WHATS THE BEST WAY TO REMOVE NUT?

traynorman · #1 08-08-2009, 05:26 PM

I JUST GOT A BEAUTIFUL FERNANDES 6 STRING BASS YESTERDAY FOR A AMAZING PRICE .... ONLY DOWNSIDE IS THAT IM SHORT ON FUNDS ... AND A LEFTY.. THE BASS BEING RIGHT HANDED I NEED TO FLIP THE STRINGS AND SET UP THE BASS ... IV DONE THIS SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE BUT JUST REPLACED THE NUT ... THIS BEING A SIX AND THE LOCAL MUSIC STORES AINT GOT S@#T FOR NUTS NOT EVEN A USABLE BLANK ...I LUCKED OUT AS IT IS A SLOTTED NUT AND CAN BE SLID BACK IN HOPEFULLY BUT WHAT WOULD BE THE BEST WAY TO REMOVE IT WITH NO DAMAGE DONE ...THANX IN ADVANCE

LilRay · #2 08-08-2009, 05:43 PM

Is it plastic, bone or what?

God Bless. Ray

traynorman · #3 08-08-2009, 06:09 PM

IM PRETTY SURE ITS PLASTIC

Darkstrike · #4 08-08-2009, 06:12 PM

When I've done it, I've tapped it from the side, but out of about 10 times, one broke.

traynorman · #5 08-08-2009, 06:19 PM

Iv tried that ..it seems to be glued in .. id use like a hair dryer or heat gun but i dont wanna mess the neck up

standupright · #6 08-08-2009, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by traynorman

I JUST GOT A BEAUTIFUL FERNANDES 6 STRING BASS YESTERDAY FOR A AMAZING PRICE .... ONLY DOWNSIDE IS THAT IM SHORT ON FUNDS ... AND A LEFTY.. THE BASS BEING RIGHT HANDED I NEED TO FLIP THE STRINGS AND SET UP THE BASS ... IV DONE THIS SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE BUT JUST REPLACED THE NUT ... THIS BEING A SIX AND THE LOCAL MUSIC STORES AINT GOT S@#T FOR NUTS NOT EVEN A USABLE BLANK ...I LUCKED OUT AS IT IS A SLOTTED NUT AND CAN BE SLID BACK IN HOPEFULLY BUT WHAT WOULD BE THE BEST WAY TO REMOVE IT WITH NO DAMAGE DONE ...THANX IN ADVANCE

BIGBEE · #7 08-08-2009, 06:45 PM

just get married

:

lunarpollen · #8 08-08-2009, 06:59 PM

A bottle of whiskey and a scalpel

T-Bird · #9 08-09-2009, 03:16 AM

Hi.

I read somewhere that a conveyor belt will do it for You if the ol'willy gets stuck.

Back on topic though. A tap or two towards the headstock, parallell to the (removed) strings has done it for me. No broken ones if You place an ice cream stick or similar between the nut and the hammer.

Auch. A nut & hammer in the same sentence just sounds soooo wrong

.

There's a million and then some substitute materials/items for the nut, mainly wooden and plastic household items.

Thick combs, toothbrush handles, hardwood pencils, plastic trays, etc. etc. Your imagination (and available tools) is the only limit really.

A Graphtech nut should put You back about 10 bucks or so, but if there's none available, you're screwed.

Regards
Sam

Bocete · #10 08-09-2009, 03:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by standupright

Maybe he is a drill sergeant.

Turock · #11 08-09-2009, 08:34 AM

I gotta go along with whiskey and scalpel.

Zooberwerx · #12 08-09-2009, 08:48 AM

As previously mentioned, I tap on both the headstock and fingerboard surfaces with a hammer and piece of dowel ( a chopstick works nicely, too). This usually breaks the glue bond. I then tap it out laterally. Be sure to clean up any dried glue residue before reinstalling.

Riis

Anesthesia · #13 08-09-2009, 09:08 AM

i too have to vote for whiskey and a scalpel but not too much whiskey, you might bleed out.

blockinlay · #14 08-09-2009, 09:19 AM

Nuts should only be glued with a small dab of white glue, so there's not much holding them. Use caution and patience. You have to break that bond without breaking any wood. Score the finish on the sides if painted. Several ways to break it. Tap it evenly with a block laid across the fretboard. Grab it with flattened end nippers and rock back and forth, or tap across sideways. Try several ways to break the bond, just go carefully so you don't take a chip out of the wood. You may be able to pull the nut straight up and out once the bond is broken, just be careful as this can rip a chunk of fretboard as well. After cleaning the nut and slot, just use but a tiny bit of white glue to reinstall. If you can't get it out, you may have to score the edge between the nut and headstock.

Craig_S · #15 08-09-2009, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blockinlay

Nuts should only be glued with a small dab of white glue, so there's not much holding them. Use caution and patience. You have to break that bond without breaking any wood. Score the finish on the sides if painted. Several ways to break it. Tap it evenly with a block laid across the fretboard. Grab it with flattened end nippers and rock back and forth, or tap across sideways. Try several ways to break the bond, just go carefully so you don't take a chip out of the wood. You may be able to pull the nut straight up and out once the bond is broken, just be careful as this can rip a chunk of fretboard as well. After cleaning the nut and slot, just use but a tiny bit of white glue to reinstall. If you can't get it out, you may have to score the edge between the nut and headstock.

This.

ia02 · #16 08-09-2009, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zooberwerx

As previously mentioned, I tap on both the headstock and fingerboard surfaces with a hammer and piece of dowel ( a chopstick works nicely, too). This usually breaks the glue bond. I then tap it out laterally. Be sure to clean up any dried glue residue before reinstalling.

Riis

this way works best for me too. be gentle and tap as "low" on the nut as you can. you may break it regardless. get a bone blank and make a new one if that happens. bone is much better anyway!

Craig_S · #17 08-09-2009, 11:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ia02

get a bone blank and make a new one if that happens. bone is much better anyway!

Bah! Tusq is easier to work with and less expensive.

mongo2 · #18 08-09-2009, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Craig_S

Bah! Tusq is easier to work with and less expensive.

I find bone much easier to work with since it the file cuts it nicer than tusq. Bone also polishes nicely.