Shimming the individual nut slots?

[Jimbob Jones]

ok heres the deal:

A few months ago my nut slipped and i glued it back into place with the only thing i could find....superglue also i have a lovely red laquered finish that covered my neck...therefore i dont want to risk trying to remove/replace my nut.

heres my problem: My A string buzzes open. This is because the nut slot is too low. And, as you can see, i cant shim my whole nut. To make matters worse i have an odd bridge, in which the A string saddle is rusted solid, so i cant raise the action there....So I tried putting small metal shims (from a beer can) under the saddle height-adjustment screws...no improvement.

So, here's my question, what do i use to shim an individual nut slot?


Many thanks

Jimbob


I tried searching for an existing thread on this, but nothing so if i've missed something im sorry! but please post the link!

[SherpaKahn]

A guy I know makes a dam of sorts by making off the two edges of the nut slot, then fills the hole with a mixture of epoxy and graphite. From there, it's like filing a new nut slot. It ain't pretty, but it works.

[junglebike]

Fill the nut slot with a mix of superglue and baking soda. Let harden and re-slot. Worked on my guitar once. You can even just pack the nut slot with baking soda and then carefully let a drop of superglue wick into the powder -- this minimizes the risk of mucking up your axe.

[Jimbob Jones]

I've got one small problem...purely cosmetic....my nut is black Is there an way of making the mixture black, either by dying before it sets or painting after?

[the_home]

The graphite dust might give the darker color you want.

If you want to 'shim', as the original question was stated, I have used aluminum foil before with good results. Its very thin, but can be 'layered' to desired thickness, it can be trimmed easily and when trimmed, makes no buzzes or rattles.

[junglebike]

I'm almost positive that the amount of mixture you'd end up with after filing would be effectively invisible. If not, there's always the Sharpie..

Originally Posted by Jimbob Jones

I've got one small problem...purely cosmetic....my nut is black Is there an way of making the mixture black, either by dying before it sets or painting after?

[Gubna]

I used to take a bit of a match and just put it under the string at the nut. It worked.

[Vanceman]

I also have used aluminum foil, it's easy, and it works great. Plus, it's not permanent if you goof up. Also it's a good way to see if that is what the problem is.