Bought a set of Nut files this week!

Sixstring

Sixstring

Legend!
For some reason my Gretsch has been giving me headache with the G and D strings sticking. I figured I would pick up a set of nut files and make some minor tweaks. When the guitar sits for a while the G and D strings want to hang up. Moving the trem bar results in a moderately loud "Ping" sometimes on one string or both.

After some light filing, paying attention to depth the "Ping" sound doesn't happen as loudly but is now happening in multiples instead of one Ping. Do I need to make the slots wider or just try to polish them?
 
I'm no expert but just used a piece of A or D string to file the nut wholes a bit, but just on the headstock side, not (!) on the neck side (I just did that one time and needed to use a bit of glue to repair the height of the nut whole afterwards). I tried to add an angle to optimize sliding of strings in the nut. After all use a pencil to make it smooth.
 
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also depends how deep the string is placed in the nut. doesn't add much filing deeper while the string is stuck in the upper area if the groove.
 
Little at at time, hard to put material back on. And another + on the nut sauce. I even use nut sauce on trem posts, anything that has friction.
 
TheRedDevil said:
But doesn't the nut have to be precisely adjusted to each guitar? Even if the dimensions are correct, the holes aren't perfect, are they? Which dimensions is perfect for my guitar?
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Mh ....

... Looks easy but isn't easy if you just take a bit too much away from the nut. If you have the old nut which fits it could be easier to take the dimensions from this nut as basis.
 
I bought a set of files a while back and have had a go at it with some of my non-go-to guitars, with mixed results. It's definitely easy to make a problem worse, or create a different one. At this point my Gretsch Falcon needs some minor tweaking, but since lube makes it livable I'm not touching it with a file.
 
TheRedDevil said:
But doesn't the nut have to be precisely adjusted to each guitar? Even if the dimensions are correct, the holes aren't perfect, are they? Which dimensions is perfect for my guitar?
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You have to go on the site and find the nut that fits your guitar nut dimensions. I’ve done this for my MIM Strat and an Ibanez 7RG without incident.

I didn’t need to do anything to the string slots. I only sanded to adjust for proper string height which was easy, just use a fine grit sand block that’s flat and take even passes until proper height.

Be patient and take your time. New nuts are cheap so if you need to start over it’s not the end of the world.
 
Tusq sounds good but it wears out pretty quickly. Always the D first to cut in to the nut just by tuning and if you have a trem it's not going to last. This is why Guthrie went back to bone on his Charvel and I agree. Also no perfect nut was ever made by NOT adjusting the slots. Yes you can sand the underside but with something as critical as a nut it's a compromise.
 
Andy Eagle said:
Tusq sounds good but it wears out pretty quickly. Always the D first to cut in to the nut just by tuning and if you have a trem it's not going to last. This is why Guthrie went back to bone on his Charvel and I agree. Also no perfect nut was ever made by NOT adjusting the slots. Yes you can sand the underside but with something as critical as a nut it's a compromise.
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Never had an issue with turning stability or intonation due to wearing of nut slots and I have 4 guitars with Tusq nuts. I play everyday for an hour or two, mostly metal genre and solo stuff. Lots of bending…. (You, know, guitar wankerery)

Keep in mind this my anecdotal experience.
 
wesleyamltd said:
Never had an issue with turning stability or intonation due to wearing of nut slots and I have 4 guitars with Tusq nuts. I play everyday for an hour or two, mostly metal genre and solo stuff. Lots of bending…. (You, know, guitar wankerery)

Keep in mind this my anecdotal experience.
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No issues with tuning or intonation but the string actually saws the nut slot deeper and buzzes more quickly than any other material.
 
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