Members jakalope1321 Posted August 15, 2005 Members Share Posted August 15, 2005 So here's the deal, I just got my guitar back from the guitar shop recently. I got a Graphtech Graphite Nut put in my Fender Stratocaster to fit string guages 11-50. The problem is I was playing with it today and found little pieces of tissue that u can't really see under the G and D strings at the nut. I took them out and tune the guitar back up and found out that when hit an open D or G its fret buzzes. Did they file the nut down too much? I checked the string height from the bridge and my neck is not bowing or anything. I took it back and said they wouldn't give a refund because i already took it home. So now I'm ready to buy another Graphite nut and have it set up for 11-50 gauges. Does graphtech offer a Graphite Fender Pre-Slotted nut to fit 11-50? Or any other suggestions on another nut? How are the Earvana compensating nuts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ECFan Posted August 15, 2005 Members Share Posted August 15, 2005 It definitely sounds like the slots are cut too low. For a quick check, if you fret the strings between the 2nd and 3rd fret, you should be able to slip a piece of paper between the string and the 1st fret. If you want to measure it with a feeler guage, the gap between the bottom of the string and the top of the 1st fret for a typical Strat setup should be about .012" on the treble side, and about.018" on the bass side (SRV's setup). This is measured without fretting the strings. For a pretty standard nut slot repair (quick and dirty), add a little baking soda with super glue to give it some grit. Put in on a little bit at a time with a toothpick. After it hardens, you can slot as needed. Works like a champ. It's worth it to have a set of nut files. Even though they'll set you back a little, they'll last a lifetime. Also, you might want to pickup Dan Erlwine's book, "How to Make your Electric Guitar Play Great!" This book should be standard issue with a new guitar. This book eliminates the need for taking your guitar in for typical setups. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members angus_old Posted August 15, 2005 Members Share Posted August 15, 2005 both of them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jakalope1321 Posted August 16, 2005 Author Members Share Posted August 16, 2005 Thanks a lot ECfan for the tips. Cool, so now i know for sure that they are cut too low, I think I'm just going to get another replacement nut. I never have tried the super glue and baking soda trick and i don't want to take a chance lol. Should I go with an Earvana nut or a graphite one? Should I take my business elsewhere to get it filed and put on. The guys here charged me $60 to file it and get it put on AND they screwed up. Any suggestions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BowerR64 Posted August 16, 2005 Members Share Posted August 16, 2005 Sorry for my last post, that was a worthless reply. If i was you ide take pictures of that sloppy work and then tell where the repair was done. If you spent $60. for them to cut the slots to deep then put tissue in there they are not worthy luthiers. You could raise the whole nut putting a strip of credit card ot somthing under the nut to raise it up. When you took the tissue out was it under all the strings? or just one or 2 of em? Thats a jerry rig way of fixing it and its not worth $60. You should of taken pictures right away when you seen the tissue. That place sucks if they dont back up their work. "you already took it home" that sounds like a push off to me. How were you to know it was fixed correctly if you didnt take it home and inspect it good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fretmonster Posted August 16, 2005 Members Share Posted August 16, 2005 Are you sure the slots are cut too deep? Particularly graphite nuts will rattle if they are not cut properly. There should be a gradual taper towards the headstock. Check it out and definitely do not take the instrument back to that shop if they don't stand behind their work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jakalope1321 Posted August 16, 2005 Author Members Share Posted August 16, 2005 Yeah! They are dicks! But, the thing is they glued the nut down so i can't slip something in, i dont know how to get the glue out but to melt it and once again i dont want to mess it up. So i have just decided to suck it up and buy a new nut take it to another recommended place to get it installed. Do you guys know any good luthier places in the San Francisco area to get the guitar nut installed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members docjeff Posted August 16, 2005 Members Share Posted August 16, 2005 This is the most disturbing thing that I have read on this forum in awhile. It sounds like somthing that a total amateur would do, and I think that your local troubleshooter (tommartino.com) should go over there and kick the asses of everyone that works for that company. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Darkstorm Posted August 16, 2005 Members Share Posted August 16, 2005 Let me see if has this right. You paid them to put in new nut. They did so and proceeded to file slots too deep. Which they then decided to cover up with bits of tissue stuffed under strings. You discover this after gets it home. And they say wont refund you for their lousy work & cover up of that lousy work since you didnt discover it till got it home? If so, if you used credit card, contest the charges. And broadcast the stores name & location near & far so others now to stayaway from that stores repair dept. Thats just purpseful screwing customer over and purpseful trying to hide bad work done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JetCityMatt Posted August 16, 2005 Members Share Posted August 16, 2005 Tell them that you know they screwed up the nut and that they defrauded you by willfully hiding their mistake with the tissue, and that, considering the unacceptable quality of their faulty work, this "too bad- you've taken it home policy" is nothing but a pre-meditated way to defraud consumers when they know that they've done faulty work. Also, the service you paid for was not delivered as advertised- that is false advertising, which is also illegal. Tell them that you will file a complaint with the attorney general's office if you are not given a full refund immediately. That should get their attention. http://caag.state.ca.us/consumers/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jakalope1321 Posted August 16, 2005 Author Members Share Posted August 16, 2005 Damn I payed cash! lol. So any suggestions on what nut i should get? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BowerR64 Posted August 16, 2005 Members Share Posted August 16, 2005 Get a slipstone nut. If you take it to another tech, have them fill out some paper work that it is indeed messed up. Have them give you some detailed info on whats wrong with it. Then take it back to the first store when they are buisy and get real loud with em. Atleast if they dont refund your money or somthing the other customers in the store will atleast know not to have them do any work there. Make sure you remind em that if there isnt any problem with it why is the new tech doing these new repairs. Maybe call around to other guitar repair places in the area and ask them who does their work. Try and find the person who does the most work. I had some really crap work done at a local music store and i wound up going to a different guy. They refunded some of my money but i still lost abotu $60. The music store was Bentley music in parkville missouri. I havnt been back there since. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ijustwannaplay Posted August 16, 2005 Members Share Posted August 16, 2005 In SF I'd recommend Gary Brawer. Only had him do work on one guitar thus far, but his work was impeccably clean and he's very well known in the Bay Area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jakalope1321 Posted August 16, 2005 Author Members Share Posted August 16, 2005 Ok, so I just finished writing Gary Brawer about my guitar so I'm just waiting for him to write back. So I have one suggestion from Bower for the Slipstone nut. Any other suggestions? I'm lookin for good tone and good tuning stability. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members k4df4l Posted August 17, 2005 Members Share Posted August 17, 2005 Originally posted by JetCityMatt Tell them that you know they screwed up the nut and that they defrauded you by willfully hiding their mistake with the tissue, and that, considering the unacceptable quality of their faulty work, this "too bad- you've taken it home policy" is nothing but a pre-meditated way to defraud consumers when they know that they've done faulty work. Also, the service you paid for was not delivered as advertised- that is false advertising, which is also illegal.Tell them that you will file a complaint with the attorney general's office if you are not given a full refund immediately. That should get their attention. http://caag.state.ca.us/consumers/index.htm It's not an entirely uncommon practice to do something like that when the slots have been filed too deep and it's not a top notch shop. I replaced the nut on an Ibanez acoustic a little while back that had tin foil jammed into a slot and a matchbook shim under the nut because it was too low (and it was still too low with the matchbook shim)....this was done by a tech working out of a local shop. I would definitly go back and point the problems with the nut they installed and request a refund....I sure wouldn't want to give them a second shot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jakalope1321 Posted August 17, 2005 Author Members Share Posted August 17, 2005 I just wanted to say thanks for all the input guys! You guys helped out a lot. So how 'bout some suggestions a a new nut: Slipstone, Graphite, Bone? Any others? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members batotman Posted August 17, 2005 Members Share Posted August 17, 2005 Bone is nice but I can't cut one and don't wanna pay for one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MarshallTim Posted August 17, 2005 Members Share Posted August 17, 2005 I really like Graph Tech's products. Their nuts and saddles are on a lot of my guitars... However I like a good bone nut too. It doesn't really matter what kind of nut you have if some jackass puts it in though. I suggest a Graph Tech Trem-Nut, or a good bone nut. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Switch Posted August 17, 2005 Members Share Posted August 17, 2005 earvana earvana earvana!!!! Awesome stuff. And they say they have the slip properties of graphite too, with a tone like tusk. They're great stuff, fantastic invention, and they really do sound good too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jakalope1321 Posted August 17, 2005 Author Members Share Posted August 17, 2005 hmmm i'm thinkin about putting in the extra bucks for the earvana. Do you think that they will have to modify the nut slot to make it fit in the fender? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Switch Posted August 17, 2005 Members Share Posted August 17, 2005 Nope it should fit fine. Just make sure you get the retrofit nut, not the OEM one. And also check what radius the fretboard is, then just order. You can even install it yourself, but I'd get a good tech to do it. Those other guys who screwed you in the first place, man, that's baaaaad. Never go there again, and maybe lob a rock or 35 thru their shop windows sometime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jakalope1321 Posted August 17, 2005 Author Members Share Posted August 17, 2005 Nice! I should lob a couple rocks and show 'em whose boss BITCHES! m/:mad: m/ I'm hearing some good thins about the TUSQnut, it's another graphtech nut. So between a Earvana, Tusqnut, or Graphite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members xStonr Posted August 17, 2005 Members Share Posted August 17, 2005 I've replaced the stock nuts on two of my guitars with a bone nut. No problems at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jakalope1321 Posted August 18, 2005 Author Members Share Posted August 18, 2005 Any other suggestions? Which is the best nut for tonethat won't bind up the tuning? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Switch Posted August 22, 2005 Members Share Posted August 22, 2005 .another vote for earvana. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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