Brass Nut

Basso54 · #1 11-17-2011, 02:50 PM

Hi All. I'm entering the world of DIY bass maintenance. I've got an old Ibanez P/J (see signature) that I've started working on recently. I pulled the strings and SURPRISE! The stock brass nut is no longer attached to the neck. The nut itself is in good shape and I've had no issues with it up until now. I just want to reattach the nut and move on. I don't want to hear about how I need to take this to Luthier and how if I want it done right I need to take it to a tech. This appears to be a very simple fix. I just need to know what adhesive to use and what's the best way to clamp the nut down to allow it to seat properly after I tack it back into place. Thanks in advance!

dhsierra1 · #2 11-17-2011, 02:59 PM

cyanoacrylate (crazy glue) works well. Clean the nut first w/fine steel wool, rinse clean preferably w/rubbing alcohol.

Sand just a bit the wood where it's going to contact and then wipe clean.

You want nice clean fresh surfaces for the adhesive to work best.

I recommend you mask the surrounding area w/tape, though, so you don't spill CA where you don't want it.

As for clamping, a small c-clamp w/wood shims is one way, or just tape it down tightly in place. The idea is to not mar or dent the wood.

Turnaround · #3 11-17-2011, 04:05 PM

I don't use a clamp. I install the strings right away - the down pressure from the strings is more than enough to ensure good contact while the glue dries.

T-Bird · #4 11-17-2011, 09:01 PM

Hi.

If I use glue, it's white glue.

Most of the time, the nut just sits there with string pressure, if the pull is straight.

The problems associated using CA will reveal thamselves sooner or later

.

Regards
Sam

walterw · #5 11-17-2011, 09:18 PM

nah, CA is great, i use it all the time. makes a nice hard, brittle joint, good for tone transfer and easy to break loose again down the road when needed. a couple little drops is all you need. it's epoxy that creates the nightmare down the road for the next tech.

with superglue, you just have to be "good at it", as you have very little time before it sets, and great risk of damaging the finish if it smears.

with fenders, sure, you can just use string pressure to hold the nut in place in its slot, but when the nut is at the end of a fretboard, the strings will tend to push it out of alignment; you need to get the glue on there, quickly get the nut exactly in place, then hold it with your fingers so that it's pressing on both the bottom of the slot and the end of the fretboard.

i wouldn't dream of playing any instrument with a nut that wasn't rigidly locked in place with glue.

Basso54 · #6 11-18-2011, 11:21 PM

Thanks for the advice guys. Superglue worked great. Made damn sure it was where I wanted it and it's a done deal.

fhm555 · #7 11-20-2011, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by walterw

...with superglue, you just have to be "good at it", as you have very little time before it sets, and great risk of damaging the finish if it smears...you need to get the glue on there, quickly get the nut exactly in place...

Or get some medium or thick CA. Takes a bit longer to set.

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