4:13 I have some straight steel wire whose diameter is equal to the height of my frets. I place a short piece of it in front of the nut and file the slot, parallel to the fretboard, just until the file causes the wire to roll. Then I start tilting the file towards the head until it becomes parallel. This works with radiused fingerboards, too.
This is easily the best instructional on how to make a nut. It' photographed beautifully. This is better than Dan Erliwine from Stew-Mac! I noticed that the saddle blank wasn't warped as what you get from Stew-Mac. Nice job!
@civic734 watch my video on acoustic guitar set up before proceeding. I outline all of the steps of how to set up your guitar including adjusting the action.
On my classicals I make the nut 52mm wide and keep the strings .8 mm off the first fret. The saddle is 2.5mm wide and the strings are 3.5mm off the fret on the 6th string and 2.5mm on the 1st string
I've always hated doing this part on the guitar. But this has got to be the easiest and most straightforward way of doing it. Gonna make a half pencil and bring that action down low right now!
@tumeninotes Check the harmonic at the 12th fret and then the note at the 12th fret. If the note is sharp then you need to increase the scale length at the saddle. Use a file to do this. Good luck.
@wildwestpoint Good question. Nylon or steel string? In my video about acoustic guitar set up I talk about this. Do a search on Acoustic Guitar Set Up and my Luthier Tips du Jour video will show up. This should answer your questions.
A Dremel router base works very well for getting the thickness right. Use sandpaper cylinders in the Dremel. Use a drill press vise to hold the nut and the side of the vise to guide the saw while making the slots. Much easier and more precise.
Good videos, but I thought you should have mentioned the adjustments to the saddle for correct intonation. I noticed that you mention that you cover this in other videos. A link from here would be nice :)
Have you ever used Hide Glue instead of CA Glue to attach the nut to a dreadnaught acoustic guitar? If not, is there a reason you did not choose this glue since any remaining residue seems easier to remove from the nut channel than CA glue?
hi, what are the measures for a classical guitar, for the nut and saddle. I am getting bone buffalo blanks. I have really no tools, I can get the sand paper, maybe a saw and other stuff from my grandfather. how do you get those half pencils? do you make them?
At 3:04 you say you sand the nut until it is about 1/32" above the line marked by the half-pencil on the nut, then at 4:04 you mention you like the strings 1/32" above the frets. I feel like I am missing something because by that point the nut is 1/32" above the frets already.
I have a Taylor and the action has gone high on me around the 12-15 area. A friend said to sand the bottom of the saddle down to lower the strings. What is your opinion on that? I really dont want to mess up the original saddle. Thanks
que bloco seria esse? posso usar quais lixadeiras e como faço para saber se o lapis esta totalmente reto pela metade e outra duvide necessário o uso desse gabarito? se for como faço para conseguir um desse ate mais
I sanded the saddle all the way down, and still the strings are too high. should I sand the wood bridge? and is so how do I give it the same finish that it has the rest of the wood?
Thank you for sharing you knowledge & skills very helpful video. Ques. I can only afford an old classical cheap guitar which I love and I'm trying to change the nut & saddle. Thing is I'm an mature beginner using Snark to learn tuning, problem is after Tuning All my Notes Seem to Play Sharp. How do I correct this? I sand and slot a little at a time to leave room for correction but I think I'm pretty close. No machine tools, just hand tooling & elbow grease. How can I make a half pencil?
Glad you are finding the videos useful. You will need to correct the intonation. If notes are going sharp the probably increasing the scale length at the saddle will solve the problem. I am assuming the slots are cut in the correct spot on the fretboard. Perhaps this video will help. ua-cam.com/video/x65OBpNO5LM/v-deo.html Make a half pencil with a pocket knife and sandpaper.
Hi Robbie - you said you sand nut blank to 1/32" (3:06) above half pencil line, and then you attach 1/32" scraper atop frets, draw a line and say that you sand to that line ---if you already sanded to "1/32" above the frets" / half pencil line (4:05). If I'm following you correctly, there wouldn't BE any more to sand off as the 1/32" scraper would be flush w/ the top of the nut already, right? You raced through the saddle portion a bit; do you have another video that goes into more detail on saddles & compensation?
Is there a particular reason why the small amount of glue is added to the side and not in the slot? Do you remove them differently, maybe by hitting them from the side?
That is the way I was taught to do it. You want to be able to remove it easily when necessary and the small amount of glue on the front side of the nut makes this possible.
