It's funny how everything you do leads to something else you need to do. Having now cut nuts for three basses and one guitar, I am noticing some problems in my non-build guitars. My '68 Fender Coronado has a little sitar buzz in the A string. I am not sure I'll do anything about that because, while it has a fender style nut, it has binding over the edges. I definitely don't feel competent to address this, and am afraid I could adversely effect the value of the guitar by trying.
Meanwhile other nut problems have been appearing. I have a hand-made flamenco guitar made here in Miami in 1994 by a luthier named José Castellón who seems to have disappeared off the face of the Earth. It's a quirky little guitar, but it has a great bright tone, and stays in tune better than any other classical style I have ever played. That said, I have always thought it might have been an early prototype for Castellón because of some odd features. Like the fact that the back and sides are poplar rather than Spanish cedar, tool marks in various places, etc. I got it from someone who played it hard, so it's not very valuable, although it's one of my favorite guitars.
A few days ago it developed a very significant buzz in the E and A strings. Looking closely, its because part of the nut on the bass side seems to have broken away. It doesn't look too difficult to replace, and a I have nut blanks. What I don't have is a spacing guide. I would just follow the slots in the existing nut, but they are clearly off a bit. Not enough to affect how it plays, but I might as well correct it if I am making a new one. I know Stew Mac sells spacing gauges for a small fortune, but this has got to be something for which there is a PDF file that will do the same thing. Anyone know where to get one?
I will need it on another guitar as well. I have a Fender F-265C MIJ acoustic. Fender says it only sold these for one year in the US--1987. I purchased mine brand new in 1985, so *I* think it should be pretty valuable if for no other reason than the time travel. Unfortunately, these are not particularly rare and not worth much $$$*, although everyone who has ever played mine thinks it sounds and plays great. Nevertheless, the sides of the nut near the low E and now starting on the high E have chipped away. While it sounds fine, I think it's only a matter of time. If I need to replace it, I'd like to increase the string spacing a little. I have fat fingers... I also noticed that I find the string spacing on the Strat I just finished to be much more comfortable. The Strat nut width is 44.4, the acoustic's nut width is 43.3. Is that close enough to try to replicate the Strat spacing on the acoustic if I am cutting a new nut anyway?
*It has a bound body and neck, Gotoh machines, mahogany neck, rosewood sides, back and fingerboard, Florentine cutaway. I defy anyone to find a new guitar that sounds and plays as well, has equivalent quality woods and build quality anywhere near what mine cost new. The fact that you can get one for under $300 on eBay or Reverb is just nuts.
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