Esquire-esque

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Originally Posted by fender3x

Book matching may account for the price difference, here and there. I tend to think that's more of an acoustic or veneer thing. I think a nicely figured piece of wood can be really nice. I know people go crazy about quartersawn necks, because they are supposed to be more stable. I haven't really had stability problems with flatsawn necks, though, and they tend to make for much nicer patterns on the headstock.

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I'm admittedly a bit of a novice - and as such I've always only thought of quarter sawn pieces of wood to be a decorative issue only (to my mind bookmatched veneers are a case in point)... I might (probably?) be missing something..... but the vast bulk of Fender guitars are not quarter sawn.

Like you , I think a "nice piece of wood" is just as good in a practical sense - and in some cases (for a tele, for example) fits with the concept of a "working guitar" as opposed to the bookmatched bodies which seem to be more a "image" thing (which is fair enough).... for that matter - in my internet "wanderings" I've seen 4 to 6 piece bodies in a number of body shapes with a clear finish that seem to "fit" aesthetically ....

What is often most interesting is not what you start with, but how it ends up ;-)

Well I've decided to shave the top off and put a "cap" of about 2 mm on top.

I've also re-shaped the body a bit (not sure about the top "horn" though) and I'll need to start hand sanding the shape smooth.

I've (roughly) routed where the pickup and control panel will go.
Later I will deepen the routs and tidy them up a bit - then put shielding in and cover the small trench (from the pickup rout to the control panel) before I put the cap on and then use the thicknesser to bring it down to about 2 mm making the body 38-ish mm thick.

Then I'll drill into the control panel and the pickup rout and use a "bearing bit" to open them up neatly.

Attachment 45499

I'm thinking I might "cut up" the pickguard and shape a control panel while I wait for a piece of aluminium to arrive.

If it works I can use it as a template on the aluminium.

I'm informed that trying to chrome plate something is "dangerous" (as I have no idea of what I'd be doing I'll agree with that!) so I wonder how a copper plated control panel would look if nickel is not right amongst a lot of chrome....?

I like the way it's coming together!

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Originally Posted by EsquireEsque

I'm informed that trying to chrome plate something is "dangerous" (as I have no idea of what I'd be doing I'll agree with that!) so I wonder how a copper plated control panel would look if nickel is not right amongst a lot of chrome....?

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I have zero experience with chrome plating, but I have done a little experimenting with removing chrome (or nickle?) plating.

Attachment 45503

Neck plates are generally copper that has been plated with chrome or nickle. I played around a bit with seeing if I could create a design by removing some of the nickle. I was able to do so, but copper oxidizes quickly. In fact the one on the right was pretty well oxidized before I was finished etching away the chrome.

You could probably plate aluminum with copper, but you'd need to get it well polished and then coat it with clear lacquer to keep it from oxidizing. Also, from a toxicology standpoint, I am not sure how much better the copper plating process is than nickle plating.

The voltages are low in the process so the danger is mostly in inhaling dust or fumes. That said, it seems most risky for people who work in the electroplating or welding industry. You would be using it on a very small scale. If you do it in a well ventilated area or outside, I am guessing it should not be too much of an issue....but it's also well out of my area of expertise!

I've actually just come across a thing called "Bare metal foil" which is a very thin metal foil (0.1 of a mm) with a sticky backing ... the process seems to resemble putting on a "gold leaf". Apparently it's used a lot in model making (model cars and planes).

I came across it while I was looking for a laminate scorer (to cut the Aluminium).

It comes in Chrome, Copper, silver, gold etc.

So now I'm thinking if I cut out/shape the new control panel - theoretically I cover that with this foil and burnish it into a seamless covering, and then I think it'd be best cover it with an acrylic spray since it's so thin....

Well I've put the shielding in and the cap on and trimmed it all up and it's looking ok....
Attachment 45519

I then shaped a new longer control panel out of aluminium and was very happy with it.
I then put in the holes for screws and the pots.

