Replacing nut on bound Fender neck

Indi86 · #1 10-13-2009, 09:28 PM

Well, the nut on my 02/03 Fender FMT Jazz has just about had it, and I need to replace it. The issue I have is that the neck binding goes well past the nut. I'm at a loss for what to have done about this.

What is traditionally done with replacing nuts on bound necks? Is the binding just sliced and removed where the nut is? Is there some horribly expensive process that will leave the binding intact without having to refinish the entire neck?

Thanks guys.

slyjoe · #2 10-13-2009, 10:14 PM

installing a nut on a bound fretboard.

Indi86 · #3 10-14-2009, 10:07 AM

Well, how flexible is binding material? Are Fender nuts normally glued in? How much of a pain is it to remove a nut that's inside binding without cutting it?

The thread you linked didn't actually answer any of my questions.

Benjamin Strange · #4 10-14-2009, 11:07 AM

Typically the binding is cut away at the nut and removed. If done right, it will square up against the new nut and look like it was done like that from the factory.

You could peel back the binding, but it could be a real pain trying to carve the nut to an exact size so that the binding will go back flush with the neck. Most nuts are glued in, but just a little bit - they're supposed to be removable.

dmusic148 · #5 10-14-2009, 11:39 AM

I've done two like this. It's really no big deal. I simply grabbed the old ones with pliers and wiggled them a bit, and in both cases they popped right out. I also didn't bother making the replacements overhang the binding, but I considered it.
I just sanded the blanks till they fit, then slotted them, and glued them in. I'll post pics later.

Indi86 · #6 10-14-2009, 05:33 PM

Thanks for all the advice!

slyjoe · #7 10-14-2009, 10:52 PM

What dmusic158 said is what I have done. Except, I did not trim the ends, just filed an undercut so the nut overhung the binding. This takes a little longer with careful filing.

This process is easier with after-market necks that don't come with a nut, which is where I did this.

Some nuts are glued in, some are not. A tight fitting nut really doesn't need it. If dmusic's wiggling method doesn't work to remove the old nut, chisel it out and trim the binding. I assume though that you wanted to keep the binding running past the nut.