Thx for taking the time to reply. You see a lot on youtube hitting the nut from the fretboard side to get it out and a shearing force gets it out nice and clean. Most of those put a small amount on the bottom. It makes totally sense when you get it loose from the side. Thx.
Question for you. I removed a Ibanez bass guitar nut that was really glued in good and a chunk of wood came off with the nut under the low E side. What would you recommend for filling in the hole in the nut slot. Thanks in advance!
A lot of people put a small amount of glue on the nut to help secure it in place. A light tap and it releases. I don’t know of anyone gluing in the saddle.
If I was a manufacturer (or even a luthier) of guitars I would provide, for each model I made, a keyring holding:: 1) a 'profile' (a template of the radius) of the top of the fretboard - where it meets the nut;; 2) a 'profile' (a template of the radius) of the bottom of the fretboard --- this way a musician, such as myself, could so easily then make all his own saddles and nuts -- a couple of 'shims' (.5mm) of nut material would also come in handy - I would also include a spare saddle and a spare nut. :))
great video, I’m a serious guitar tech and have been doing jobs like this for about 7 years but occassionally I still run into the dreaded “string creak” at the nut while tuning the 4th string of a classical guitar. Do you have any tips for eliminating this?? I’ve tried different size files, different cutting angles and even rounding the leading and trailing edges of the slot to no avail!
I just finished a new natural bone nut for my '86 Dauphin model 60 and found this video very helpful. I used the .8mm thick scraper available from Luthier's Mercantile for the slot depth and it worked perfectly. www.lmii.com/products/tools-services/scrapers/handscrapers
My wife walked in right when you said "Since I'm serious about my nuts, I buff them on the buffing wheel." She asked what the hell I'm watching.
Thank you Robert great video
4:13
I have some straight steel wire whose diameter is equal to the height of my frets. I place a short piece of it in front of the nut and file the slot, parallel to the fretboard, just until the file causes the wire to roll. Then I start tilting the file towards the head until it becomes parallel. This works with radiused fingerboards, too.
Cool, thanks for that tip.
Brilliant video and brilliant explanations too. Thanks
Excellent, this is exactly what I was looking for.
@archtopp1 Thank you. I am glad you enjoyed the video.
@DelTangBrav You are quite welcome. Glad you liked the video.
Happy Building!
Thanks ! If only all tutorials were this clear ! :)
Great info - well presented
This is easily the best instructional on how to make a nut. It' photographed beautifully.
This is better than Dan Erliwine from Stew-Mac!
I noticed that the saddle blank wasn't warped as what you get from Stew-Mac.
Nice job!
Brilliant stuff, very informative (rated and favourited)
@DerekGrever You can use a sander or block plane to remove half the pencil.
This is great. Thank you!
I dont know how you are checking string height on 12 th fret. How Did you determinate action without strings putted on the guitar ?
thank you this is the best video on this subject thank you!
Que aula maravilhosa, parabéns.
muito obrigado. Que bom que gostou do video!
@civic734 watch my video on acoustic guitar set up before proceeding. I outline all of the steps of how to set up your guitar including adjusting the action.
On my classicals I make the nut 52mm wide and keep the strings .8 mm off the first fret.
The saddle is 2.5mm wide and the strings are 3.5mm off the fret on the 6th string and 2.5mm on the 1st string
I've always hated doing this part on the guitar. But this has got to be the easiest and most straightforward way of doing it. Gonna make a half pencil and bring that action down low right now!
1stab
Hub. Vhvvdhycvhm hh bgvvb. The bypass I was ten
@tumeninotes Check the harmonic at the 12th fret and then the note at the 12th fret. If the note is sharp then you need to increase the scale length at the saddle. Use a file to do this. Good luck.
@wildwestpoint Good question. Nylon or steel string? In my video about acoustic guitar set up I talk about this. Do a search on Acoustic Guitar Set Up and my Luthier Tips du Jour video will show up. This should answer your questions.
I find wet sanding works faster and easier than dry; plus you don’t have to worry so much about breathing bone dust and BSE risk.
@Filmpest You can use a block plane or a sander. Be careful to not give yourself a manicure.
Fantastic
@ranjithnairnm I use only bone nut and saddles, no plastic.
Another great video.😊 Robbie please dont ever stop makin videos. !!! best acoustic guitar videos anywhere guys! trust me! Thanks Robbie
Thank you so much for the compliment and keep watching. Glad you are finding the videos useful.
