What do I use to file down a slot in the nut??

mikestop · Post by **mikestop** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 3:04 pm

I wanted to know what to use to file (lower) the slots on the nut of my 360 ric. It was made in 1967 and I've had it since 1977. It always tuned perfectly up & down the neck and held forever! The nut came loose recently and I reglued it. Seems it might be angled slightly causing the high E & B strings to be a little high and it's causing them to go a little sharp on the 1st & 2nd frets. Is there a certain file or files that I can buy at a Hardware or Craft store? What sizes? Also after filing would they need to be smoothed down with a light sandpaper or something similar? Please excuse me if these are stupid questions. I've been playing for 30+ years and never had to do anything other than change strings and set intonation with this GREAT GUITAR!! I have really learned alot from you guys in the last month or two since I joined this forum. Thanks!!!

ozover50 · Post by **ozover50** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 3:23 pm

Hi Mike. I suggest you visit the 'Another Pyramid Question' thread in the 'Rickenbacker General' topic. There's plenty of info on the various ways of doing it.

Cheers

ibmindless · Post by **ibmindless** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 9:32 pm

I would take the guitar in to a qualified luthier. You may have excess glue and/or old glue residue causing the nut to not be seated properly. If it was fine prior to the nut coming off, then lowering the nut slots is only a bandaid for some other problem. Moreover, it may not cure the intonation issue.

If you insist on filing the slots, I believe you can find a set of nut-slot files on: http://www.stewmac.com

Good luck!

bill_yantz · Post by **bill_yantz** » Tue Mar 08, 2005 5:13 am

OK Mike, stop and take a big breath, its going to be OK. You haven't done anything that will hurt your guitar yet and it can be returned exactly the way it was, without filing.

You can do this if you want or take it to a good luthier that will do it for probably $20-25.

My first question is. How much glue did you put on it when you glued it back in? You only need a small dot at most. I have one that was reshaped for my 12 string and its not glued at all and will not move under the string pressure. If you only used the slightest amount of glue, you can safely remove it by using a small block of wood set up against the nut and then tap it with a hammer (toward the headstock) a few times and it should come off easily. If you put a lot of glue in there, I might recommend that you bring it in to someone you trust and you should be safe. If you can proceed, once it is off, remove the excess glue from the nut and clean the area it rests on, i.e., headstock and end of fret board all around. I use a nail file that has four different surfaces on it. Each one is a progression of slightly rough to very smooth for polishing and its perfect for this kind of work and only cost a few dollars. Its a great little tool but you can't buy in at Stewmac, probably your local drug store or Wal-Mart. Be careful to take off only the glue and as little of the actual nut material as possible. You might even use fingernail polish remover to clean it off. Don't use that on the guitar, just the nut!! Once the nut and surface its to be glued into is cleaned, reglue it back in with just a touch of glue. Now, it should be back the way it was originally.

I am not an expert at this but a while ago I decided to recut and shape a new nut. It came off very easily and I learned a whole lot about the measurements and radius needed to shape it correctly. It’s actually fun. I do think you should not file the slot because it’s not in correctly to begin with and you could do more harm if you filed too much off. Once its back in correctly it should be like it was in originally, which is what you want anyway, right?

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Tue Mar 08, 2005 8:19 am

I use my dremmel tool with the little grinding flat disk attachment ... have a few extra nuts incase you cut it too low ... also you can shim a nut cut too low ... it is a $3 to $5 part and it is not rocket science ... but a nut that is too high can make playing that instrument a pain ...

cheyenne · Post by **cheyenne** » Tue Mar 08, 2005 2:22 pm

Proper nut height is the difference between a good playing bass and a great playing bass.

Most of my freinds cant believe how well my basses play. The nut is the key.

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Tue Mar 08, 2005 3:03 pm

you gotta take care of your nuts ...

harvey49 · Post by **harvey49** » Tue Mar 08, 2005 7:44 pm

good thing we don't have squirrels out here in Australia, otherwise we to would have to take precautions!

ozover50 · Post by **ozover50** » Tue Mar 08, 2005 7:48 pm

Files and nuts - just the thought of it.........

marty · Post by **marty** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 1:09 pm

It can be quite difficult to play a guitar or bass properly if your nuts are too high...

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 5:24 am

ya but you can hit them high notes that way ...

dale_fortune · Post by **dale_fortune** » Sat Mar 26, 2005 6:37 am

A mother was giving her 5 year old son a bath, he looked down at his testicles and asked "Mama Mama, is that my brains?" She replied "No not yet my son"

mikestop · Post by **mikestop** » Sat Mar 26, 2005 7:25 am

Boy! My original post took an awful, awful turn. I guess you're all "NUTS"!!!

ozover50 · Post by **ozover50** » Sat Mar 26, 2005 12:50 pm

Posting new threads can be a risky business, Mike.

There are all sorts here (plus me)!!!