The Guitar Gallery Forums - The Guitar Legacy of Matsumoku

The Brass nut on my Westbury is cut too low on the high E so it rattles on that open string....it's find when fretted anywhere. Rest of the slots are fine.

Ya think the baking powder/super glue buildup will work like it does on bone/plastic nuts?

No it wont.
Only possible remedy in my book would be silversolder,which carries about the same properties as does brass,but TBH..i´d say it less of a hazzle to simply replace the top nut.
In that case,brass or bone..take your pick.

What he said...tried various approaches with the same problem on my current AV-325...went with a bone nut.

All done.

je

_________________
...doing bad things to good Vantages since 1985...

1981 AV-320
1981 AV-320
1981 AV-325
1982 AV-320
1982 VS-695-12
1982 VSH-445
1983 AV-330
1995 VST 33 CE TBK

What they said...and, just to be thorough before removing parts, you have checked for a high fret right?

_________________
"A little song, a little dance. A little seltzer down your pants." -Chuckles the Clown
Guitars: https://legend.barryeames.com
Music/Pix/Videos: https://getback.barryeames.com

Oh, yeah, that- I used bits of shim between string & too-low nut groove to verify that it'd play OK before I went to the new nut. Probably just a cut-up piece of paper or business card fragment wedged under the string, for testing.

je

_________________
...doing bad things to good Vantages since 1985...

1981 AV-320
1981 AV-320
1981 AV-325
1982 AV-320
1982 VS-695-12
1982 VSH-445
1983 AV-330
1995 VST 33 CE TBK

Thanks for the shim tip.
If it checks out OK I'm gonna see if I can get a black Graph-tech tusq nut to fit.

Squid did you note a big difference in tone between brass/bone?

Um, I'm not sure I was understood.
I meant, did you check number one fret to be sure it was level and not raised a bit? Easier to level it than replace the nut eh?

_________________
"A little song, a little dance. A little seltzer down your pants." -Chuckles the Clown
Guitars: https://legend.barryeames.com
Music/Pix/Videos: https://getback.barryeames.com

Here´s a tip you can use to check.
Get a set of steel feelergauges. Remove the top nut,and do so with care. If clearcoat is anywhere NEAR it cut along the topnut edges with a razorblade before removing. Remove by SLIM amounts of force with a jewelers hammer or similar if needed. If anything resembling force is needed back of and evaluate why. Now,using a pair of tinnermans or similar (in fact with the really slim gauges you can get away with a pair of scissors) cut a shim to appropraite size to fit underneath the nut. For us metric guys try a 0,2mm one,(for you fraction guys divide by 25.4).
If that clears it check the "fast n dirty" way by depressing each string at 3 fret and that check for clearance at 1st-between the string in case and the actual 1st fret. As long as there IS clearance it´s all good. If there´s to much of it intonation will be off. Ie;it comes down to a delicate balance act more than anything else and what´s more it is also a matter of how hard you are with your left hand when playin (if right handed,otherwise the other way around)

As brass top nuts really seldome wear it is more often than not a case of a fret that´s gone awol or a neck that has started to twist. Check that first. If that check out...check WHY a certain string has lost its clearance,then replace if needed.

Exactly what I was getting at. Thanks for the detailed explanation Jesper!

_________________
"A little song, a little dance. A little seltzer down your pants." -Chuckles the Clown
Guitars: https://legend.barryeames.com
Music/Pix/Videos: https://getback.barryeames.com