A Dremel router base works very well for getting the thickness right. Use sandpaper cylinders in the Dremel. Use a drill press vise to hold the nut and the side of the vise to guide the saw while making the slots. Much easier and more precise.
Hey. Thanks for the tip ! Would love to try it. Do you have any references for the dremel router base ? Just to be sure. Thanks 🎸 🎶
@@SergioLuqueGonzalez Ive had mine for years, but im sure they are available on Amazon or perhaps Google
@@MiguelDaugherty I will dig it :) Thanks !
good info ,thanks
This video is what I am looking for, I have a classic guitar.
@joe90d2 Check your intonation on the 6th string like I show in the video. Most likely your saddle angle is not sufficient on the sixth string side.
I make the half pencil myself on a sander or by using a hand plane.
@OBrienGuitars Thanks
muito bom, parabéns amigo pelas informações.
Im glad your so serious about your nuts. Hahaha
He makes’em shiny
Good videos, but I thought you should have mentioned the adjustments to the saddle for correct intonation. I noticed that you mention that you cover this in other videos. A link from here would be nice :)
Yes, try Luthiers Mercantile International
How do you slice the pencil in half?
it can be done with both.
Have you ever used Hide Glue instead of CA Glue to attach the nut to a dreadnaught acoustic guitar? If not, is there a reason you did not choose this glue since any remaining residue seems easier to remove from the nut channel than CA glue?
Hide glue would be fine but just a drop. Fish glue is more convenient.
hi, what are the measures for a classical guitar, for the nut and saddle. I am getting bone buffalo blanks. I have really no tools, I can get the sand paper, maybe a saw and other stuff from my grandfather. how do you get those half pencils? do you make them?
when setting the height of the saddle are you using the straight edge on the top of the nut or the first fret?
I rest the straightedge on the first fret. Some people like to include the nut.
At 3:04 you say you sand the nut until it is about 1/32" above the line marked by the half-pencil on the nut, then at 4:04 you mention you like the strings 1/32" above the frets. I feel like I am missing something because by that point the nut is 1/32" above the frets already.
The bottom of the line is the actual height of the fret. You are 1/32 above the top of the pencil line.
@@OBrienGuitars Thank you for the quick response. Your videos have been an invaluable resource for me.
@@beautifulveneer Thanks for watching. Glad to hear you are enjoying my videos and finding them useful.
what's the correct measurement of the action? the string height from the 12th fret? i want it as low as it can get but without buzzing
what kind of plastic need to be selected? or is their is any specification to select one!!! Plz Reply!!!
I have a Taylor and the action has gone high on me around the 12-15 area. A friend said to sand the bottom of the saddle down to lower the strings. What is your opinion on that? I really dont want to mess up the original saddle. Thanks
que bloco seria esse?
posso usar quais lixadeiras e como faço para saber se o lapis esta totalmente reto pela metade
e outra duvide necessário o uso desse gabarito? se for como faço para conseguir um desse
ate mais
I sanded the saddle all the way down, and still the strings are too high. should I sand the wood bridge? and is so how do I give it the same finish that it has the rest of the wood?
Thank you for sharing you knowledge & skills very helpful video. Ques. I can only afford an old classical cheap guitar which I love and I'm trying to change the nut & saddle. Thing is I'm an mature beginner using Snark to learn tuning, problem is after Tuning All my Notes Seem to Play Sharp. How do I correct this? I sand and slot a little at a time to leave room for correction but I think I'm pretty close. No machine tools, just hand tooling & elbow grease. How can I make a half pencil?
Glad you are finding the videos useful. You will need to correct the intonation. If notes are going sharp the probably increasing the scale length at the saddle will solve the problem. I am assuming the slots are cut in the correct spot on the fretboard. Perhaps this video will help. ua-cam.com/video/x65OBpNO5LM/v-deo.html
Make a half pencil with a pocket knife and sandpaper.
What are the best saws to use? I always feel like I’m ruining the saw when I cut bone.
I have been using the same exacto saw for almost 20 years.
how did you make that half pencil? ive cut a pencil in half but the lead falls out
Hi Robbie - you said you sand nut blank to 1/32" (3:06) above half pencil line, and then you attach 1/32" scraper atop frets, draw a line and say that you sand to that line ---if you already sanded to "1/32" above the frets" / half pencil line (4:05). If I'm following you correctly, there wouldn't BE any more to sand off as the 1/32" scraper would be flush w/ the top of the nut already, right? You raced through the saddle portion a bit; do you have another video that goes into more detail on saddles & compensation?
