Nut information requested, zero fret Epiphone

loverickbass · Post by **loverickbass** » Sat Dec 10, 2005 9:02 am

I've got an old Epiphone acoustic(model FT-133) with zero fret from the late 60s or early 70s that needs a nut. It's a beat around guitar so I don't want anything fancy or expensive. Does anyone know of a place where I could maybe get a pre slotted acoustic guitar nut for it? I guess I could pull out the zero fret if I had to.

Cole

scott_s · Post by **scott_s** » Mon Dec 12, 2005 7:49 am

Were I you, I'd just leave the zero fret in place. They make for excellent playability, and are a lot easier to deal with than a "real" nut. Most guitar stores in my area have pre-slotted plastic nuts in a bin for a buck or two.

Take some good measurements (neck width at nut, thickness of fretboard at nut) and bring your ruler along. Then, it's just a matter of filing the slots until the strings rest on the zero fret.

Good luck! :^)

loverickbass · Post by **loverickbass** » Mon Dec 12, 2005 9:21 am

Thanks Scott for the advise. My only concern is that with a regular nut that the zero fret mite get in the way causing buzzing. It seems to me that a zero fret nut needs to be cut a little deeper..no? Correct me if I'm wrong.

Cole

scott_s · Post by **scott_s** » Mon Dec 12, 2005 8:12 pm

The plastic nut on a zero-fret guitar needs to be cut deep enough so the strings *rest* on the zero fret. The plastic nut acts more as a guide to keep the strings from moving laterally. Does that help?

loverickbass · Post by **loverickbass** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 3:18 am

Yes it does, thank you Scott.

Cole

steve_hershberger · Post by **steve_hershberger** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 7:54 am

Yep. Do NOT remove that zero fret! Doing so will screw up the intonation big time.

On the other hand, it IS possible to replace that zero fret with a "real" nut - but besides needing to be cut more precisely, the edge on the fretboard side will need to be placed *exactly* where the top of that zero fret was. In other words, you'd need to take off some measure of the end of the fretboard in order to put the new nut in the correct position.

So, it CAN be done, but it'd be a major pain to do so.

loverickbass · Post by **loverickbass** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 10:09 am

Nope, I'm going to keep the zero fret, I really love it. I wish all my guitars had it. Maybe it's just me but it seems like the action is way lower between the zero fret and the first fret compaired to my regular nut guitars.

Cole

loverickbass · Post by **loverickbass** » Wed Dec 28, 2005 2:56 pm

OK, I found a pre slotted tusq nut for it. What do you suggest I use to file the slots down? I know this has been covered before somewhere in the forum but I can't find it.

Cole

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Wed Dec 28, 2005 4:09 pm

Properly, you should use a nut file set to do this. You could probably get away using a very thin ExActo "Zona" saw, but your high E and B could possibly buzz if you do it this way...

scott_s · Post by **scott_s** » Wed Dec 28, 2005 7:29 pm

Alternately, you could sand off the bottom of the tusq nut until the strings all rest on the zero fret.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Wed Dec 28, 2005 7:34 pm

DUHHHuhhhhuhhhhh...

loverickbass · Post by **loverickbass** » Thu Dec 29, 2005 3:07 am

D'OH! LOL Thanks Scott. sigh..

Cole