It was looking really good right up until the last hole - for the oputput jack...
Attachment 45518

I think I pressed the drill press a bit too hard and the drill bit moved to the side.....next time, I think that rather than simply use a "punch" I'll also drill a small hole (like for the screws) first before I try the wider drill bit.

I've ordered another piece of aluminium - but I think I'll use this effort to try out the chrome sheets (Bare metal foil), as I haven't used it before.

I know I am late to the party but just a few things.

All of my neck plates are steel and not copper as they all are magnetic while copper isn't. From my experience with chrome plating they use a base material in the form of copper to make the chrome adhere to the item no matter what the item is made of as some materials will not allow chrome to be applied. Copper will adhere to most materials and chrome will adhere to copper. Its about the same as using shellac before applying your finish. Shellac goes onto anything and seals and then you can apply anything over the top.

As for the switch plate drills tend to wander if they are blunt or run too slow and pushed to hard. I take it you centre punched the hole position as if not then it will again wander. When drilling ally use a fairly fast speed, you can google the correct speed to use, and let the drill cut at its own pace and try just taking small steps and not hang off the end of the handle. Of course I take it you clamped the work to the drill press and you had set it up so the drill was above where you wanted it. Using a smaller drill before using a larger drill is always advised if you want it accurately but isn't mandatory. As an apprentice I had to drill a series of holes that had 0.5mm between each hole and it was done on a drill press but if you do it correctly its easy. For every 0.1mm the hole was out of position I lost a mark and there was 10 holes.

If you want to replicate a chrome finish have you thought about stainless? Stainless doesn't tarnish or oxidise the same as ally and doesn't require a finish being applied to keep its bright finish. It does cost more than the ally but for me it isn't as easy to mark and will last longer. Stainless is a little harder to drill as you run the drills much slower but if you do a correct setup its easy. I would also use some oil or water when drilling to keep the drill cool. Just take your time and just take small steps. I can do it using a hand drill but I have been drilling for over 40 years so to me its easy. Stainless can be polished to a very high sheen and wont tarnish as easy. You can wipe some thin oil / WD-40 over the surface and clean with a piece of paper towel and it will preserve the shine. Don't use a cleaner as it will remove the oil, just use dry paper towel.

Thanks DikkyBee07,

Yes - I read up on electroplating and found the same - but I don't think I'll be trying that myself. Apparently there's a lot of rather toxic chemicals involved.

I did think of making the control plate in copper and have it electroplated - but while I haven't got a quote, indications are that it's rather "pricey" - so I'll reserve that as a last option.

I think Stainless steel is a bit too difficult to fabricate (and I've only just learned how to do Aluminium!).

Yes - as well as using a punch to position holes - I'll use a smaller drill to make a smaller pilot hole first with the next control panel. Meanwhile I'll use this one to practice the "bare-metal-foil" on.

The body's all "finished" apart from the "finish" (I'm just putting Danish oil on it) and the neck has been bolted on.

Grip around frets 22 to 18 are is a bit "square" because of the backplate - but it seems ok overall. First "air guitar" gives the impression that it's a pretty comfortable shape.

I'll position the bridge over the next couple of days and look to putting the tuners and strap buttons on.
Then it's putting the Danish oil on - and then the wiring (provided I get the control plate how I want it.

Dry fitting with the tuners, the bridge, the strap buttons and the soon to be replaced) control panel....

Attachment 45537

I might trim back where the top strap button is.....

Looking great. This is shaping up nicely.

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Originally Posted by EsquireEsque

I might trim back where the top strap button is.....

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You might consider seeing how it balances before trimming. The bit of extra extension on the upper bout may help balance the neck. I think it looks cool...almost like it's a bit offset...but not really offset. Draws the eye in a good way.

