Do I need a new nut?

I would clean up the E-string nut slot, but if you don’t have any buzzing issues, that nut should be fine. With that type of bridge, intonation is going to be a compromise.

 

Maybe. The current one is not properly cut, but may be salvageable. The strings need to be properly installed - they are a disaster now.

 

I'm quite certain it's the bridge and not the nut. The bridge is nice looking, but technically it's a gorgeous chrome turd IMO. Great looking though! It would be a shame to swap it out because it's such a great look. I'd just leave it and play within the bass's limitations.

 

Some bridges like that have a grub/set screw at the shoulders allowing you to move the entire bridge back some. That could make the A and D slightly flat and move the E and G closer to intonated, or you could add a shim(s) at the post(s) (aluminum foil maybe?)

 

The end of the string should go down into the hole in the tuner post. And there should be about three complete wraps of the string on the post, winding down towards the headstock. Your A string has almost no break angle over the nut. If there were 4 wraps on the post there should be a better break angle. As it is now it is very likely to buzz on the open string.

 

A new nut will not solve your problem, if it really is a problem. Most likely you will never notice it in actual use.

 

Two point Hipshot supertone.
SuperTone Gibson® Bass Replacement Bridge

 

The nut looks salvageable to me. For that fact, the slots appear to be under-cut (too shallow) which gives you the necessary real estate for bringing it into spec. Here's a quick way to check:

*Re-string properly and tune to pitch.

*Fret each string on the leading (bridge) side of the 3rd fret.

*The resulting gap between the string and 1st fret should be .003-.005"...you'll need feeler gauges.

Riis

 

Find some videos on the proper way to string the bass. It will help you a lot.

 

There's nothing wrong with that bridge if the rest of the bass is set up properly. Gibson used that bridge on many basses and it's fine - the one on my '64 EB-0 intonates well. As noted earlier, there is a set screw which can be used to slightly adjust the bridge angle.

Your nut slot looks low, but baking soda and super glue can be used to rebuild the bottom of the slot. It looks like all the slots may have been filed wrong, with the low side of the cut toward the fretboard, but it should be toward the tuners. The nut slots are at a slight angle to give the string a break point at the fretboard side of the nut.

A drill bit of appropriate size with wet-dry sandpaper wrapped around it can be used to re-file slots. Not a professional level tool, but it works.

If the strings on it are old, they are likely to be part of the problem. Install them correctly at the very least.

 

I agree. And, as the owner of several basses with... pretty much un-adjustable bridges:
1. Yes, unless you get lucky, intonation is very likely going to be a "less than optimal" compromise - which is why bridges like that went away a long time ago. That bass - like several of mine - are from a time when bass players seldom went above the 12th fret, and generally didn't worry about intonation. If they were in tune, and if the intonation was anywhere close, they were good to go. Which is not the case with music now...
2. Basses with bridges that are more or less fixed are, IME, pretty picky about the strings they'll work best with. If you find them, the bass will usually tune up and intonate just fine. If you don't? Well, good luck, and see No. 1 above.. I have a couple that I haven't found those strings for yet; it can be a frustrating search...