Hell]

If you're patient, it's not that tough. I made one using homemade files (various gauge strings glued to a dowel rod) and my Leatherman's tool, and it came out really well.

[Will S-T]

I have no doubt you would do a great job, BUT, you will need proper
nut files if you want the end product to be up to YOUR standards.
They aren't cheap but worth the investment.
Will.

[trevorus]

Yeah, a set of good nut files will run about 85 dollars. Be very careful with the thinner gauges. They break easily. I bought a set, and it was definitely worth it.

[Gearjoneser]

I think a set of files is a good investment, but do all your practicing on nuts that pop easily in and out, like on Fenders. On Gibsons, the nuts are laquered in there so solidly that you only have one shot at it. If you mess up and go too low, or experience any buzz, you're up against the battle of breaking the nut free from the guitar.

I think it's a worthy investment to buy professional files and learn to cut and shape nuts.
You'd be surprised at how good you can make a guitar play. But on guitars where they laquer right over the nut, you'll learn how difficult it is to score around the edges and dig it out, without ruining the area around it.

[Carl762]

Proper nut files and a good hand, and eye, you're there. My first experience was fitting a graphite nut. So, I have much more to learn, when it comes to other materials. Stewmac is expensive, and there might be a cheaper alternative. Might actually be cheaper to acquire proper sized files at metal/wood-working supply houses.

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Even with an old thin sawblade, some old needlefiles, some watersander paper....
One nut is produced....
At the shop I do use the nutfiles....but sometimes that just do not cut it, so the old tools are used as well.

[Zerberus]

^^ I was about to say, I´ve done whole nuts with just sandpaper and a razor saw in a pinch. But of course the more specialized the tools are the better the results will be, especially in the beginning.

... Might actually be cheaper to acquire proper sized files at metal/wood-working supply houses.

Cheaper yes. The problem is that normal files and saws have a flat cutting surface as opposed to the round "blade" of a nut file, making good results harder to achieve without practice and some thinking outside the box

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Nothing like a square slot
Der pincher from hell....

[Zerberus]

^^ actually, if you do it right you can get away with a square slot, but it´s not something I´d want to have in the long run

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Haha no not really....somehow they always ends up hanging when I do it....
Then I round off the end, and the hanging stops...
But it kinda feels and sounds abit strange

[Zerberus]

....
But it kinda feels and sounds abit strange

That´s the main problem with square slots, the string slides a bit sideways in the bottom of the slot giving a wierd feeling in the lower registers and sometimes causing a buzz on open strings

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Yep...and it drives me bonkers
I am trying to get my old nuts on my Kramers to behave these days.....
I think I will just drag them down to the shop the next time...haha