Thanks... that "offset but not" was the "look" I was trying to get.... it is very marginally offset as I wanted to make it just a bit more "comfortable" than my Tele. which now I've got the neck on I'm happy to say seems to be the case (it's also lighter overall, and about 5 to 6 mm thinner).

I did think to check it for weight balance while standing with a strap - and there is no "neck dive" with the tuners put in and the bridge/pickup in place.

I'm thinking of taking off the "point" on the upper bout... maybe up to 5 mmm at most. Keeping the "offset but not" look but maybe a bit more "rounded". I probably should have put the strap button just a little closer to the neck (I wasn't thinking of neck dive when I put it in).

This is what i'm thinking of trimming off:
Attachment 45546
I'm not certain - and would appreciate any opinion ......

It does have a neck plate in place - and eventually I might replace this with 4 bushings (or "ferrules") so I can round it there (so reaching the upper frets is a bit more comfortable). It wouldn't weigh much but I wonder if it's removal would also lessen any tendency for "neck dive".


I'm also thinking of changing the headstock to a more hybrid tele/batwing look:
Attachment 45547

.... and then emphasise it with a strip of red (maybe even just 3 or so mm - an outline more than anything else) along the underside of the headstock shape between the two shaded areas - any ideas as to how I might do that?

Headstock re-shaped, pilot holes for the tuners put in (very small diameter...), sanded back a bit and re-oiled (danish oil).
Body re-shaped (very slightly on the upper bout) and the first coat of Danish oil put on.... It' gone almost orange...(interesting)...

Still need to shape the new control panel... fortunately I have a useful template (apart from the one hole!).

Then there's sanding back the finish and re-oiling until I think it's done ... and the wiring....

".... and then emphasise it with a strip of red (maybe even just 3 or so mm - an outline more than anything else) along the underside of the headstock shape between the two shaded areas - any ideas as to how I might do that?"

For the red strip - You may be able to paint the strips (possible brushed or sprayed on). On my last ST-1 I sanded the bottom section of the headstock and painted it black to look like a "swish". The picture is at https://www.buildyourownguitar.com.a...l=1#post228524. Maybe an automotive "pinstripe" sticker! I would probably use a vinyl sticker since I have a cutter.

Trev’s suggestions are probably the easiest and safest if you can find something that matches what you want.

You could also perhaps use thin pre-stained veneers if you’re more adventurous.

Maybe two different colours layered to get a step with the colour change (depending on headstock thickness and machine head thread length), rout a step to glue in a shaped red veneer, or jigsaw puzzle the two colours in the shapes you want so you have one flat piece to glue on the headstock. Something like Grant did here, but the more complex the design or layering the more difficult it is to keep it positioned perfectly when glueing. Even just gluing multiple strips of thin veneer along the edge of the headstock may get you close to what you want. The benefit being it is far easier to strip off a veneer than glue back on pieces of a mangled headstock.

If your routing skills are up to making a channel along the edge of the headstock then red and red pearl plastic binding could also be an option… but the ‘chance of disaster’ factor is high.

TD and WB have some pretty interesting aesthetic ideas. I don't know that I can contribute much in that area.

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Originally Posted by EsquireEsque

...it's also lighter overall, and about 5 to 6 mm thinner....

...It does have a neck plate in place - and eventually I might replace this with 4 bushings (or "ferrules") so I can round it there (so reaching the upper frets is a bit more comfortable). It wouldn't weigh much but I wonder if it's removal would also lessen any tendency for "neck dive"...

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Great ideas, but it occurs to me that you might want to be careful about screw length. If the body is 6mm thinner and you lose another 3mm or more by using ferrules rather than a neck plate...

I don't think the weight will make any difference with regard to neck dive since the neck attachment point is so close to the guitar's fulcrum.

It might be simpler to use a contoured neck plate unless you've already drilled...

Attachment 45554

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Originally Posted by fender3x

TD and WB have some pretty interesting aesthetic ideas. I don't know that I can contribute much in that area.



