Andy Eagle ( Guitar repair tech for 30 years )

Why? Nuts really need to be cut for the guitar. I view a precut nut as something that might work in a pinch, and can get you close for further tuning, but they can also be over cut out of the box and leave you with only bad options.
I used that PRS SE heavily at home, at practice and live so the original plastic nut was really torn apart. I searched online and found a guy stating, that that specific TusQ nut is an *exact* (grain of salt) replacement. It is. Just had to sand the bottom of it down bc as you know TusQ nuts always come "higher" than they should so you can take away as much as you need.

Why I threw away the original one? Bc I was dumb, that's why...
 
Okay. Will try that tomorrow!

I installed a pre-cut black TusQ nut on it (measurements *should* fit) and threw away the factory nut (white plastic). Maybe I sanded down a bit too much on the bottom of the nut.
Yeah, it’s easy to sand down too far. Sanding the base of the nut is a cut &try task. Sand a little bit, then check to see where tat leaves the string. Rinse and repeat until you get it right. Sand off a little too much, and you get a too-low nut slot.
 
Yeah, it’s easy to sand down too far. Sanding the base of the nut is a cut &try task. Sand a little bit, then check to see where tat leaves the string. Rinse and repeat until you get it right. Sand off a little too much, and you get a too-low nut slot.

Do nuts already come with the slots cut in them, and if so, is the radius set by the manufacturer, or is that step left to whomever is doing the replacement?
 
Do nuts already come with the slots cut in them...
Some do, some don't. If they do have pre-cut slots, you'll want to be sure to get one with the right slot spacing for your guitar.

...if so, is the radius set by the manufacturer, or is that step left to whomever is doing the replacement?
If the slots are pre-cut, there is a already a radius to the slots. But you can file them to whatever radius you like.

Ignoring the slots for the moment, the top of the nut will likely also have a radius cut into it. You'll want to have that match the radius of your fingerboard.

Some nuts have a radius built into the bottom. These are for guitars that have a radiused nut slot. if your guitar is like that, you'll want to match that radius exactly.


All of these things are adjustable with the right files, some sandpaper, and some practice. And they interact with each other. For example, slotting files will lower one string at a time; sanding the base will lower all six strings at once. Sanding the base at the wrong angle can cause a whole range of problems. And there's an art to filing the slots just right, so there's a clean takeoff point, and the far end of the string dresses cleanly and freely toward the tuning peg, and the string doesn't sink down too far into the nut, and...

That's why having a pro do the work will cost you more than a few bucks. Each nut is a little sculpture, carved precisely for your specific guitar.


Bottom line: You're not likely to find a pre-made nut that you don't have to do some work on.
 
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Yeah, it’s easy to sand down too far.
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As this has become a beacon of help for dummies like me I'll try another time:

Seller wants 20€, says it's damaged. Yes it is, but how severe? Is that a full snapped neck under there or just some laqucer? Sorry, I don't have anything more than these horrible pics.
 

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As this has become a beacon of help for dummies like me I'll try another time:

Seller wants 20€, says it's damaged. Yes it is, but how severe? Is that a full snapped neck under there or just some laqucer? Sorry, I don't have anything more than these horrible pics.
The damage is in the same place as the famous Les Paul headstock break — it starts at the face of the headstock behind the nut, passes under the nut, and heads toward the back of the neck. When the damage occurred, it displaced the wood far enough to shatter the finish. The crack on one side is mirrored on the other side. This suggests that the wood between the cracks has been damaged, too. It looks like there may also be some separation of the fingerboard.

There isn't much visible separation of the wood, though. Maybe the fracture is being held together by hands, one of which is visible in the frame, Or maybe it's already been repaired. It's cool that the crack doesn't make it all the way to the back of the neck. That makes it easier to repair.


CAVEAT: All of this is based on first impressions of a coupe of photographs. I'd need to examine it myself to say for sure.
 
I feel a bit funny holding forth here on @Eagle's thread. People might get the impression that I'm speaking on his behalf or otherwise have some special authorization. I'm not, and I don't. I wish he were still around. Always a learning opportunity when he popped up.

Andy has a sharp and open mind, and he knows how to examine a situation and figure out what's really going on. He has daily experience with high-value and highly-vintage guitars that only occasionally make it into the shop where I work, and he has a finely-tuned bullshit filter. @Eagle has been doing this work full time for 30+ years. I've been doing it part time for a much shorter period. No way do I know what Andy knows about guitar repair.


I'm happy to share whatever knowledge I have and to help however I can. If anyone has a question, post a new thread and let me know it's there. :)
 
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