[mt.koinae]

Hey guys, my A string on my guitar has recently started buzzing and I found that the A string was very noticeably deeper into my nut than the other strings. So, I suspect this may be the source of my buzzing. I kind of wanted to replace the nut myself (I've never done this before) and so i was wondering if anyone could give me some tips (or better yet, give me a comprehensive walkthrough of the process).

I'm going to be using a tusq nut on an epiphone maple quilt top guitar.


thanks for all the help!

[Major Tom]

First you gotta get the old one off. Often when you pull them up, some of the wood is still stuck to it - not good. You can try using a hair dryer to heat it up and soften the glue, but I think cheap guitar mfr's don't care about using "releasable" glues like you will find on better instruments. You should probably try to flatten the area where the nut will sit, as it will have some glue residue.

Are you getting a pre-slotted nut? Even so, you will first have to sand the bottom of the nut to get it to where the strings are close to the right height, but a little high. Then you need to file each string slot individually to get it to the right depth. I recommend leaving it a little high, sometimes the strings will "settle in" over the next few days / weeks and the slot gets a bit deeper, probably from the plastic compressing from the downward pressure of the strings. You can always take more off in a few weeks. If the new nut isn't high enough overall, you would have to add something to the bottom to jack it up some.

I usually seal the wood with some kind of paint / finish product where the nut will sit, to protect it from absorbing moisture and swelling. I make sure the bottom of the nut is perfectly flat, as is the space where it will sit. I don't put glue on the bottom of the slot - the string's downward pressure will keep it pressed down, I just use a drop or 2 of glue on the front edge, where it meets the rosewood. That way, if I have to pull it back off, it won't take out a chunk of wood. I also use hide glue (from a bottle, not the kind you melt in a pot), so it will release easily if necessary.

If it were me, and the only thing wrong with the nut was one (or all 6 for that matter) slot was too deep, I would fill in that slot a bit to raise it back up. It is way less work, and way less risky.

Does the A buzz only when played open? If it buzzes on fretted notes, and not open, it ain't the nut slot depth.

[mt.koinae]

It does buzz when I play on the frets still.

[martinedwards]

thats not the nut then.

either raise the bridge or adjust the truss rod.

it IS possible for action to be too low!!