Salvaging an old Samick Strat copy

[McCreed]

To remove that nut, first lightly score across the slot in the fretboard on both sides of the nut with a scalpel or razor blade.
This is just to break any seam of glue that may be there from the factory.

The nut should be able to be driven out sideways with a small hammer and a drift, rather than trying to prise it out from the end or from the top (prising it out like that is a good way to damage the fretboard). To do this, you need something to use as a drift, so preferably something flat on the end and close to the thickness of the nut (I don't recommend a screwdriver or anything chisel-like).

A couple of light taps with the drift up against the end of the nut is all it should take to get it to move. If the factory has gone stupid with the glue (doesn't look like in the photo in post #15) it may take a bit more persuasion, but you don't want to bash it to the point of damaging the fretboard (or the nut if you can help it). That said, I have seen nuts that ultimately had to be destroyed in order to remove them, but this should be a big minority of cases.

If it's really stuck, come back here for more advice before breaking out the sledge hammer and vise-grips!

[Simon Barden]

I used a centre-punch yesterday to remove the nut from my Fender Tele, but I have used large screwdrivers (blade just slightly thinner than the nut, old drills of a similar size to the nut etc. in the past. It takes a matter of seconds to mask off around the nut area to minimise/avoid damage if there is a slip.

It can help to tap on the sides of the nut as well as the end to help loosen any glue bond. Tapping from the headstock end is fine, but tapping towards the headstock should only be done very lightly, as you risk breaking off the small sliver of wood at the end of the fretboard.

If you really cant shift the nut, then gut down it lengthways with a hacksaw until you're 99&% through it, then use pliers or grips to squeeze the sides inwards.

Whatever you do, you'll have to clear out the old glue first before gluing in the new nut. Sharp blades and square or flat needle files should do the job. A luthier would use the thin chisel they use to cut the nut slot in the first place.

Once you fret, the nut is taken out of the equation, so it does look like your new 1st fret is just too low compared to the others. So it's either replacing the fret again with some wire that matches the height of the other frets, or you do a fret level and re-profile so that the other frets match the height of the new one.

If you do do a fret level, best to remove the old nut first and leave it off until the level is complete before fitting the new one. This allows you to move your sanding block up and down the frets without risk of hitting the nut and possibly breaking that small sliver at the end of the fretboard off.

[lunaticds]

Thank you gents for the advice.
I'll have a crack at getting that nut out over the weekend.

I've just measured the fret wire - the stuff I was using is 2.2mm and it looks like whats in it is 2.4mm. I've got some on order so hopefully in a few weeks I'll be able to sort that out. With a bit of luck I didn't massacre the second fret too much leveling from the first. Not the end of the world if I need to pull that fret too.

The Wilkinson pickups are coming from China, so I suspect it'll be a few weeks before I get much done with this guitar once I pull the nut beyond getting the new one in. The Plasticaster has a greater chance of being finished well before then.
One the nut glue subject - any recommendations on the types of glue? I haven't done much research on this bit as yet. I usually have some CA glues floating around, 2 part epoxies and some Gorilla glue. No doubt I'll need to buy something else to do this job

[Simon Barden]

I use Titebond. Grips enough to keep the nut in place with no strings on, but lets you remove it if necessary. The nut is held in place by string pressure, so you don't need a lot of glue. Normal PVA woodworking glue will also work. You can use a couple of small drops of CA if you want, near either end of the nut, but Titebond or PVA is far less risky.

[McCreed]

One the nut glue subject - any recommendations on the types of glue? I haven't done much research on this bit as yet. I usually have some CA glues floating around, 2 part epoxies and some Gorilla glue. No doubt I'll need to buy something else to do this job

You don't want to use anything that's intended to be more or less permanent (like CA or epoxies). Tightbond (aliphatic resin type adhesive) is generally the luthiers go-to, but you can use PVA (PolyVinyl Acetate) for nuts. The thing is to only use literally a couple of drops. I dab it on with a toothpick in just a couple of spots on the bottom of the nut. The glue really only needs to be enough to hold the nut in place when the strings are off (say, for a string change or fretboard maintenance).

[lunaticds]

Thank you again gents. I've ordered a bottle of of Titebond. I don't have any PVA anyway and I"m currently annoyed with Bunnings (have a heap in gift vouchers, none of which I can use on their website.. which is needed while we can only do click and collect), so just as easy to spend the $20 and order what was suggested. Now I'll just need to wait for the snail mail.

[lunaticds]

Pulled the nut this morning. The headstock side was actually a bit glue heavy, but getting into that with a scalpel made it easy work.
It turns out there was a complete split under the 6th.
Will get in there and clean it up with a file at some stage and loose the excess glue. Certainly not quite as hard as I thought.

[McCreed]

Good to hear you got it out with little resistance.

I'm replacing a nut on a customer's tele that he removed with pliers. Apparently it came out in multiple pieces! And he chipped the finish and the rosewood.

It's an odd width custom neck and a standard pre-slotted tele/strat nut won't work, so I have to cut a custom nut to suit. Got some bone blanks on the way.

[ross.pearson]

Have been following along closely. You've all convinced me to replace the plastic nut on my neck with a bone nut too.

[lunaticds]

It appears that the Wilkinsons are in the country, so I'm getting progressively closer at getting the pick guard back installed. The roll of fret wire was apparently shipped a week ago, but its tracking suggests it's just paperwork at this stage. Looking forward to getting this one finished off.
I need to get on to the side quest next and add another length of timber on the wall for more guitar mounts so I have somewhere to hang this. I'm still not going to have enough space, but at least the wall will stop looking so dull.