How to glue back on the nut part on my Dave Freshwater Bouzouki.
I was changing the strings on my bouzouki and the nut part came off.
Cheers
Ferg
My bouzouki nut part came off.
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buddhu
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If you're in any doubts at all about doing basic work yourself, don't. Find a guitar tech/luthier to do it.
That said, it's a dead simple job. I've made and replaced nuts myself with no sweat.
1) If necessary, clean the nut, the seat space where it will go and the end of the fretboard - just to make sure there's no dust debris or glue residue.
2) Different people have different methods of fixing, but several mando and guitar builders for whom I have great respect told me that their preferred way to do it (and the method I have always used) is to put a small drop of superglue on the end of the fretboard and then position the nut and hold it in place until set. Done this way, if you ever need to replace the nut then then the merest gentle tap will knock it free.
Give it a couple of minutes for the glue to set then string up. Job done.
Glue on the end of the fretboard is on the grain end so there is little or no chance of the glue pulling any slivers of wood away if you ever remove the nut. If you glue to the neck beneath the nut you are glueing along the side of the grain and problems occasionally crop up in the form of little bits of neck wood coming away when you remove the nut.
That said, it's a dead simple job. I've made and replaced nuts myself with no sweat.
1) If necessary, clean the nut, the seat space where it will go and the end of the fretboard - just to make sure there's no dust debris or glue residue.
2) Different people have different methods of fixing, but several mando and guitar builders for whom I have great respect told me that their preferred way to do it (and the method I have always used) is to put a small drop of superglue on the end of the fretboard and then position the nut and hold it in place until set. Done this way, if you ever need to replace the nut then then the merest gentle tap will knock it free.
Give it a couple of minutes for the glue to set then string up. Job done.
Glue on the end of the fretboard is on the grain end so there is little or no chance of the glue pulling any slivers of wood away if you ever remove the nut. If you glue to the neck beneath the nut you are glueing along the side of the grain and problems occasionally crop up in the form of little bits of neck wood coming away when you remove the nut.
And whether the blood be highland, lowland or no.
And whether the skin be black or white as the snow.
Of kith and of kin we are one, be it right, be it wrong.
As long as our hearts beat true to the lilt of a song.
And whether the skin be black or white as the snow.
Of kith and of kin we are one, be it right, be it wrong.
As long as our hearts beat true to the lilt of a song.
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Fergmaun
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I tried to glue the nut back on to bouzouki but didn't work.
Now the nut isn't the original height anymore because I was sanding the nut to remove the glue.
I did re string the bouzouki by putting the nut back without glue . The strings now touch the fret.
Where to get one new replacement nut.
Cheers
Ferg
Now the nut isn't the original height anymore because I was sanding the nut to remove the glue.
I did re string the bouzouki by putting the nut back without glue . The strings now touch the fret.
Where to get one new replacement nut.
Cheers
Ferg
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buddhu
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Depends if the nut is plastic or bone. If it was me I'd go for bone anyway.
You can buy bone nut blanks on the internet. A quick Google will pull up some sources. That said, from the trouble you're having I'd guess that maybe you're not quite ready to be making and fitting a new nut as a DIY project.
I'd suggest taking yr instrument to a guitar shop, with the old nut as a template for string spacing, and ask if they have a repairman who can do it for you. Shouldn't cost a fortune.
You can buy bone nut blanks on the internet. A quick Google will pull up some sources. That said, from the trouble you're having I'd guess that maybe you're not quite ready to be making and fitting a new nut as a DIY project.
I'd suggest taking yr instrument to a guitar shop, with the old nut as a template for string spacing, and ask if they have a repairman who can do it for you. Shouldn't cost a fortune.
And whether the blood be highland, lowland or no.
And whether the skin be black or white as the snow.
Of kith and of kin we are one, be it right, be it wrong.
As long as our hearts beat true to the lilt of a song.
And whether the skin be black or white as the snow.
Of kith and of kin we are one, be it right, be it wrong.
