Gibson Tennessee nut repair

  This is an unusual guitar - It's a 1990 Gibson Tennessee Chet Atkins model. Here's the serial number, the first and fifth number tell me the year. I think it was '76 they started this system. Gibson's website is good for dating older ones.

 The guitar had a buzzing open 'A' string. All the others were fine. The problem was the string slot at the top-nut was too deep. This leaves me with a choice - make a new bone nut-
although this guitar is not old it is certainly unusual and will no doubt be a serious collector's item in the future. The original nut has distinctive lacquer on its ends and it is only one string that's too low.
- repair the existing one-
 I decided to do this by what I call 'giving it a filling'.

 Firstly I opened up the string slot using a gent saw to a width about 1.5mm wider than the string (0.75mm either side). And about 1mm deeper than the existing slot.

 I carve a piece of bone from an old nut off cut to fit in the slot exactly but to protrude above the slot so I can trim it off later.

 I mask off the fretboard and head with tape just in case. Then I glue the piece of bone in with 'Hotstuff' super glue.

 After a couple of minutes the glue is completely dry and I can file and sand the new piece flush with the nut.

 Then its just a case of filing the nut slot to the right depth as I would in a set up.

 This 'filling' method works really well, is almost undetectable and gives the string a fresh, clean slot to slide in.


   I wonder if I could do the same to my front tooth?

    Glyn




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I am no longer repairing guitars - since covid 19 I now work full time making pickups

www.mrglynspickups.com