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How to Fix the Nut on a Bass Guitar

Bass guitars provide the deep, low musical notes for a percussion beat. Many music genres use bass guitars, from jazz to rock. However, bass guitar components, such as the nut, can fail after long periods of use. The nut separates the bass guitar's strings from the fingerboard, providing individual string channels to prevent buzzing sounds. Typically, a bass guitar nut cannot be filed in a repair since its performance will still be affected negatively. A bass guitar owner can replace the nut, achieving the new bass guitar sound again.

Things You'll Need

Sharp blade
Hardwood block
Plastic tip hammer
Small chisel
Sandpaper
Calipers
Wood glue
Gauged nut file
Small pliers
Small back saw

Instructions

- 1
  Remove the strings from the bass guitar.
- 2
  Score around the nut's circumference with a sharp blade. This will help detach the nut from the bass guitar without damaging the surrounding finish.
- 3
  Place a 2.5-inch-long hardwood block piece against the nut's side. Tap the block with a plastic tip hammer. The nut should detach with the force of the impacts.
- 4
  Clean the nut's open channel with a small chisel. Make sure to remove all glue debris, but do not accidentally enlarge the channel's size.
- 5
  Choose a material for the new nut, either bone, ivory or plastic. Sand the new nut material with sandpaper. Measure the new nut with calipers as the sanding removes more material. Compare the new nut's size with the previous nut. Sand the new nut until it is the same width and length as the previous nut.
- 6
  Glue the nut into its channel. Use a gauged nut file to create new string channels within the nut, based on the strings' individual gauge, or size.
- 7
  Restring the bass guitar. Tune and test the guitar for quality sound output.

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