As long as our hearts beat true to the lilt of a song.
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MTGuru
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Another suggestion would be to simply shim the existing nut to the proper height, using a small slat of wood or even plastic (e.g., cut from an old credit card). Sand the shim down as needed, and when the height is correct glue it lightly in place. With a good fit and even contact, this shouldn't affect the tone of the instrument.
Vivat diabolus in musica! MTGuru's (old) GG Clips / Blackbird Clips
Joel Barish: Is there any risk of brain damage?
Dr. Mierzwiak: Well, technically speaking, the procedure is brain damage.
Joel Barish: Is there any risk of brain damage?
Dr. Mierzwiak: Well, technically speaking, the procedure is brain damage.
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Doug_Tipple
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I agree that shimming under the nut is an easy solution. You can also shim under each string on the nut with paper. It doesn't look professional, but it allows you to adjust each string individually to get rid of the buzz. You also might try not gluing the nut. Usually the string tension is enough to hold the nut in place without needing to glue it. Bone saddles in guitar bridges and wooden violin bridges are held in place using the above method. It is the player's responsibility to see that the movable pieces (nut, saddle and bridge) are adjusted in the correct position while the strings are being tightened.
Shimming not only works, but is a pretty common fix. Odds are that if you take it to your local shop that's what they'll do anyway. It's not cheating, it's a standard technique. It's often done as part of the 'setup' that is recommended for new instruments. New nuts are usually cut if you want to change sting spacing, replace a damaged nut, use a different nut material, that sort of thing.
The luthier and two techs I know do it all the time when they make nuts. You think they're going to toss a couple of hours' work and re-build a whole nut just because they sanded a little too much? Of course, being very skilled you'd never know they did it. When I do it, you can see it from across the room.
I did try shimming inside the slots for individual strings, but I noticed a change in the tone that way, since the shim material was in contact with the string (I used card stock, which has a different consistency than the plastic of the nut). YMMV, of course. I've played most of my instruments without glue on the nut without any trouble. I always assumed the glue was just to keep the nut from falling of when you had all the strings off at once, sort of a convenience.
The luthier and two techs I know do it all the time when they make nuts. You think they're going to toss a couple of hours' work and re-build a whole nut just because they sanded a little too much? Of course, being very skilled you'd never know they did it. When I do it, you can see it from across the room.
I did try shimming inside the slots for individual strings, but I noticed a change in the tone that way, since the shim material was in contact with the string (I used card stock, which has a different consistency than the plastic of the nut). YMMV, of course. I've played most of my instruments without glue on the nut without any trouble. I always assumed the glue was just to keep the nut from falling of when you had all the strings off at once, sort of a convenience.
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Rob Sharer
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Two points:
1) Placing a shim of softer material, i.e. credit card plastic, between the nut and the neck can definitely affect the tone. Softer material will absorb vibrations in exactly the place where you don't want this happening. If you absolutely must shim, I'd say use ebony, or if you can manage it, bone.
2) Professionally speaking, I would never hand an instrument back to a customer with a new nut that I had made, ruined, and then shimmed. That is really bad form. I will always consider shimming a last resort in any case; it's hard to beat having a well-cut, well-fitted bone nut if you're the least bit concerned about the tone and playability of your instrument.
Cheers,
Rob
1) Placing a shim of softer material, i.e. credit card plastic, between the nut and the neck can definitely affect the tone. Softer material will absorb vibrations in exactly the place where you don't want this happening. If you absolutely must shim, I'd say use ebony, or if you can manage it, bone.
2) Professionally speaking, I would never hand an instrument back to a customer with a new nut that I had made, ruined, and then shimmed. That is really bad form. I will always consider shimming a last resort in any case; it's hard to beat having a well-cut, well-fitted bone nut if you're the least bit concerned about the tone and playability of your instrument.
