New nut for the Jazzmaster Player series

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buscon
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New nut for the Jazzmaster Player series

Post by buscon » Tue Dec 03, 2019 2:10 am

hi all,

I have a Jazzmaster Player Series and I was thinking about getting a new nut.
Any suggestion on which nut would fit and it is worth it to build in?

Thanks!

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hwestman
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Re: New nut for the Jazzmaster Player series

Post by hwestman » Tue Dec 10, 2019 8:51 am

Why do you want to change the nut?

Or do you mean the bridge?

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buscon
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Re: New nut for the Jazzmaster Player series

Post by buscon » Tue Dec 10, 2019 11:59 am

I wanted to change the nut because the current one is made of plastic.
On the other hand the tuning is quite stable, so maybe I should stay with this one, as it seems to do its job properly.

But I was wondering if any of you have suggestions/opinions about that.

Thanks.

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timtam
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Re: New nut for the Jazzmaster Player series

Post by timtam » Tue Dec 10, 2019 5:44 pm

If it's working well I wouldn't mess with it. Is the first fret action OK (low) ? Open chords play in tune ? No nut pinging when tuning or bending/trem use ? You could pay a good tech to remove old nut/fit new nut/file and shape the slots to reproduce the setup you have. Which probably won't make any discernible difference if the nut is already OK ... or it could be worse. Nuts are fiddly little suckers.
http://www.lutherie.net/nuts.html
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Re: New nut for the Jazzmaster Player series

Post by hwestman » Wed Dec 11, 2019 1:56 am

buscon wrote:
Tue Dec 10, 2019 11:59 am
I wanted to change the nut because the current one is made of plastic.
On the other hand the tuning is quite stable, so maybe I should stay with this one, as it seems to do its job properly.

But I was wondering if any of you have suggestions/opinions about that.

Thanks.
Do you find that the difference in sound between fretted and unfretted sound is a problem? Is it even detectable from a practical point of view? Do you have tuning problems that polishing and lubrication of the nut slots can't take care of? Is the action of unfretted notes too low or high?

If not... don't mess with it. I totally get the idea of wanting the best materials but a lot of the times it is easy to start changing things just for the sake of it.

That said - a well cut nut is central for a guitar to stay in tune and to play and intonate well.

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Re: New nut for the Jazzmaster Player series

Post by timtam » Wed Dec 11, 2019 2:23 am

FWIW, the Player Series nut is actually described as 'synthetic bone' ... ;)
https://shop.fender.com/en-AU/electric- ... l?rl=en_US
"I just knew I wanted to make a sound that was the complete opposite of a Les Paul, and that’s pretty much a Jaguar." Rowland S. Howard.

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Re: New nut for the Jazzmaster Player series

Post by buscon » Thu Dec 12, 2019 1:33 pm

thanks everyone for your replies.

You definitively convinced me to keep the current nut, as it is indeed behaving well: when I use the tremolo it stays in tune, the first fret action is also good. The open chords sound in tune to me too.

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Re: New nut for the Jazzmaster Player series

Post by ChrisDesign » Sat Dec 14, 2019 1:22 pm

I had a tech install a bone nut. It works great. Attentively install a TUSQ nut. TUSQ is close to bone in tone but has better lubrication. You can buy it pre cut so you only need to sand it down; which is nice.
"I own a '66 Jaguar. That's the guitar I polish, and baby - I refuse to let anyone touch it when I jump into the crowd." - Kurt Cobain

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Re: New nut for the Jazzmaster Player series

Post by buscon » Sun Dec 15, 2019 1:15 am

ChrisDesign wrote:
Sat Dec 14, 2019 1:22 pm
I had a tech install a bone nut. It works great. Attentively install a TUSQ nut. TUSQ is close to bone in tone but has better lubrication. You can buy it pre cut so you only need to sand it down; which is nice.
ok, thanks for the suggestion. do you mean, it is possible to buy a TUSQ nut pre cut for a jazzmaster? do you have link?

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Re: New nut for the Jazzmaster Player series

Post by andy_tchp » Sun Dec 15, 2019 2:37 am

No, the pre-cut slots are only guides for spacing. You still need to cut the slots to the correct depth to suit the specific neck it's being installed on.

Zero advantage over what you already have on there - Tusq is effectively 'synthetic bone', and I never found it any better (nor worse) than a properly cut bone nut, even with the built in snake oil for 'lubrication'.
"I don't know why we asked him to join the band 'cause the rest of us don't like country music all that much; we just like Graham Lee."
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Re: New nut for the Jazzmaster Player series

Post by ChrisDesign » Sun Dec 15, 2019 4:41 am

andy_tchp wrote:
Sun Dec 15, 2019 2:37 am
No, the pre-cut slots are only guides for spacing. You still need to cut the slots to the correct depth to suit the specific neck it's being installed on.

Zero advantage over what you already have on there - Tusq is effectively 'synthetic bone', and I never found it any better (nor worse) than a properly cut bone nut, even with the built in snake oil for 'lubrication'.
That’s why you buy one with slots matching your neck’s radius. Do that, and you don’t need to cut anything. I’ve used precut nuts many times and always ended up with a perfect match.
"I own a '66 Jaguar. That's the guitar I polish, and baby - I refuse to let anyone touch it when I jump into the crowd." - Kurt Cobain

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Re: New nut for the Jazzmaster Player series

Post by andy_tchp » Sun Dec 15, 2019 4:38 pm

There is far more to it than matching the neck's (claimed / advertised) radius and hoping for the best, in spite of that company's desire to sell more of their shit.

They need to be cut to suit the specific fret height - namely the first fret, to get the nut action set correctly to suit the guitar, along with accounting for the desired string gauge in use.

(Why would it be different on mass produced guitars? The answer to that brings more questions: How much has it been played and how heavy handed is the player? How many (if any) fret level+recrown jobs has the instrument had? What depth is the nut channel cut to on this series of guitars compared to their USA or MIJ counterparts? Which fret wire was used on x series?)

Sanding down the underside is a poor method that may lead to acceptable results (on a flat bottomed nut), or a shit result (pretty much guaranteed with a curved bottom).
buscon wrote:
Thu Dec 12, 2019 1:33 pm
when I use the tremolo it stays in tune, the first fret action is also good. The open chords sound in tune to me too.
Needless to say I just can't understand what needs to be fixed here.
"I don't know why we asked him to join the band 'cause the rest of us don't like country music all that much; we just like Graham Lee."
David McComb, 1987.

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Re: New nut for the Jazzmaster Player series

Post by ChrisDesign » Sun Dec 15, 2019 11:06 pm

On a curved nut slot, put sandpaper on the neck and use that to sand in the right curve.

It’s all about budget. A pro cut bone nut is the best. If you can’t afford a tech then a precut TUSQ nut, with proper sanding down that you check with feeler gauges is fine.
"I own a '66 Jaguar. That's the guitar I polish, and baby - I refuse to let anyone touch it when I jump into the crowd." - Kurt Cobain

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