Best glue for nut replacement

[Sundogue]

I'm going to be replacing the nut on my bass and I've read lots of conflicting info on what the best glue is to put in a new nut.

White glue? Superglue? It will be a Black Tusq nut if that matters.

So what's the consensus?

[mikeyswood]

As long as the joining surfaces are machined to fit each other the glue is irrelevant.

[Bassamatic]

Don't put too much - you may need to remove it in the future. A little dab of white glue is more than enough to hold it in place until you string it.

[Dirk Diggler]

I use my normal titebond, but a repair shop friend of mine swears by a couple small dots of superglue, super easy to replace that way.
Dirk

[Sundogue]

Thanks for the replies. I'll just my Titebond then. It should be snug fit anyway.

[testing1two]

Originally Posted by mikeyswood

As long as the joining surfaces are machined to fit each other the glue is irrelevant.

This is very important. The nut slot should hold the nut in place with no glue whatsoever. A tiny amount of white glue is all that's needed to prevent the nut from shifting. Too much of any glue will increase the risk of damaging the slot when future nut work is needed.

[Sundogue]

Originally Posted by testing1two

This is very important. The nut slot should hold the nut in place with no glue whatsoever. A tiny amount of white glue is all that's needed to prevent the nut from shifting. Too much of any glue will increase the risk of damaging the slot when future nut work is needed.

The nut I ordered is the same thickness as the old one. It's a bit wider and higher, but it should fit the joint perfectly. Obviously the new nut will need to be trimmed down elsewhere accordingly, but it should fit in the existing slot. If not perfect I'll make sure it is before it's glued in place.

Thanks.

[john grey]

White glue appears to be superficially a safer bet in that if the nut ever needs to be removed if offers less possibility of too powerful bond, risking splintering or great difficulty, etc. However I agree that if made correctly, it's fairly immaterial. However i would err on the side of caution with small amounts (a drop).
I have seen a situation where an enormous amount of cyan-type was used and it was a headache to remove cleanly.

[grendle]

Always used 2 drops of superglue. Never had an issue taking them back off.

[Floyd Eye]

Couple drops of super glue or a little Titebond.

[RedLeg]

little bit of white glue.

think about this
"what if I want or need to change the nut, how hard would it be if it was tight bonded or super glued or gorilla glued in?"

[walterw]

i prefer superglue myself; a couple drops is all you need, and it dries brittle (as opposed to rubbery) for good tone transfer and easy removal later (unlike epoxy!)

also, you can't always clamp it perfectly like you'd need with titebond, say if you had to hold it flush against the end of a fretboard and flat in the slot and lined up on the sides. sometimes the strings actually pull the nut out of line.

with CA, you can hold it exactly in place with your fingers for the few seconds until it sets.

[Floyd Eye]

Originally Posted by RedLeg

little bit of white glue.

think about this
"what if I want or need to change the nut, how hard would it be if it was tight bonded or super glued or gorilla glued in?"

No one said slather it in Titebond or Super glue. A couple drops. I have installed and removed hundreds of nuts this way.

By the way, Titebond IS white glue.

[walterw]

right; a little superglue is all you need, and is perfectly removable.

[Floyd Eye]

Tusq wears quickly, so you will definitely want to use a small amount of glue. It is likely that you will replace this nut again.

[Lownote Floyd]

Maybe I am missing something....I have a Specter Radion Elite 4 bass and has what looks like a black graphite nut. The A string slot apparently was cut a hair bit too deep at the factory and the string was riding low (compared to the other strings). I took the tiniest piece of aluminum foil, inserted it into the nut, cut it to the right width so it wouldn't show once the string was inserted, it cost me virtually nothing, and did the trick perfectly. And it took me all of five minutes to do. Now I wouldn't expect a professional luthier to resort to such such tactics but I could not see replacing the entire nut either. Again, am I missing something here?

[electracoyote]

White glue diluted with water. The bare minimum that, when combined with string pressure, will hold the nut in place during normal playing, but allow the nut to come out easily and the nut slot to be cleaned up easily when the time comes.

If you've ever changed out a nut and had a hell of a time getting it out, pulled some wood from the slot in the process, or had a crappy mess you had to clean up before installing the new nut, you'll know what I mean.

You guys who use super glue and get away with it, more power to you. I've had some real problems replacing nuts that were super glued in. Furthermore, I fail to see the advantage. White glue dries about as hard as super glue, for any practical purpose that might serve.

[electracoyote]

Originally Posted by Lownote Floyd

Now I wouldn't expect a professional luthier to resort to such such tactics but I could not see replacing the entire nut either. Again, am I missing something here?

Perfect DIY solution. If it got the slot to the correct depth, didn't change the tone, and isn't ugly or distracting to look at, it's all good.

I usually go with a super glue/baking soda mixture in the slot, and then refile when dry. It dries very hard, and can be filed and shaped to the appropriate depth.

Good luthiers won't take the short cut. They will always opt for a new nut, because anything else is a bit a compromise and short-term in comparison.