Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

After performing a search for this topic and surprisingly not finding any match, here goes my question. How difficult is replacing the nut on a 4003 bass? I plan on using a Ric part and my question is how much fitting does the stock part need? Will I need to be armed with an array of proper files or is the factory part a drop in?? I understand how to remove it and the use of wood glue to re attach the new part but I'm not sure about the fitting aspect.

Guidance or advice, anyone?? I'm pretty damn handy, which may be a liability! I do not own a set of nut files and if needed, I'll source the replacement out since I can't see buying a set for one time use.

The Luthier in my area refuses to work with delrin. He'll install a bone or Corian nut but he won't work with any "soft" material nuts.

Sepp

IMO you would need files for a perfect job.

The RIC Bass nut is made of bakelite and is preslotted:
http://boutique.rickenbacker.com/NUT-31 ... p_563.html

But it may take a bit of adjustment to get it perfect.


So, your luthier won't use "soft" materials such as Delrin, but will use bone? Does he know that Delrin is harder than bone? Delrin is an acetyl resin, Corian is an acrylic, and Bakelite is a phenolic:

Awesome post CJ, way to blind 'em with science! Hopefully the OP can take that info to his luthier and get a pro job done on the nut after all (I think it's worth it).

By the way I believe Delrin is made from an acetal polymer, not an acetyl polymer, although as a toxicology grad student I'm already a long ways out (mentally) from organic and industrial chemistry classes I had in undergrad.

Right you are Joshua, it is an acetal, not acetyl. Typing before my coffee...

Thanks for the info. I'll run this past him but I doubt it will make a difference. I kept my question rather general but I now feel the need to expand a bit. I wanted the black nut replaced on my 73 4001 with one in white. I can't seem to find a factory Ric whiter nut but I located some delrin on eBay to craft one from. My tech. said, he did not work in soft materials (delrin) and then suggested bone or corian.

My 4003 nut question has more to do with the black nut on my Blackstar. After replacing the strings, and swapping out the tail piece with a new powdercoated Ric tailpiece to replace the badly tail lifting one (after filling the excess tail piece void void with maple shim material), I find the bottom of the string slots on the nut were almost in line with the fretboard. In comparing this nut and it's string notches to the nut on my brand new 4003, I can tell that the nut on the Blackstar is way more grooved and way deeper. Hence my initial post.

For the white nut, I was leaning toward Corian anyway.

So, the factory (black) Ric nuts, are they delrin or baklite??? I realize they are pre grooved but to make it 100% right, they may have be cut some? If so, that pretty much rules out me doing it. I enjoy "tinkering" with the basses I have but if I don't have the tools needed, I won't even venture to attempt a fix.

I'm in NJ so it's not a stretch to make a trip to Pick of the Rick's to have a black one installed there. I'm toying with the idea of having the Blackstar refinished but I want to enjoy it a bit more before sending it away for a few months!
Sepp

The factory black nuts are Bakelite. The white ones are Delrin.

Here's my experience replacing one on my 4003s. I didn't have any nut filing tools, so I laid the nut on a piece of sandpaper and rubbed the bottom a bit to drop it to the proper height. I haven't intonated that particular bass yet, but from what I've read, if the nut isn't seated perfectly perpendicular to the fretboard, it may be difficult to intonate the instrument properly. How perfect was my sanding? Probably not as good as I would hope for. A quick visual check shows it to list ever so slightly towards the body side of the fretboard. Until I intonate it, I won't know how good (or bad) of a job I did.

Hmmm, the more info that comes in the more I';m getting the feeling I'm in a little over my head. While I feel somewhat comfortable in my ability to "sand" the base of the bakelite nut and keep it somewhat perpendicular, the fine tune will need to be accomplished with a set of nut files. I don't see that happening, since I don't foresee me engaging in the business of setting nuts very often, Perhaps, I need to just take the trip to Pick of the Ricks to make sure it's done right. As much I hate to pay someone to complete a task that I'm capable of doing, I also need to do this right. Anything less and I'd be unhappy with the results.

I'll run the bakelite question past the tech. since I'm taking the 4001 to him on Thursday. I'll have to see how that rates on his "hardness scale". Thermosetting formaldehyde based resin product vs bone and or corian.

Sepp

Kopfjaeger wrote:While I feel somewhat comfortable in my ability to "sand" the base of the bakelite nut and keep it somewhat perpendicular, the fine tune will need to be accomplished with a set of nut files.

The slots need to be parallel to the headstock angle, which is around 7 degrees. This keeps the strings from binding up.

I do tons of work on my basses but I leave cutting nuts and saddles to others. It's patient work that I am not too fond of, and zealous use of a file (such as I am prone to) is your worst enemy here as you will quickly overdo it and need a whole new blank.

The one time I tried the white RIC stock replacement nut, it was not usable - wrong width, wrong depth, and wrong string spacing - so I made one from scratch out of Corian.

When sanding the bottom of a nut, it helps to place something square on the paper to use as a guide fence. Then run the nut along the side of the fence so you don't tip it.

teeder wrote:When sanding the bottom of a nut, it helps to place something square on the paper to use as a guide fence. Then run the nut along the side of the fence so you don't tip it.

Good tip.

A follow up on my nut replacement job, just ran a seasonal truss rod adjust and also did an intonation check, and it intonates perfect. I guess I was lucky!

UPDATE

My 73 4001 goes "under the knife" tomorrow for a white corian nut transplant. With luck, I'll have it back on Friday 10/07/11. My Blackstar, well I emailed with Chris at Pick of the Ricks and he will change the black backlite one out for me. We just have to figure out a day when I can drive down and wander around town for two hours while he swaps it out.

I'll keep you all posted on the two separate threads I've had for each.

Thanks for the assistance!

Sepp

Sepp, you could spend the two hours at POTR but it might turn out expensive for you.