Cheers,
Rob
Last edited by Rob Sharer on Sun Nov 16, 2008 6:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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MTGuru
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Agreed. I shimmed a bone guitar saddle with plastic, and the result was less than spectacular. The nut should be less critical to tone, but point taken. I've had good luck with various woods.Rob Sharer wrote:1) Placing a shim of softer material, i.e. credit card platic, between the nut and the neck can definitely affect the tone. Softer material will absorb vibrations in exactly the place where you don't want this happening. If you absolutely must shim, I'd say use ebony, or if you can manage it, bone.
Vivat diabolus in musica! MTGuru's (old) GG Clips / Blackbird Clips
Joel Barish: Is there any risk of brain damage?
Dr. Mierzwiak: Well, technically speaking, the procedure is brain damage.
Joel Barish: Is there any risk of brain damage?
Dr. Mierzwiak: Well, technically speaking, the procedure is brain damage.
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Gregrussell
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hold on a minute.....
the nut on your instrument is held down by the pressure of the strings.....don't you dare put glue on that!!!!...lol, if it fell off put it back and put it back and tighten your strings....the bridge is the same
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buddhu
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Is that standard on Freshwater instruments? Unusual.Gregrussell wrote:the nut on your instrument is held down by the pressure of the strings.....don't you dare put glue on that!!!!...lol, if it fell off put it back and put it back and tighten your strings....the bridge is the same
While string tension is certainly enough to hold the nut in place on most string instruments, In 35+ years of playing guitars, basses, mandolins, bouzoukis, ukes, banjos and now fiddle, I have never owned one on which the nut wasn't fixed.
And whether the blood be highland, lowland or no.
And whether the skin be black or white as the snow.
Of kith and of kin we are one, be it right, be it wrong.
As long as our hearts beat true to the lilt of a song.
And whether the skin be black or white as the snow.
Of kith and of kin we are one, be it right, be it wrong.
As long as our hearts beat true to the lilt of a song.
I agree. I've never had a new instrument where the nut wasn't glued in place, but I've played a number of them where it had become unglued for some reason and they worked just fine. They were, IIRC, the kind where the nut fits into a slot rather than being attached to the end of the fingerboard. With that kind I don't think the string pressure would hold it correctly. I should think it would tilt. When I said 'most of my instruments' before I meant I meant the instruments I play. I've encounterd guitars, mandolins, banjos, and ukes with nuts in slots, not that all the ones I own have no glue. Sorry.
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Fergmaun
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I did a temporary job with nut by cutting 2 slips of old plastic card to get right height.
I put the nut back and stringed up the bouzouki and the string height in now correct about 2.5 mm above the fret board.
The nut height is now 9.5 mm.
I will get one new replacement nut from by maker Dave Freshwater.
Cheers
Ferg
I put the nut back and stringed up the bouzouki and the string height in now correct about 2.5 mm above the fret board.
The nut height is now 9.5 mm.
I will get one new replacement nut from by maker Dave Freshwater.
Cheers
Ferg
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Fergmaun
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Re: My bouzouki nut part came off.
Got a new replacement nut for my Dave Freshwater 8 string Irish Bouzouki made by Gary TREEROOT on ebay. The nut is made from Hand-crafted-Ox-bone.
He did not need my Bouzouki for to fit the nut. I just give him the measurments. More detail information at the ebay link below.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/XXXX-Hand-crafted ... 240%3A1318
Some photos of the new nut.
Cheers
Ferg
He did not need my Bouzouki for to fit the nut. I just give him the measurments. More detail information at the ebay link below.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/XXXX-Hand-crafted ... 240%3A1318
Some photos of the new nut.
Cheers
Ferg
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buddhu
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Re: My bouzouki nut part came off.
Looks like a neat job. 
How did you fix it in place?
How did you fix it in place?
And whether the blood be highland, lowland or no.
And whether the skin be black or white as the snow.
Of kith and of kin we are one, be it right, be it wrong.
As long as our hearts beat true to the lilt of a song.
And whether the skin be black or white as the snow.
Of kith and of kin we are one, be it right, be it wrong.
As long as our hearts beat true to the lilt of a song.