Official Luthiers Forum!

Hello all,
I need to replace my nut on my Strat. I was wondering if all Strat's have a radiusd nut slot? My strat is a Mexican strat. Would it be the same radius as the fret board? Also, while I am on the topic if it is a radiused slot how do you guys go about doing that (radiusing the nut bottom that is)? Do you draw the appropriate radius and sand to the line?....if the nut slot is the same as the board I coud rough it in, put some tape on the board, get some sand paper and radius the bottom using the board as a template.

Thanks for the info..

Matthew

Matt,

I highly doubt that there will be a radiused nut slot...
Though I have no direct experience here, if it is radiused, I am sure you will be able to by a replacement nut (as I assume all of that stuff is built to spec on productions). With it not being radiused, you can be buy a piece of whatever you want (cow bone, camel bone, tusq, delrin, oosik ) and fit it into the cleaned slot and go about cutting yourself a new custom nut. Or you can buy a precut, preshaped nut for a strat from a number of suppliers...

Hope this helps,
Stephen

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www.ziegenfussguitars.com

If your guitar is an american one with a 7.25 or 9.5 radius then it will have a radiused nut slot. The machines used to cut the fret slots also cut for the nut at the same time.
Hope that helps.

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How long is that in luthyears?