Great ideas, but it occurs to me that you might want to be careful about screw length. If the body is 6mm thinner and you lose another 3mm or more by using ferrules rather than a neck plate...

I don't think the weight will make any difference with regard to neck dive since the neck attachment point is so close to the guitar's fulcrum.

It might be simpler to use a contoured neck plate unless you've already drilled...

Attachment 45554

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Unfortunately - yes, I'd already drilled.

I didn't realise the square plate would be uncomfortable - so I didn't even think of the contoured neck plate.

I've already started on another "Douglas Fir post" ... a contour neck plate will be one of the things I'll be aware of this time.....

Well - it's got two coats of Danish oil - it needs more but I had to put it together to see what I have now...

It's not wired up and the string trees are still needed (I wanted to see where the strings are first).

Found out the bridge is just a tiny bit crooked) the Neck end is a little less than a millimetre skewed to the lower bout.....

Overall - very happy with a first try.

There is a lot of fret buzz - but I've noticed aa number of the frets need to be tapped down - acoustically it's not as loud as my Tele - and the tone is a bit "off" with the fretbuzz...... something to try to figure out.

The strings seem to be tighter - more tension.... I had thought it would be the opposite.
The scale length (24.75) seems to be better for me though.


Attachment 45579

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Originally Posted by WeirdBits

Trev’s suggestions are probably the easiest and safest if you can find something that matches what you want.

You could also perhaps use thin pre-stained veneers if you’re more adventurous.

Maybe two different colours layered to get a step with the colour change (depending on headstock thickness and machine head thread length), rout a step to glue in a shaped red veneer, or jigsaw puzzle the two colours in the shapes you want so you have one flat piece to glue on the headstock. Something like Grant did here, but the more complex the design or layering the more difficult it is to keep it positioned perfectly when glueing. Even just gluing multiple strips of thin veneer along the edge of the headstock may get you close to what you want. The benefit being it is far easier to strip off a veneer than glue back on pieces of a mangled headstock.

If your routing skills are up to making a channel along the edge of the headstock then red and red pearl plastic binding could also be an option… but the ‘chance of disaster’ factor is high.

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I was thinking of all the above - but as you say " the chance of disaster is high"....

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Originally Posted by EsquireEsque

Well - it's got two coats of Danish oil - it needs more but I had to put it together to see what I have now...

It's not wired up and the string trees are still needed (I wanted to see where the strings are first).

Found out the bridge is just a tiny bit crooked) the Neck end is a little less than a millimetre skewed to the lower bout.....

Overall - very happy with a first try.

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It looks pretty good! Not sure what you mean by the bridge being crooked. The E strings look symmetrical on the neck, the D & G strings look equidistant from the dots. It looks like you have plenty of travel available for the saddles. If the bridge is slightly twisted it is not enough to attract attention, and would only be an issue if it put there was not enough travel for the saddles or if the strings didn't line up... So, if it were me I'd remind myself that tiny flaws are generally only seen be the builder and I'd declare victory ;-)

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There is a lot of fret buzz - but I've noticed aa number of the frets need to be tapped down - acoustically it's not as loud as my Tele - and the tone is a bit "off" with the fretbuzz...... something to try to figure out.

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The important thing is that it gets louder once you have it wired up and plugged in ;-)

You may want to check to see that the frets are level. If you haven't got a fret rocker, a leveling beam, a notched straight edge, they are cheap and/or easy to make. You will also need some 350 grit sand paper and a crowning file (I have a baroque crowning file that cost me $25, one of my most expensive luthier tools and worth every penny). If you don't want to spring for a crowning file, you can crown with more ordinary precision or even flat files. It's just more work ;-)

Once the wayward frets are identified you can try to them tap down. Every neck I have worked on has also needed leveling--with one exception. (I had a Warmoth neck that was perfect--but given what those necks cost it should also have mounted itself.)

