Need a new nut (what should it run?)

nasonm · #1 12-03-2004, 10:27 AM

I need a new nut installed on my MIM Jazz. The local shop told me that it'd be $40 to replace the nut (with labor).

Is that too much? Just right?

lowrez · #2 12-03-2004, 11:21 AM

I think I paid 30 or 40 bucks to have a new nut put in my now departed stingray... Doesn't sound out of scale price-wise...

phatcactus · #3 12-03-2004, 11:30 AM

Why not just get a pre-slotted nut from a place like basspartsresource.com? There are a few different materials to choose from, and they're all under $10. The only work you'd have to do is wrestle the old nut out (which if I remember correctly can be done with a few taps of a hammer).

lowrez · #4 12-04-2004, 08:59 AM

I'd still leave it to a pro, I have seen too many nasty flecks of wood chunked out of the fretboard by sometimes even professional folks... Best keep your odds in your favour, and the liability in someone elses hands.

Puarija · #5 12-04-2004, 10:28 AM

The last time I let a repair tech replace a nut for me (around $25), it looked like some kind of hack job. It was a 60s cheapo guitar with a cream plastic nut. He put on some kind of black nut that was a little wider than the old nut, and it looked horrible. Sure, it's just a cheap guitar, but still. I think next time I'd take the chance and do it myself.

Hambone · #6 12-04-2004, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Puarija

The last time I let a repair tech replace a nut for me (around $25), it looked like some kind of hack job. It was a 60s cheapo guitar with a cream plastic nut. He put on some kind of black nut that was a little wider than the old nut, and it looked horrible. Sure, it's just a cheap guitar, but still. I think next time I'd take the chance and do it myself.

Experiences like this tick me off. First for the poor job done by the whoever. Any moron could have seen the misfit and corrected it. It's easy and it's usually part and parcel to a real nut replacement. Why anyone selling this as a service wouldn't know is beyond me.

My second peeve is with you Puarija - not a real MAD

mad - just a little frustration. I'm frustrated that since you got a bad job from this poser it sounds like it's put you off having work done by anyone else for fear of another hacking. Please don't think that way. There ARE good techs and repairmen out there and it really is worth the time to find one of these guys. They may charge a little more and maybe take a little longer (sometimes) but these are the ones that can give you that peace of mind over your instrument. I do applaud you however, in thinking about tackling it yourself. A nut replacement was my first instrument project I completed over 28 years ago and I still look back at that with fondness because I did a good job. This is perfect to get your feet wet and just might bite you and give you that fever to do more!

jenderfazz · #7 12-04-2004, 06:38 PM

Generally it involves a lot of sanding. The nut is usually too thick for the slot and has to be sanded to the right width. I tried doing it myself once. Took a half hour of sanding to get anywhere close. Just as I was inserting it it broke in half. I took it to the repair guy the next day.

kearney · #8 12-04-2004, 07:02 PM

whoa! as do i! i bought mine secondhand, some dip**** obviously used the e in the a slot and now it buzzes when i play it open

teej · #9 12-04-2004, 08:49 PM

The nut on my bass broke a few months ago. It was a near-easy fix for me. I bought an unsloted tusq nut from the local sound shop, removed the old nut and used it as a filing template, and used a soldering iron with a modified tip to melt the slots. I then used a fine grit sandpaper to shape it, and glued it in with yellow wood glue. Sure, it's not the best approach. Actually, I'd take the advise of Hambone or someone else with bit more experience. Although, I've got to say that it worked quite well!

Puarija · #10 12-05-2004, 03:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hambone

My second peeve is with you Puarija - not a real MAD

mad - just a little frustration. I'm frustrated that since you got a bad job from this poser it sounds like it's put you off having work done by anyone else for fear of another hacking. Please don't think that way. There ARE good techs and repairmen out there and it really is worth the time to find one of these guys.

Hey, no I totally understand that he was a bad apple and that most guys know what they're doing. The problem is, living where I live the choices are limited. One place is the one I was talking about, where the same tech still works (My bad experience was several years ago), and the other is a place where something as simple as a nut replacement will have your bass in the shop for 2 months.

Either way, I'd rather try to do it myself. haha Even if I ruin a couple of nuts on the way and take all day to do it, it's better than missing my bass for a couple months! haha