Skiltrip
Joined: Mar 09, 2014
Posts: 92
New York
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Posted on Mar 03 2020 08:39 AM
I've gauged up the strings on my American Strat a little at a time since I got it a number of years ago. I currently have 11's on it, but I'd like to try 12's. With 9s or 10s my tuning stability is perfect. With 11s, it's not quite as good but still pretty decent. I am pretty sure 12s will introducing some noticeable binding in the nut and cause my tuning stability to suffer. What should I use to file them out a bit to widen the channels? I've never done this before. I'd also not like to have to buy an expensive set of files that I'm only going to use once. Thanks!
— Guitarist for Northern Tides from Hudson Valley, NY.
Northern Tides on FB
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Redfeather
Joined: Jul 30, 2016
Posts: 896
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Posted on Mar 03 2020 02:35 PM
I've used nothing more than a piece of fine sandpaper. Just hold it on either end and run it back and forth across each side of the slot a few times.
And remember: BETTER TOO LITTLE THAN TOO MUCH!!!
Also, be mindful of the bottom edge of the paper and don't let it deepen your slot while you're widening it.
Last edited: Mar 03, 2020 15:04:28
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edwardsand
Joined: Jun 29, 2018
Posts: 801
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Posted on Mar 03 2020 02:48 PM
Use a luthier. (Obviously I'm kidding since you imply doing it yourself). So to answer less flippantly, I've heard of some people using a set of welding tip cleaners to file nuts down for bigger strings. As noted, sand paper could work too. For the larger string slots, I've just taken the strings (wound ones of course) and rub them through the slot a bit (that worked for Tusq nuts, not sure about bone).
Another option would be to get one cut for thicker strings and change it out for the original, and you could then put the original back in if you decide to go back to thinner strings.
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DeathTide
Joined: Apr 13, 2018
Posts: 1378
New Orleans
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Posted on Mar 03 2020 04:24 PM
I got some fine circular gun files, but then took the jag to a guitar guy for fret leveling so he ended up filing the nut. However, I keep fantasizing about jumping up to 14s, and I do that I’m gonna attempt to file those strings myself!
— Daniel Deathtide
Last edited: Mar 03, 2020 16:25:08
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MartinB
Joined: Feb 06, 2018
Posts: 61
Birmingham
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Posted on Mar 03 2020 06:17 PM
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edwardsand
Joined: Jun 29, 2018
Posts: 801
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Posted on Mar 03 2020 07:06 PM
MartinB wrote:
Some information about the effectiveness of welding tip cleaners as nut files: https://hazeguitars.com/blog/cheap-alternative-to-guitar-nut-files
That's very informative, and shows it would really be a pain to fully cut a blank nut with those things. It would have been nice if they'd also covered enlarging nut slots to see if it's worth the trouble.
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synchro
Joined: Feb 02, 2008
Posts: 4540
Not One-Sawn, but Two-Sawn . . . AZ.
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Posted on Mar 03 2020 07:11 PM
Welding tip cleaners are probably ok for widening a nut slot by a thousandth or so, but I wouldn’t suggest using them to cut a new nut from scratch. It’s sort of like a Crescent wrench. It’ll do the job, but it’s probably not the tool of choice.
— The artist formerly known as: Synchro
When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.
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