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The strings seem to be tighter - more tension.... I had thought it would be the opposite.
The scale length (24.75) seems to be better for me though.

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All things being equal the tension could be less...but a lot of things can affect it--string height and gauge in particular. Will be interesting to see if this is still the case once you have it completely set up.

+1 for looking good.

I agree with fender3x about tiny flaws. I also use the three foot rule - i.e. if you cannot see the issue when greater than 3 feet from the guitar, it is not an issue! Working with wood and hand tools it is expected that there is a tolerance of 1mm or more.

Neck, nut and fretwork are really important parts of guitar kit building. It is worth getting some of the tools to do this well (especially if you are planning more builds). Notched straight edge, Levelling beam or radius block (or both), fret rocker, crowning file, string action gauge.

String tension - what gauge strings are you using? Maybe lighter strings would feel better!

A Stanley knife blade makes a cheap fret rocker, an aluminium spirit level of suitable length serves as a levelling beam and notching a 600mm steel engineers rule can be a notched straight edge.

Copper slug and snail barrier tape is also a replacement for cavity shielding foil, it has the same electrical properties as the bespoke stuff and does take solder

All available at your local hardware, these items are that I use.

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Originally Posted by fender3x

It looks pretty good! Not sure what you mean by the bridge being crooked. The E strings look symmetrical on the neck, the D & G strings look equidistant from the dots. It looks like you have plenty of travel available for the saddles. If the bridge is slightly twisted it is not enough to attract attention, and would only be an issue if it put there was not enough travel for the saddles or if the strings didn't line up... So, if it were me I'd remind myself that tiny flaws are generally only seen be the builder and I'd declare victory ;-)

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Yes - I know (and thanks), but to improve - you must learn from mistakes.... so you need to be able to identify them.
Overall - I'm very happy with my first effort. Right now, my only real or problematic issues are with the part I did not make - the neck (Of course I may have it on too high or it might need to be on an angle?).
The control plate turned out rather good (I think) but the costs of electroplating it chrome are pretty much the cost of the rest of the build!

The bridge "crookedness" is very slight - the top is skewed by just under 1 mm (a lesson to make sure the centreline is more visible when placing the bridge - the 'join line" was not perhaps quite clear enough).

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Originally Posted by fender3x

The important thing is that it gets louder once you have it wired up and plugged in ;-)

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True - but I also do practice (pretend to "play") acoustically most of the time ... although that might change now that a headphone amp can be used more easily).[/QUOTE]

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Originally Posted by fender3x

You may want to check to see that the frets are level. If you haven't got a fret rocker, a leveling beam, a notched straight edge, they are cheap and/or easy to make. You will also need some 350 grit sand paper and a crowning file (I have a baroque crowning file that cost me $25, one of my most expensive luthier tools and worth every penny). If you don't want to spring for a crowning file, you can crown with more ordinary precision or even flat files. It's just more work ;-)

Once the wayward frets are identified you can try to them tap down. Every neck I have worked on has also needed leveling--with one exception. (I had a Warmoth neck that was perfect--but given what those necks cost it should also have mounted itself.)

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Thanks for the hints - I do admit that the action, truss rod and saddle heights have me flummoxed....... and another lesson - I should have sorted out the neck first!

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Originally Posted by fender3x

All things being equal the tension could be less...but a lot of things can affect it--string height and gauge in particular. Will be interesting to see if this is still the case once you have it completely set up.

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Yes. Once I've had a go a sorting out the frets - I'm wondering if it's worthwhile finding a repairer or store where someone could take me through the setup process. I've reduced the fretbuzz - but I think I may have adjusted the truss rod more than I needed to......

It's only worth learning if it means you actually have to learn something!

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Originally Posted by Trevor Davies

+1 for looking good.

I agree with fender3x about tiny flaws. I also use the three foot rule - i.e. if you cannot see the issue when greater than 3 feet from the guitar, it is not an issue! Working with wood and hand tools it is expected that there is a tolerance of 1mm or more.

