Making a New Bone Guitar Nut – Replacing a Broken Nut by Hand
Follow the process of replacing a broken guitar nut with a custom-shaped bone blank, including fitting and filing individual string slots, illustrated with four workshop photos.
A small part can make a big difference to how a guitar plays. This guitar arrived at my workshop with a broken nut. Rather than fitting a ready-made replacement, I make a new one from a piece of bone and shape it to suit the instrument.
## 1. The original nut is broken
The first photo shows the damaged nut with visible breaks. The nut sits at the end of the fingerboard, where the neck meets the headstock. It establishes string spacing and helps determine the height of the open strings. A damaged nut can cause poor string positioning, buzzing or tuning problems.
## 2. Shaping a new nut from bone
I start with a bone blank and gradually shape its length, thickness and height until it fits the guitar's nut slot. Working carefully matters: it is easy to remove a little more material, but impossible to put it back once filed away.
## 3. Filing the string slots by hand
Once the basic shape fits, I mark the string positions and file each slot individually. The width must suit the string gauge, while the depth and angle need careful attention. Slots that are too deep may cause open-string buzzing; slots that are too high can make the guitar harder to play and affect intonation near the first frets.
## 4. The new nut in place
The final photo shows the replacement nut installed. With the strings fitted and tuned, I check the spacing, height and how freely each string moves in its slot. That final adjustment is an essential part of the job.
## Why make a nut by hand?
A guitar nut is more than a small piece of material. It must suit the particular instrument and the strings being used. Making a nut from bone allows me to adjust each detail rather than relying on a generic part.
At my instrument workshop in Tornemark, Denmark, I repair, maintain and set up stringed instruments. Replacing a broken nut is a good example of how even a small repair calls for patience and precision.
Michael Staun – Instrument Workshop, Tornemark