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Hello,

Working on a new guitar build and had an issue with the headplate where it wasn't quite cut square, it was leaning forward a bit. I had to clean it up to straighten up the channel and as a result it's now a little over sized. The typical 6.35mm "Martin" blank that SM sells is now too small. I would need a blank closer to 7mm.

Anyone know a supplier that sells oversized blanks? I sort of entertained the idea of making one, people talk about dog bones, etc... but I want to try to find a bleached blank from a supplier first.

Ideas are appreciated.

Thanks!
Brad

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Luthiers Mercantile has 5/16" wide. https://www.lmii.com/37-nuts-saddles

Thanks! I looked on their site and for whatever reason didn't see them. Appreciate the pointer.

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I bet if you emailed any of the main suppliers they'll have what you need. LMI, Allied, RC, Stew Mac

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That's hard to find so we process our own for the oversized stuff. You know go to the butcher, get femurs from free ranging cows that do yoga, chain bones in back yard for two years and let the bugs eat all the crap off them and then degrease and clean up and cut up. Not quick, planning is required.

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Ann Arbor Guitars

I've bought large ones through ebay (china/taiwan), but they looked greasy so I've degreased with napths.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

I bought some nut and saddle material off eBay a few years back. It was out in the weather and the mud a bit longer (maybe 25000 yrs)
so it's ready to use.

Did that mammoth free range and do yoga?

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Ann Arbor Guitars

Free range definitely, but i'm not sure yoga was part of the Pleisto "Scene".

Sheesh! (slaps forehead)

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

You could get creative and shim it and make it look intentional too.

+1 on Mr. Mckenna's response. Make a shim for the backside. Piece of credit card?

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Peter Havriluk

If you're going to use a shim, I've used a wood veneer under and behind the nut, in the wood used fot the fretboard, to good effect.
Looks tidy.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

I have tried to match the grain of the head plate veneer and it looked terrible so what I did was make a binding around the heads stock that went being the nut and it looked totally intentional. I like the Idea of making it look like the fretbaord too. That in fact is a lot easier to do and looks natural, like a Fender anyway. Point being, trying to hide it is a lot harder then making it intentional.

You can laminate bone, right? How about using some saddle blanks stacked to the right height, with the glue layers horizontal rather than vertical? You would need to plan it such that you don't sand through the top layer in spots. That would not look good.

You could perhaps do a small decorative inlay between the nut and peghead veneer. Match the material of the position markers or the peghead logo if you are doing one. Some people like ebony or African blackwood for nuts. I've used corian of various colors, and then there is Richlite.
Following up on Don's idea you could shim with the same material as the fretboard and then slope the back of the nut/shim so there is a smooth transition from wood to bone.

Random eBay add: 1 11/16 X 3/8 X 5/16 ths

https://www.ebay.com/itm/6-NEW-BLANK-BO ... Sw~bFWQnb4

First, make it work. Then make it pretty.

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Peter Havriluk

Bob Colosi at customsaddles.com. Email or call him. I am pretty sure he will sell you what you need.
Dave

Brad, for this very reason, I keep a slightly undersized nut in my small toolbox that is perfectly square. I use it for setting the peghead plate. Never fails me. Its marked "tool only". I know this does not solve current issue. But it will solve future ones.