Neck, nut and fretwork are really important parts of guitar kit building. It is worth getting some of the tools to do this well (especially if you are planning more builds). Notched straight edge, Levelling beam or radius block (or both), fret rocker, crowning file, string action gauge.

String tension - what gauge strings are you using? Maybe lighter strings would feel better!

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Thanks - I'm happy with the shape.
There's aways a new view or image every time you complete anything - I think that's simply learning from experience. Nest tme there will be a few minor changes (I think I'm hearing the same little voices!)

Once I've re-identified the frets that need to be tapped down - I'll have to check to see it they are level using a rocker of some sort
I've seen a luthier do this by simply putting a marker along each fret and then using the radius block to give a quick sand - when all the marker is gone - everything is level....

I'm using 9's... ( I think they're 9, 16, 24, 32, 36 42..?)
I was quite surprised when I found the strings to be 'tighter" and harder to fret but I realise that might eb duree to the guitar not being set-up properly yet.... the smaller scale also does take a bit to get used to (my chords now sound as bad as they did when I tried my first "E" chord a year ago!)

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Originally Posted by dave.king1

A Stanley knife blade makes a cheap fret rocker, an aluminium spirit level of suitable length serves as a levelling beam and notching a 600mm steel engineers rule can be a notched straight edge.

Copper slug and snail barrier tape is also a replacement for cavity shielding foil, it has the same electrical properties as the bespoke stuff and does take solder

All available at your local hardware, these items are that I use.

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Thanks - good tips......
I've actually got an sheet of thicker aluminium foil separating the "top or cap" from the body of the guitar.
After I've put a few more layers of Danish oil on - I' use some copper tape to connect this to the "normal" shielding in the cavities.

I've just noticed what might be a problem with "the frets"?.... the nut is rather high?

On my telecaster-type (Jet 350) the nut rises above the fretboard (or I should say that the top of each string) is about 2mm (the top of the string is hitting the bottom of the 2mm mark on the steel ruler).
On my "Esq.esque" this measurement is about 3.5 mm

Is this a concern that I also need to look at after I've tapped down the frets that need it and levelled them all?

I don't think that setups are rocket science, nor is fret leveling.

If you can get someone to show you, great!

If you haven't leveled the frets yet, you can still do it with the strings off, but the neck on. HOWEVER, if you leave the neck on, you should put some painter's tape over the pickup so that none of the metal dust that that fret leveling produces gets in the pickup.

This approach is pretty good for leveling frets...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxuHZwoZ6S8

... and it is very simple. Notice that the guy in the video puts the notched-straight edge on the on the fret board and adjusts the truss rod to make the neck as absolutely flat as possible. He doesn't explain this, but when he looks at the straight edge from the side he is looking for daylight under between the straight edge and the fretboard which would indicate that it still has a bit of curve in it. The rest is as he says.

I use a spirit level with some 350 grit sandpaper stuck to the bottom to do the leveling (just as DK suggests). DK is also right that, in a pinch a trapezoidal utility knife blade can substitute for a fret rocker. That said, fret rockers are dirt cheap. I made my bass notched straight edge. I purchased one with Fender scale on one side and Gibson scale on the other side, because I found one that was under $20. The store bought one is prettier, but it doesn't work any better than my home made one. Finally, you can crown--if you are careful--with a small flat file or cheap jeweler's files.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHHepmTX3So

...this is the first of 4 short videos on how to do a set up, by John Carruthers. The important thing is to go through it in the right order.

Minimally for a setup you need a very fine gauge ruler, a capo, a set of feeler gauges and some very small hex keys.

That's everything you need for fret leveling and setup with the exception of cutting the nut...and maybe for crowning the frets. In both cases specialized tools make this MUCH easier. For crowning I use the Baroque Fret Crowning Tool which goes for about US $30 right now. It's the only cheap crowning file I have found that gets decent reviews.