You are correct. There eis very little to sand at that point. My online ocurses cover this in more detail. obrienguitars.com/courses
Is there a special nut/saddle sanding technique to achieve the radius you marked with that half pencil? Thank you.
I use a disc sander to sand the nut to the radius drawn by the half pencil.
@@OBrienGuitars : Could it be done on a sandpaper if we do not have the disc sander? Thank you. Love from Nepal 🙏🇳🇵🙏
@@TSC369 sure. Just takes more time.
@@OBrienGuitars : Many thanks Sir!
Oh man, my yamaha saddle isn't straight across, it's has some sort of compensation at the B string. That's just done with a file instead of sandpaper?
how do you make, or where do you buy those 1/2 pencils? I can't find them online. Thanks!
Hi Robert, you use a 0.8mm scraper on classical, what do you use on flamenco? thanks for all your videos 🙂
It depends on the player. But usually somewhere between .6mm and .8mm
@@OBrienGuitars Thank you! :-))
Great idea about the 1/2 pencill . Do you split a whole one in two or can you buy those in the 1/2 shape ?
use a sander or hand plane to make this pencil.
Thanks! Can you recommend a source for good quality files?
good
Is there a particular reason why the small amount of glue is added to the side and not in the slot?
Do you remove them differently, maybe by hitting them from the side?
That is the way I was taught to do it. You want to be able to remove it easily when necessary and the small amount of glue on the front side of the nut makes this possible.
Thx for taking the time to reply. You see a lot on youtube hitting the nut from the fretboard side to get it out and a shearing force gets it out nice and clean. Most of those put a small amount on the bottom. It makes totally sense when you get it loose from the side. Thx.
Yeah too much glue is a real pain when trying to remove a nut. You do very good videos of the correct and most efficient techniques, Robert.
Question for you. I removed a Ibanez bass guitar nut that was really glued in good and a chunk of wood came off with the nut under the low E side. What would you recommend for filling in the hole in the nut slot. Thanks in advance!
I would use the piece of wood that came out to put back in the same place.
It fell apart trying to get it off the nut. They had used some hard epoxy to glue the nut down...
.
Why would you glue the nut and saddle?!
A lot of people put a small amount of glue on the nut to help secure it in place. A light tap and it releases. I don’t know of anyone gluing in the saddle.
WHY DIDN'T YOU MAKE SLOTS ON THE SADDLE LIKE YOU DID FOR THE NUT?
I choose not to slot the saddle. I do not think it is necessary.
If I was a manufacturer (or even a luthier) of guitars I would provide, for each model I made, a keyring holding:: 1) a 'profile' (a template of the radius) of the top of the fretboard - where it meets the nut;; 2) a 'profile' (a template of the radius) of the bottom of the fretboard --- this way a musician, such as myself, could so easily then make all his own saddles and nuts -- a couple of 'shims' (.5mm) of nut material would also come in handy - I would also include a spare saddle and a spare nut. :))
Mick Kennedy But then, they wouldn't be able to charge extra when people send their guitar in to do that for them :D
Like the tire info sticker inside the driver's side door jam... (pre-war Martins should be inflated to 40 PSI...)
I make them using my plane or a sander
great video, I’m a serious guitar tech and have been doing jobs like this for about 7 years but occassionally I still run into the dreaded “string creak” at the nut while tuning the 4th string of a classical guitar. Do you have any tips for eliminating this?? I’ve tried different size files, different cutting angles and even rounding the leading and trailing edges of the slot to no avail!
Have you buffed it on a buffing wheel? Needs to be a polished finish to not creak - buff right into the slots
I just finished a new natural bone nut for my '86 Dauphin model 60 and found this video very helpful. I used the .8mm thick scraper available from Luthier's Mercantile for the slot depth and it worked perfectly. www.lmii.com/products/tools-services/scrapers/handscrapers
Sounds like you have a guitar that needs a neck reset. I would take it to a qualified professional to get the work done.
👆🏻👍🏻
Antler nut and saddle? Too soft? It's for a hunter.
I recommend you take your guitar to a qualified professional for a correct evaluation on how to proceed.
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huh?
what kind of plastic need to be selected? or is their is any specification to select one!!! Plz Reply!!!