Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Kustomdelux on February 3, 2009 at 3:45pm

Use a bolt for the nut too. You can always add a homemade nut later after you make/wreck a few.....lol you can use different size bolts for the nut until you get the right string height. I think you will be surprised how good a simple bolt nut will sound. For how easy it is to do, you might as well give it a try. My two cents....

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Permalink Reply by spencer on February 3, 2009 at 5:45pm

well, I'm fine with that and I will definitely be doing some of that, but I also want to learn, practice and acquire this skill

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Permalink Reply by Doug Thorsvik on February 3, 2009 at 6:41pm

Spencer I tried a nut on my first CBG and found it was difficult to get it right with the tools I had. I have used a zero fret with a string guide instead and it is much easier. I'm just not into filing slots, so on my latest instrument, a CBG bass, I made the string guide out of high density plastic and drilled holes to guide the strings and screwed it down to the neck. I plan to use this technique for all my future instruments; it's the easiest and trouble free way I have found yet. Doug

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Permalink Reply by spencer on February 4, 2009 at 2:35am

hmm, i never stopped to think about a zero fret or anything like what you did...I'm still pretty much "in the box" thinking right now. Thats a good idea...I'll add that to my list.

I looked up the price on a torch tip cleaner...I'm gonna have to invest a few buck in that. I saw something like that on ebay, but it was $30, but I think it was more luthier-ish.

I was thinking, why couldnt I just hit the corian with a router and roundover? it might just be too small a piece to work with, but I'm not a "tools" kinda guy at the moment.

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Permalink Reply by Wichita Sam on February 4, 2009 at 4:33am

Spencer,

1) band saw, dremel, sandpaper... in that order...
2) depends... if you're fretting the board and fingerpicking maybe the thickness of a dime, if you're playing slide over frets, much higher, maybe the thickness of a quarter or even more, if your playing slide fretless, then anything goes... I like a "zero fret" on a fretless neck that barely lifts the strings off the board, but that's just me... most players like strings higher to play slide.
3) get a set of acetylene torch tip cleaning files (less than $ 10 at Sears or any welding supply house), they come in a set of various sizes. Just keep widening your slot, until the string rests in the slot without being pinched.

hope this helps,

Wichita Sam

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Permalink Reply by spencer on February 4, 2009 at 5:05pm

well I decided to keep the nut. It was seated great and looked "ok"...took a hacksaw and worked on the slotting. I was pretty shocked how well the stupid hacksaw worked. I was all excited to get through that problem, but low and behold there's one after another. I dont think I'm going to fret this one because the action is pretty low already...despite the fact that:

-I didnt angle the neck
-I didnt angle the headstock

I did mark out the fret positions using WFret...I like the ability to print it off, lay it out and copy it with ease. I tentatively tested the positions, but didnt have a tape to measure the position of the bridge in regards to scale length...consequently the fretting appeared to suck. Right now I had to put some backing on the headstock to lower the tuners and increase the angle off the nut so i'm waiting on the glue to dry. Tomorrow I'll do up the strings, measure the bridge off and give it a whirl. We'll see where it takes us.

I've had a few quarks...a little frustrating lol. Despite all the problems and setbacks (or maybe because of them) I'm having a blast.

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Permalink Reply by spencer on February 13, 2009 at 5:39am

My first cbg was rough...I hit it with a band saw once, put the nut in a vice, leveled it off and then razor sawed it (cuz it too small and I like my fingers), dremel and sand paper. Problem is that I was at a friend's workshop who has seemingly every tool in the world, but lives about 40 minutes away. I have virtually no tools..although I find my collection growing.

Since I got next to no tools, on this second cbg, I just sit the nut a little deeper into the neck...and hit the corian with the sand paper. I bought a torch tip cleaner, but have yet to use it...it has to be better than the hack saw I used at work. I've marked out the frets, but am debating on it right now.

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Permalink Reply by Wichita Sam on February 13, 2009 at 6:47am

If you are struggling with the "low/no tool" situation, a good option is a "zero fret" setup. You get a nice low action and a little demands for tight tolerances. Here's an example at http://s275.photobucket.com/albums/jj317/WichitaSam/?action=view&am...

Just another way to skin the cat.

the best,

Wichita Sam


spencer said:

My first cbg was rough...I hit it with a band saw once, put the nut in a vice, leveled it off and then razor sawed it (cuz it too small and I like my fingers), dremel and sand paper. Problem is that I was at a friend's workshop who has seemingly every tool in the world, but lives about 40 minutes away. I have virtually no tools..although I find my collection growing.

Since I got next to no tools, on this second cbg, I just sit the nut a little deeper into the neck...and hit the corian with the sand paper. I bought a torch tip cleaner, but have yet to use it...it has to be better than the hack saw I used at work. I've marked out the frets, but am debating on it right now.

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Permalink Reply by Jake on March 9, 2009 at 12:09pm

What tool should I use for creating the grooves in the nut that the strings rest in?

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Permalink Reply by Wade on March 9, 2009 at 1:46pm

I keep my slots shallow. If you cut the slots too deep, the string binds up and leads to tuning problems. I cut my depth around half the diameter of the string.

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Permalink Reply by Roger Martin on March 30, 2009 at 5:42am

Another way to go about shaping the nuts is too leave it long so you have something to work with.It's much easier to handle so you can shape with power tools if you want to or slap it in a vice and shape it with a file or very narrow saw.
As you work keep stopping and check it on the neck to make sure your not going too far.When your happy with the complete shape of the nut, THEN cut it off and glue er in.
It just makes it so much easier to work with if you leave it long until your finished with it.

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Permalink Reply by Mark Werner on March 30, 2009 at 7:23am

All my CBGs (and banjo and mandola) since my very first have used bone for the nut. In fact, I still have enough of the original doggie-bone left to make at least one more. About 5 bucks at the pet store; pick one with flat surfaces.

I do it all pretty much by hand; I hacksaw out the rough shape and then use a sandpaper wheel on the Dremel for shaping.
You want it flat at the point the string first contacts the nut, for good intonation, but it can taper towards the tuning machines.
Bone is hard enough that the strings don't tend to bind or catch.
I admit to using a hacksaw blade and a small 3-corner file most of the time, but i did buy one of those clever little torch-tip tools and they're great for getting an exact fit. Lots cheaper than a set of fret files....
Adjusting the action is dealt with in great detail (and good photos) on the Frets.com site.

the old half-pencil trick works very well for a starting point.

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