Bone nuts.

Fender3x, Your absolutely right, Ive made a mess of 2 blanks thus far with the needle files, I started with the triangle file so I could get the marks indented, quite surprised at how quickly that file bedded in, then of course using wider round files to try to get a rounded seat and of course keep that angle towards the tuner bases. Then using the nozzle cleaners for the other finer slots, 2 nuts in the bin, the others are in the "rethink" box. Ill now be semi patient and await the TUSQ nuts and keep practicing my Bass using the plastics.

Use the edge of a flat needle file (providing your file is thin enough in that dimension for a G string slot). I’d certainly avoid the triangular file unless it’s just for scoring an initial line.

The triangle file was for scoring on the marked points, It was marked out really well with 5mm from E and G to the edge of the fret board then pretty much eyed in the 2 centre strings, just went a little too deep with the triangle file I really didn't expect it to cut in that quickly, I'm a bit heavy handed, but lesson learnt, I will take you advice and try again using the flat file and be a little more less heavy handed. Thanks Simon.

It's all good character-building stuff and hopefully we learn from our mistakes.

But it's very easy to be heavy-handed with cutting nut slots, I over-cut all the time. Even with proper nut files, no file is the same in terms of cutting power, and if you've just been using one that took 10 strokes to file a small distance, you need to mentally reset before the next one as it might take just 2 strokes to do the same with the next file. So keep a constant vigil on visual heights and remember to look at the dust pile created (remembering that the wider slots are always going to create more dust than the thinner ones for the same slot depth).

I have cut nut slots with three types of implement. I have not used expensive or cheap nut purpose made nut files. From what I read about the purpose built nut files the cheap ones are (a) only really cheap compared to expensive nut files, and (b) terrible. From what I read, the high quality, expensive nut files are bliss to use. The only drawback I have heard about them (other than lightness in the wallet after purchase) is that it's easy to cut too deeply. Even that may not be a problem since it contributes to the building of character.

I have used home-serrated feeler gauges, torch cleaners; and cheap, small files sold in sets. I have at least three sets of the small cheap files. My main difficulty with them is that they appear to require skill to get good outcomes. I have no skill and not much aptitude. Perhaps for that reason, I rarely use them for anything let alone nuts.

Meanwhile the feeler gauges have worked reasonably well on guitars and the torch cleaners have worked quite well on basses with out much need for skill. In both cases they are slow. The one advantage to slow is that I have only once cut too deeply. The bad news is that my wife has noticed no noticeable improvement in my character.

I think I was a bit too blahzey to start with, careful markup then drove in a bit too hard, thinking it can't be that hard. No No patience is a virtue when it comes to this sort of thing, and of course the correct tools go a long way. Not to worry my TUSQ nuts have turned up, pre slotted and looks to have a nice angle for seating the strings and of course 2 blanks in the "maybe try again bucket". All god thanks again Simon.

Im going to give the nut slotting a rest for now, Ive taken in all the advice and maybe try again some other time. I now have TUSQ pre slotted nuts, I ordered 4 and have a PB neck on its way shortly for an upgrade on my PB, so they will be handy for that. I've also come to the realisation that these JB kits use the same necks as the PB's. I'm fairly sure the JB necks on Fenders are 38mm at the nut and the PB's are 42, my kit JB has a 42.

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Originally Posted by Jetblack

I've also come to the realisation that these JB kits use the same necks as the PB's. I'm fairly sure the JB necks on Fenders are 38mm at the nut and the PB's are 42, my kit JB has a 42.

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That's true, although the Fender measurements were SAE ;-) As far as I know all PB bass necks are 42 mm unless you special order. I am not sure whether Adam is still doing it, but it used to be possible to order a 38mm Fenders-style bass neck. He warned me that it would take a while, and it did. Several months. But I got one. A maple jazz bass profile neck that is my current favorite, narrowly beating out my G&L ASAT neck.

I have been wanting a P-bass with a Jazz profile neck since I talked to a bass player in a local band who had an original Fender P-bass that had come from the factory with a J-bass profile neck. It's such a rare bird that it may have been an error at the factory (this was a '70's bass and QC was not always great...). I have seen P-basses with J-bass necks swapped onto them... And I came close to ordering a G&L with a P body and J neck....but was not living the dream until Adam enabled my GAS.

The lovely thing about building is creating your own rare bird.

Yes of course, the old imperial measuring, ive become so tuned in on the metric I had forgotten that America still works on the SAE system. I been restoring Bultaco's for years and with the metric system as a standard its a lot easier for replacing some pieces, brain locked lol.

Hi Simon, a bit off the track, question of tone and volume pots. Are there any upgrades so to achieve a punchier sound output on my JBA4 ?? Its nice but tends to lack that more grounded sound, it's quite soft sounding through my practice amp as compared to the Pbass, I did upgrade the pups, as you know, but now just wondering if it would be a good idea to upgrade the pots as well??? I think you mentioned that you didn't like the mini pots and I think that's what came with the kit, I'm not understanding the differences between them only that its likely obvious that standard pots are larger ???
Any help is appreciated.