Removing an old nut. . .

[thearabianmage]

My step-brother recently gave me his old Encore electric guitar. . . Encore make cheap copies of strats (but the body to this one is heavy!)

Anyways, the nut is in poor condition and it's stuck, good. I've tried the old straight-head screw driver at the bottom of the nut where it meets the fret board and tapped it lighty with the plastic end of my fret-hammer, but that didn't work - on both sides. I've tried a blunter object more central on the nut and tapping that to no avail. And then just tapping the nut itself. . .

I've heard some people say that they boil water in a pan and put the neck over the pan - still heating - to soften the glue, but what about the glue holding the fret-board? Or would it work at all? Any better options?

Tips, advice, comments?

Cheers,

Joe

[dan P]

Hello, one way to remove it is to saw down the middle lengthwise and push the two remaining sides together...this will allow you a little room to work the pieces out.. you may install a preslotted graphite nut, you will need to shape it a little...but they work great and are cheap !

[snarph]

try a blow dryer

[sumitomo]

I would take away their bingo privileges.Sumi:D

[thearabianmage]

I would take away their bingo privileges.Sumi:D
:rotflmao:
Sharp!
:rotflmao:

[markb]

Some of those Encores have some kind of particleboard body. I used to have one, it weighed a ton.

[thearabianmage]

Some of those Encores have some kind of particleboard body. I used to have one, it weighed a ton.

Interesting. . .

Do you have any more specifics on this 'particleboard' so I can look it up? Like particular names of the different types of particleboard, or if it's called 'particleboard' and there's only one type, etc?

Cheers

[tot_Ou_tard]

I would take away their bingo privileges.Sumi:D
Beat me to it Sumi! :master:

[just strum]

Joe,

Were you able to make any progress on this?

[thearabianmage]

Joe,

Were you able to make any progress on this?

No, not yet. I've been tinkering with the guitar first (my first electric fretless)

I'm gonna wear the strings out and do it on the next string change. I'll be sure to post an update. I'm still not sure how I'm gonna get the nut off, though. . . :D

[Ben_Sir_Amos]

dan P is exactly right.

But I would just add that sometimes there is some sloppy varnishing on the fingerboard that is attached to the nut too. When you try to remove the nut, you take off some of the varnish too - or even a little bit of the wood. As with all these jobs, repairing the damage you cause can take longer than the original task.

So whatever nut removal method you use, run a sharp blade along where the nut meets the fingerboard to make sure you don't damage any fingerboard finish.