Filing the nut

[sartorious]

I noticed my old RG7321 has a noticeable distance between most of the strings and the 1st fret. The neck seems to have a proper bow (I fret the 1st & 21st frets, and the strings have an index card thickness of relief), and the string saddles aren't high. So, I think the nut should be filed a bit. Since this guitar is still stock, I won't cry if I screw up on my first try.

Is this something folks on this forum would do on their own, or take to a tech?
If you do it on your own, do you buy all the specialized files? I want to be cost-efficient.
Is there anything I'm missing?

 

[TedEH]

I think it's doable as a diy thing if you're careful, but someone who knows what they're doing will always do a much better job without the risk of messing it up and having to get someone else to fix it anyway. I recently took a stab at it- received a replacement neck where all the nut slots were flat, so it made all kinds o weird noises. I picked up some cheap hardware store needle files, watched some youtube tutorials and read some articles about it, then hacked away at it until it was to my liking.

Is it doable? Sure. I was able to make the neck playable, and was able to intonate properly- but it looked really ugly when it was done. Also, the correct tools would have helped to do a cleaner and overall better job. IMO- if you want to learn a new skill, and you're willing to either live with the results or bring it to someone to get it done properly if you mess up, then I'd say go for it.

 

[Lorcan Ward]

I'm not sure if its a correct or suitable way of doing it but I just file the nut slots lower using a wound string. Take it slow and don't get carried away, you only want to file a small amount at a time. You can also file sideways to allow for bigger string gauges.

 

[sartorious]

I think it's doable as a diy thing if you're careful, but someone who knows what they're doing will always do a much better job without the risk of messing it up and having to get someone else to fix it anyway. I recently took a stab at it- received a replacement neck where all the nut slots were flat, so it made all kinds o weird noises. I picked up some cheap hardware store needle files, watched some youtube tutorials and read some articles about it, then hacked away at it until it was to my liking.

Is it doable? Sure. I was able to make the neck playable, and was able to intonate properly- but it looked really ugly when it was done. Also, the correct tools would have helped to do a cleaner and overall better job. IMO- if you want to learn a new skill, and you're willing to either live with the results or bring it to someone to get it done properly if you mess up, then I'd say go for it.

Thanks for the first-hand account. I'm not sure it's really worth investing in proper tools or really learning a proper technique right now. I only get new guitars once every 2-3 years, so maybe paying a tech is smarter.

I'm not sure if its a correct or suitable way of doing it but I just file the nut slots lower using a wound string. Take it slow and don't get carried away, you only want to file a small amount at a time. You can also file sideways to allow for bigger string gauges.

If this does a satisfactory job, it may be worth a shot. Did this work for the first three slots (plain strings), without leaving too much space for unwanted vibration? The smallest wound string I can find right now is a D'Addario 0.017".

 

[wakjob]

Even cheaper yet...like 5 bucks.


Go to Harbor Freight, or other cheap tool store, and grab a torch tip cleaning kit.
It'll have most, if not all the size nut files you'll need.

http://www.amazon.com/US-Forge-Welding-Cleaner-00802/dp/B000UVR0NO