Amateur builder, need advice.

[thedudebrah]

I'm working on building a P bass from some parts I have laying around, but I want to buy a new Allparts neck for it. I have been advised that this neck does not come with a nut installed. The neck is unfinished, so I'll be putting on the clear coat myself, but I want to know at what point should I install the nut? I've done some reading as to how to install it, but I'm unsure when I should install it.

For example, should I install the nut onto the neck while off the body and then do all my clear coat work and final assembly?

Should I mock up the unfinished neck onto the body and install the nut when I can have string tension over it and then remove all the hardware and do my clear coat?

Or could I do my finish work while masking the nut slot and then install the nut right as I do my final assembly?

Thanks for any tips, this is the only thing holding me up from taking my next steps in the build.

[thedudebrah]

If this would get more action in the hardware/setup forum, please move it there.

[Phendyr_Loon]

Mask off the nut slot during the finishing process then install and file the nut just before you string it up.

[thedudebrah]

Alright simple enough, thanks!

[ACNick]

Is it a maple fret board? If it is rosewood then it wouldn't matter when you put the nut on (before/after) since the fret board does not need to be sprayed; only the maple neck would be finished with the rosewood masked off. I installed the nut on my allparts maple/rosewood J neck before spraying the finish, just to get a feel for the guitar before the neck sat in the closet curing for a few weeks.

[thedudebrah]

Yes, forgot to mention it's a maple neck. I'd the to install the nut only to find out it has to be redone in a few weeks when I assemble everything.