Ask away. But, I am off to bed now so I can't respond until tomorrow morning.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Get off my LAWN! "Grumpy Old Farts"
- Thread starter B-string
- Start date
- Status
I had a string nut once. Led to a terrible case of cotton balls...
Well, I had some extra presidents so I blew some money on a cheapo Sterling by Music Man SUB 4 lefty bass. It's nice looking but you can sure tell the difference from a $2000 MM. Anyway. I'm pretty weird in that I play left handed but my bass strung right handed. I've spent the evening whacking on the string nut to pop it out and flip it but it won't budge. I even dug into the neck (very tiny nick) and it still won't budge. Seems like the Chinese got a little too excited and glued it in too tight!
Suggestions? I was hoping I wouldn't ruin it but it looks inevitable. I'm disappointed because my Ibanez basses-- I run a box cutter on each side of the nut a couple times-- a couple taps on the nut and voila-- it pops out. I'm thinking this guy is going back. Thanks in advance GOF's.
Make sure that there is no finish extending over the nut, that seal needs to be broken with a razor blade.
As I recall, that bass has the nut in a slot with fingerboard on each side. Is this correct in your case?
If you have it, use a small piece of hardwood or metal, place it against the side of the nut and tap it sharply with a small hammer. A nail with the head trimmed to size and placed against the nut will work. I use a large nail setting pin. Get creative here.
Worst case, you have to saw or grind along the center line of the nut and collapse it inward. If it's a plastic nut, best to replace it with something better such as bone or tusq.
Without removing the nut, you can cut new wider slots and fill the wide ones. There are two filling techniques, one is to use baking soda and crazy glue, the other is to use a UV setting glue. The latter dries to a hard plastic. See youtube for examples. Buying nut files to cut new slots is expensive.
- Oct 22, 2015
- 21,170
- 257,132
- Disclosures
- I am an affiliate for Ari Cap.
I had a string nut once. Led to a terrible case of cotton balls...
"Don't follow the balls when they hit the street." (Deputy Dan has no friends.)
Well, miscellaneous is miscellaneous,so.....
Confucius Says:
If you want good fortune, don't ask if it's alright to break the rules.
Al Kraft
Supporting Member
- May 2, 2016
- 10,780
- 40,482
- Disclosures
- Mesa Boogie beta product tester and player support
I would contact MM customer support or one of their authorized service folks (possibly even a luthier somewhere in Alaska?) and see what they advise. Short of that, beans' suggestions all seemed to eflect what I have seen others do in the past. As he mentioned many instruments have the finish applied after the nut is in place. So carefully breaking that bond as he suggested is a key step to getting the nut out and reducing the possibly of major cosmetic damage.
Last edited:
Thanks beans. I'm going to try the tap on each side of the string nut to see if it loosens. I always appreciate your advice.
Thanks Al. If I don't get anywhere with the tapping method, I'll send it to Juneau where there's a great luthier I've known for years. Alaska One Music.
- Oct 22, 2015
- 21,170
- 257,132
- Disclosures
- I am an affiliate for Ari Cap.
GOFs have been getting an early start on life for a long time, I see.
I wouldn't bother flipping the nut around (the bass', not one of yours). There is an excellent probability that the bottoms of the slots may be angled downward towards the headstock, so flipping the nut around (the bass', not one of yours) may lead to major intonations issues.
Just get a new one made, maybe out of what local resources you have, like a whale rib, for one example.
Not enough of a Rush fan to recognize Neil Peart by nameLikely hard pressed to name a Rush song. Was really never my "thing". Sort of clumped Rush in my mind in there with Boston. Never owned any album with Paul Simon either.
And no clear idea why I lust for an EB-0 or EB-3 style bass. Uhe nderstand the current generation is not so muddy. The Epi EB-0 is "sort of" interesting as purely an upgrade vehicle. By the time it's up to what I (believe I) want, could have had a new SG bass.
I've mentioned this before on the site: The EB2 at least had a 'tone coil' under a plastic plate beneath the hand rest. It was wired across the signal path and effectively shunted all upper frequencies to ground. Thus the mud. On mine I added a three way switch that connected the coil in parallel, as original, in series for a different tonal palette and out of circuit. With it out the whole bass came alive and sounded great.
Last edited:
I'm confused! For some reason my thread on Neil Peart has been closed. Are we not allowed to talk about the folks who make up the other half of the Rhythm Section?
Yeah, just because a pickup may up against the end of the fingerboard doesn't necessarily imply a muddy tone. Case in point, Rickenbacker.I've mentioned this before on the site: The EB2 at least had a 'tone coil' under a plastic plate beneath the hand rest. It was wired across the signal path and effectively shunted all upper frequencies to ground. Thus the mud. On mine I added a three way switch that connected the coil in parallel, as original, in series for a different tonal palette and out of circuit. With it out the whole bass came alive and sounded great.
Yours is one of several that were shut down without notice. I found that very disturbing given the subject matter.
Last edited:
Most of the closed threads, in Amps or Basses forums, got a link to the first thread on the same subject, which is in the Miscellaneous forum, by the way. Seems like a not-so-subtle effort to discourage multiples of the same, especially in "inappropriate" forums.
.
Miscellaneously speaking (
) about my Sterling by Music Man lefty, the string nut fails to budge after tapping it with a hammer and small block of wood on both sides. I got a $349 for $129 so even if I put another 100 in it I feel I'm still ahead. I wish I had some of the skills most of you have here on GOF's. But, I live on a remote island and no music stores. Not complaining, mind you. Just the facts, ma'am.
) about my Sterling by Music Man lefty, the string nut fails to budge after tapping it with a hammer and small block of wood on both sides. I got a $349 for $129 so even if I put another 100 in it I feel I'm still ahead. I wish I had some of the skills most of you have here on GOF's. But, I live on a remote island and no music stores. Not complaining, mind you. Just the facts, ma'am.
I did work out that there was an earlier thread on Neil and we were linked to it so fair is fair.
That said, I don't feel that the passing of a Rock And Roll legend should be a Miscellaneous item. We may never see the like of Neil Peart again!
I hang out in Amps and Cabs and here in Off Topic, after the fuss we went through with it's moving. I have no real interest in other forums.
alaskaleftybass (can I call you AL Bass for short?
),So you are a lefty who plays a lefty bass, but strung upside down (with E sting at bottom)? Kind of like how Albert King played his guitar?
As a lefty who plays a lefty bass.....left handed, I am curious why don't you just get a RH bass and flip it over? The strings would have the E on the bottom. Besides the controls being up near the top of the body, what would be the other reasons to do it this way?
I sometimes ponder whether I should have learned to play a RH bass upside down, keeping the strings as-is (E string at bottom). I would have more options for basses. Then I would probably spend more money on basses....
Last edited:
- Status