Now if you need to cut the nut....

There are NO cheap nut cutting files that get good reviews. There is pretty much consensus that cheap nut files are a waste of money. Hosco, Stew Mac, Grizzly, Music Nomad, Uo-Chikyu are all good files, but will be very expensive. Ultimately, I think, all of these except the Music Nomad files are made in the same Japanese factory.

HOWEVER, I have gotten decent results using this approach:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CslelQBTwP0

I used a rotary tool to cut the "teeth." This is definitely cheap. It works acceptably well. But it takes forever (which also keeps me from cutting too deep, admittedly), and so I have fairly recently broken down and gotten "real" nut files... But if you are only doing these once in a while, the feeler gauge nut saw will work...

Hi Fender 3x,

Thanks - I'll be watching these videos.
I've seen a number already but there's always something to learn (most videos will omit one thing they think is well known).

With the nut -

So it is too high?

I did order the neck with a bone nut - but so far have left the plastic on in place.

The though occurs if it is worthwhile taking the nut off and sanding the bottom of it down a millimeter or so?

+1 for removing and sanding the base of the nut. I always did that before getting nut files. But take it easy - don't ask how I know! And you also have a spare!

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Originally Posted by Trevor Davies

+1 for removing and sanding the base of the nut. I always did that before getting nut files. But take it easy - don't ask how I know! And you also have a spare!

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So how high above the fretboard should the nut be?

... and how do you remove it?

Fret height can vary, so you don't take the measurement from the fretboard to the string, but rather between the first fret and the string. Fender recommends .020 inches (.5mm). John Carruthers (in vid 3 of 4) recommends .018 (.457mm). Stew Mac says it can be between .020 and .024" (.6mm). I usually try to get it to less than .020 but not lower than .018. I know people who try to get it even lower at the high E, but I don't.

If you are sanding the bottom of the nut (and that seems like a good thing to at least try!) make sure you check the E strings on both sides of the neck as you are getting close. It's easy to put more pressure on one side of the nut than the other, and you want it to be about even. If it is a little higher on one side than the other the high side should be the bass side.

One thing that is important is to do the fret leveling and setup *in order.* Do the fret leveling/crowning first, because all the other steps assume the neck is good. Also for all setup steps the strings have to be on.

Most people recommend the "TRAIN" order for the setup:

T=Tune (always do setup with the guitar in tune)
R=Relief (set the truss rod so that so that neck relief is correct--this is the slight bow of the neck)
A=Action (set the action/height of the strings at the bridge)
I=Intonation (set the length of the strings at the bridge)*
N=Nut (set the height of the string at the nut. <==This is the last step in setup.



*You can actually do the nut before the intonation if you like (which is how Carruthers does it). It doesn't actually matter which you do first on the last two steps. I think most people do TRAIN because it's a better acronym and easier to remember than TRANI ;-)

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Originally Posted by EsquireEsque

... and how do you remove it?

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The Fender style nuts are sometimes tricky to remove! It depends on how much glue has been used to hold it down. You need to use a craft knife to cut into the join around the edges of the nut. It can then (usually) be hammered out with a screwdriver (like in the video) or use pliers to lever/lift it out. Cleaning up the slot is OK if you have a file that fits well. I have also used a jewelers' screwdriver as a chisel to remove old material.

NOTE: I have destroyed a number of nuts while getting them! And have damaged the fretboard! So, take care!

This video is quite good around the 2 min mark:
https://www.stewmac.com/video-and-ideas/trade-secrets/easy-stratocaster-mod-how-to-replace-the-nut-on-your-guitar/.

This page is quite good also:
https://guitarflipper.com/remove-guitar-nut/.

I see.

