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PostPosted: Sat Jun 08, 2013 12:38 pm 
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Walnut
Walnut

Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2012 6:59 pm
Posts: 19
First name: Harvey
Last Name: Setterfield
City: London
State: London
Zip/Postal Code: N17 6XW
Country: England
Focus: Build
Status: Professional
I was a bit of a dozy bugger when stretching my strings when replacing them and smacked the top E string right on the edge of the gap where the string sits and damaged it. Leaving it sounding like a sitar when played open lol oops_sign

I've now had a new nut delivered, pulled out the old nut with a pair of pliers without doing any damage but now can't get the new one in there. I can squeeze in the edge of it, either the top E end or the bottom E end but can't get it in any further. It's a real tight fit!

What do I do..? Hit it with a hammer or something..? It's a Graphtec nut which I'm guessing is made of graphite but the thing is very fiddly and have no tools to file it down if it needs it. Will hitting it with a hammer damage the neck or nut..? Should I file it down..? File the hole that it sits in so that there's more room for it..?

I don't have a clue what I'm doing, any help will be very much appreciated. [uncle]


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PostPosted: Sat Jun 08, 2013 2:17 pm 
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Joined: Fri May 18, 2012 8:35 pm
Posts: 2658
Location: Austin, Texas
First name: Dan
Last Name: Smith
City: Round Rock
State: TX
Zip/Postal Code: 78681
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Hey Harve,
I'd try filing the slot the nut sits in. Could be some left-over glue in it.
dan

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PostPosted: Sat Jun 08, 2013 9:21 pm 
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Koa
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Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2008 8:57 pm
Posts: 1982
Location: 8.33±0.35 kpc from Galactic center, 20 light-years above the equatorial in the Sol System
First name: duh
Last Name: Padma
City: Professional Sawdust Maker
Focus: Build
File? Sandpaper? Vaseline? laughing6-hehe

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PostPosted: Sun Jun 09, 2013 1:20 am 
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Joined: Fri May 09, 2008 2:25 pm
Posts: 1954
First name: George
City: Seattle
State: WA
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
I'm not sure I'm following you correctly but you need to adjust the nut material to fit the slot, not the other way around. This may be stating the obvious, but do NOT file or sand the leading edge of the fingerboard, as that risks messing up the intonation. I can't think of any reason to ever use a hammer on a guitar.

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PostPosted: Sun Jun 09, 2013 4:45 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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Joined: Mon Dec 27, 2010 9:06 pm
Posts: 2739
Location: Magnolia DE
First name: Brian
Last Name: Howard
City: Magnolia
State: Delaware
Zip/Postal Code: 19962
Country: United States
Focus: Repair
Status: Professional
George L wrote:
I can't think of any reason to ever use a hammer on a guitar.


I Use one to put frets in......

As for the nut, yes make the nut fit the slot not the other way around.

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PostPosted: Mon Jun 10, 2013 9:28 am 
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Koa
Koa

Joined: Tue Feb 24, 2009 9:23 am
Posts: 1372
First name: Corky
Last Name: Long
City: Mount Kisco
State: NY
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
I'd take some 220 and some 400 sandpaper, find a very flat, hard surface and sand the nut down a little bit, testing the fit often.


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