How to Replace Your Guitar Nut

If you notice the strings on your guitar are buzzing when they are played open (plucked without any fingers on the fretboard), you may want to consider replacing the nut at the guitar peghead.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Tapered File
• Blank bone nut material
• Nut adhesive
• Teeler Gage
• Architectural Divider
• Ruler with 1/3 divisions
• Small Plastic-headed hammer
• 220 grit sandpaper glued to 3/4 in. plywood
• 1/16 in. sharp chisel
• Sanding sticks made from sticks of hardwood w/120 grit sandpaper glued to them.

1. Begin by preparing to remove the existing nut. Take a small block of hardwood, approximately 1/2 x 3/4 x 3/4 and place it snugly against the nut with the block resting on the fret board.

2. Take your plastic headed hammer and give the wood block a small but firm tap. Repeat slightly harder if it does not separate from the fret board.

3. Remove the nut and clean the nut groove wtih your chisel. Be especially careful as you clean the ends of the groove. The groove needs to be smooth & flat and in full contact with the nut for the best sound.

4. Take the bone nut material and hold it against the nut groove. Mark the exact link and cut to length with a small dovetail saw. Begin by cutting slighty long and then sand to the exact length that you need.

5. It's now time to fit the nut to the groove width. Hold the nut against the fretboard and mark the width of the groove on the nut very carefully.

6. If you need to reduce the thickness of the nut, do so with the sandpaper that you glued to plywood. Hold the nut with your thumb and first two fingers and sand on the block lightly and evenly. Do this very carefully and check it against the nut groove until it is exactly even.

7. Once the nut sits snugly in the not groove, take a sharp pencil and trace the fretboard height directly on to the nut.

8. Remove the nut and cut to within 3/22 of an inch above the fretboard. This can be done with your sanding stick or your file.

9. Now you'll need to angle the nut should angled to match the slope of the peghead. This too can be done with sanding sticks or your file.

10. Lay out the 1st and 6th strings on top of the nut with a sharp pencil and straight edge. Usually these strings are inset about 1/8 of an inch from the nut ends.

11. Take the dividers and set to you get 5 even divisions between the two outside lines. Mark each of the strings with the divider and strike one light line at the location of each string.

12. Now take a shorter straight edge (6 or 8"), place one end at the backside of the mark at the low "E" string where it meets the fretboard. The other end should be placed against the peg in the peghead for this string. Strike a sharp pencil line on this string. Complete this same step for all remaining strings.

13. Now take the gauged fret saws or files, and file a shallow groove at each pencil line. Make sure each groove is centered on the lines. Start the groove by guiding the saw with the thumb of your opposite hand.

14. You can estimate the groove depth for the strings, however, if you cut too deep you will have to start over.

15. Glue the nut in with a couple of drops of nut adhesive and let dry. String up your instrument with new strings and you are ready to play.

Tips & Warnings

• For more great tips on caring for and playing your guitar, visit the website listed in the resource section of this article.

Resources

• Ultimate Guitar Online

[Devero]

on 12/23/2008 Thanks again for the detailed guide. I tried this with the wrong sized nut once, which resulted in a horribly out of tune guitar. Thanks.