So I'd need to:
1. take the strings off and adjust the neck so it's dead flat. this would be easier if the neck was taken off.
2. level the frets (tap down if need be and then "sand" to the same height - then crown and "polish") - this would be easier without the nut on though........
3. Then (re-attach the neck and place the nut back in) tune while the neck is flat
4. adjust the truss rod to a slight forward bow
5. re-tune and check the "action"
6. Adjust the nut (TRANI actually makes more sense to me)
7. adjust the action at the bridge (raise or lower the saddles)
8. check the intonation

The video and the "blog" were good, complimenting each other. I'd seen the blog before but it's always better to "see things being done".

I've been pondering on the nut height for a while - taking and checking all measurements I can think of.... I've found the difference in nut height between the one in what i've built and the one in the Jet 350 is not that the nuts are different heights - but the slot in the fretboard is deeper in the Jet 350... meaning the top of the nut is lower than in the neck I've bought from Pitbull....

Now I'm wondering if it makes more sense to remove the nut and then file out the fretboard slot a millimetre deeper.

I've also been aware of the potential damage to the fretboard..... so while I want to "save" this project, I do realise that things might go wrong... and in reality every build is practice to learn for the nest one....

That all sounds like a good plan!

Re "file the nut or file the slot"? Probably depends on your skills and your tools! They both achieve the same goal of lower nut action.

Sounds about right to me. Just a couple of thoughts... I agree that it's easier to do the fret leveling with the neck and nut off, but it's not that much easier. I think either way is fine. Same with the nut. You can leave it in place. You don't need to move the sanding beam aggressively to do the leveling so the distance between the 1st fret and the nut is enough "travel." The one thing to be careful of is not to whack the nut hard with the end of the sanding beam.

I have occasionally made my own nut from a blank, but with hand tools the shaping can take a LONG time...so now I usually buy a bone nut blank that is pre-shaped. I have noticed that sometimes they are quite "short," and for my Tele build I had to shim the nut for it to be tall enough. For that reason, I'd probably sand the bottom of the nut, if necessary, rather than making the nut slot deeper, so that it's not too deep for a replacement nut if/when you need to add one.

I have also destroyed a nuts taking them out. I think all the ones I have ruined were plastic. I think that sometimes at the factory they use CA glue which ends up being tightly bonded to the wood and harder than the plastic. Good to remember that you don't need a much glue, and you don't really need anything stronger than normal wood glue when you put it back in.

Well - what a difference.....

I took the nut out today and filed the back of it down about 1.5mm (nerve wracking!).

it kept on wearing away on one end more than the other and on a slant as well - so I had to check it every couple of strokes.....

It is now "playable" acoustically (it's not wired up).


The frets are a worry - a "tap" on them failed to get them to "go in" if they were raised - I seem to have a few frets that refuse to be tapped back into the fretboard (I can still get a piece of paper to slide underneath the ends)..... I'm wondering if they've been glued in place.

The nut is only held in place by the strings - When I level the frets I don't want to hit the nut and cause any damage.

It's plastic and took a few knocks to get it out. I noticed that the slot was not flat at the bottom (I think it was not completed properly). I didn't have a tool suitable for deepening the slot without also taking away from the sides - so that's why I filed the nut.

Didn't have enough time to make a levelling beam, unfortunately. That'd be the cheapest option - but I still might get a radiusing block and level with that.



Still a little fretbuzz - but I also checked the intonation when I put the strings back on - and it's very nearly right... I was quite shocked. Just got to figure out how to set it properly on a three-barrel bridge (which I've decided I do not like - I much prefer the "modern" 6 saddle bridge).

I think I've learned enough to "go the TRANI" and set it up properly at some stage.



I glued another body blank together today as well .......

Here's a vid that might be relevant to your situation. I thought I had this going on with a 40 year old Acoustic. It turned out to be something else on that guitar, but this might be helpful to you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWLaw0xcsg0&list=PLS9PifayhVzRJIkdIC-S55pUVuX_c5uKo&index=71

Oops! That *might* be useful, but was not the vid I meant to send...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eupR7KilNAI

This is the one I meant to send.