CNC MACHINE

[jingle_jangle]

From what I've seen, the lacquering stopped around 1993 or so. I'm going from memory of guitars and basses worked on, so I could be a year or two off either way.

[rickfan60]

My '94 V63 has it but my '98 4003S/8 does not.

I am of two minds on this subject. Varnishing the sides of the nut looks nice but if the nut is not removed carefully (when removal becomes necessary) the finish right around the nut cracks and flakes off. I score around the nut with a sharp blade before tapping the nut off.

[rickfan60]

FWIW I just checked and my '02 4003S/5 has varnished nut sides.

[johnhall]

The nuts were originally placed on the instruments prior to clearcoat, with some tape to mask off certain portions. The reason was mainly to protect the nut step area so it didn't have to be specially leveled later.

During Grover Jackson's tenure, we switched to using a precision machined aluminum surrogate nut to protect that area, which was then cleanly popped off to allow the proper bakelite nut to be installed. The reason for using the aluminum is so that these can be dropped in a bucket of solvent after use so that they are back to a fresh profile every time.

I'd say Paul is about right on the timeframe; Ted, your '02 may have had some rework or reshooting as this is not typical.

[rickfan60]

Thanks for the info John. I have wondered about that since I got my '98. At first I thought the nut had been replaced and that is why it was not varnished.

[BobKat]

From what I have seen this also changed in about 1996. Some guitars sold later have varnished sides, and I suspect that they were bodies which were leftovers of some sort or another. I had a 2001 660/12 with varnished nut sides but the body was clearly from the mid-'90s, judging from the finish and the cut.

[soundmasterg]

John, I'm wondering why the nut isn't just left off until all the finishing is completed? There can't be much levelling that needs to happen in the nut step area if the instrument has been sanded well before finishing is there?

[jingle_jangle]

Allow me to answer this one, Greg...if JH would like, he can agree or modify my statements.

That particular area collects varnish. It's not unusual to have to remove .015-.025" of varnish before being able to seat the nut nice and flat, no to mention having to sand off the varnish at the fretboard end grain, too, if you don't use a method like the "Proxy nut" John mentions.

[rickfan60]

Bob: Apparently, if I understood the explanation correctly, instruments that were reworked / resprayed can or will have varnished nut sides. Presumably because the instrument was completed but returned to one of the earlier production departments for a correction then returned to the finish department to be resprayed with the nut still in place.

[soundmasterg]

Paul, thanks for the elaboration. I wasn't aware that the nut area would collect any more varnish than any other area on the headstock, but I guess it makes sense that it might. In the past with some guitars I've made, I've masked off the end of the fingerboard so I don't get any varnish in the endgrain there but haven't masked off the nut gluing area, and haven't had a problem, but maybe I was lucky.

[jdogric12]

Um, I uh... Hi. yeah, er... what's CNC mean?

[alanz]

Computer numerical control, I think.

[BobKat]

Ted, I think it's unlikley that any refinisher would leave the nut in place. I think it's more likely that, in the case of a rather rare instrument like yours, that maybe a body was left over from years past, or some extra lovin' was gien to it while being built.

The 2001 660/12 I refer to previosuly was certainly a 660/12TP body that had been left sitting. It had that gorgeous early '90s Firelgo and the great birdsye that I have come to love on those guitars. That was a nice one!

[rickfan60]

I think what JH was saying is my bass was partially or completely resprayed at some point before it left the factory.