# What Can I Use As A Super Thin Wood Shim For An Acoustic Guitar Nut?



## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

I am looking for something ready to go that is hopefully hardwood, and thin that I can glue to the bottom of the nut to shim it a small amount.

I read somewhere that the dollhouse hobbyists have wood flooring that works great, but there are no dollhouse parts stores near me.

Suggestions?


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## Alan Small (Dec 30, 2019)

Clear salad container plastic is about as thin as you might find...blueberries come in similar...
It has consistant density for good energy transfer

Install a new nut when you get to a guitar store...or nextgen or solo


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

Alan Small said:


> Clear salad container plastic is about as thin as you might find...blueberries come in similar...
> It has consistant density for good energy transfer
> 
> Install a new nut when you get to a guitar store...or nextgen or solo


I was hoping to use wood though... If I am using plastic could I use a credit card?


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

I've used scrap veneer that matched the neck wood, glued it to the bottom of the nut, and sanded to reduce it as necessary. I would still prefer a new bone nut altogether.


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## Paul Running (Apr 12, 2020)

player99 said:


> dollhouse hobbyists have wood flooring that works great


I agree, usually it's a maple veneer. I've used left-over hardwood veneer from die-cut models. It does come super-thin too. Model shops should supply it...I've seen it in the craft section of a Dollar store too.


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## tomee2 (Feb 27, 2017)

Paper?


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## cbg1 (Mar 27, 2012)

Not sure of the wood type but I have used these as both nut and saddle shims


https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/tools/supplies/inlay-and-veneering/32820-veneer-business-cards?item=99W8905


(edit) they are maple


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## cdntac (Oct 11, 2017)

Alan Small said:


> Clear salad container plastic is about as thin as you might find...blueberries come in similar...
> It has consistant density for good energy transfer
> 
> Install a new nut when you get to a guitar store...or nextgen or solo


That’s pretty much what I was going to suggest.

Until I was able to order a new nut, I once cut up a juice jug and shimmed the old nut with a small piece of it.

If you had a significant increase needed, an old bank card could work but they’re pretty thick in relation to the minuscule amount usually needed to raise a nut.


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## Whammer Jammer (Sep 7, 2019)

Aluminium tape works for a slight shim. Stick the bottom of the nut to the adhesive side and trim excess.

I’ve used steel shim stock as well. A few feeler gauges have donated material over the years – the perfect thickness is in there somewhere!


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## Acoustic Tom (Apr 6, 2020)

I've used the cardboard from a cigarette package in a pinch once.


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## tdotrob (Feb 24, 2019)

Use a strip of 10 tabs of LSD folded over in the middle then in a few years when you have reached a crossroad in life pop that nut and see the universe and learn your purpose.


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

tdotrob said:


> Use a strip of 10 tabs of LSD folded over in the middle then in a few years when you have reached a crossroad in life pop that nut and see the universe and learn your purpose.


I just took my last 10 tabs. Funny the nut isn't a problem anymore...


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Further to my previous post, I've also used bone, crazy glued to the bottom of the nut, and sanded down to fit. Invisible fix.

[Edit for clarity...crazy glue the shim to the nut, NOT the nut to the guitar, a single drop of white glue is lots for that.]


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## tdotrob (Feb 24, 2019)

Ya but crazy glue won’t get you nearly as baked as 10 tabs of LSD.


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

tdotrob said:


> Ya but crazy glue won’t get you nearly as baked as 10 tabs of LSD.


You've obviously never smoked crazy glue. Why do you think it's called "crazy" glue?


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## tdotrob (Feb 24, 2019)

Good point.


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## Latole (Aug 11, 2020)

I'll use aluminium ( from pie dishes ) or thin brass sheets available at any hobby store.
I will not use plastic or paper.

Guitar nut you are talking about is at the peg head Right ? 
Use carpenter white glue or any glue ( 2 -3drops only ) you can easy remove if you need. No crazy glue or epoxy.


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

Latole said:


> I'll use aluminium ( from pie dishes ) or thin brass sheets available at any hobby store.
> I will not use plastic or paper.
> 
> Guitar nut you are talking about is at the peg head Right ?
> ...


Yes at the peghead.


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## Latole (Aug 11, 2020)

player99 said:


> Yes at the peghead.



Thank's .


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

Latole said:


> Thank's .


Thank you for your advice.


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## Latole (Aug 11, 2020)

player99 said:


> Thank you for your advice.


I fix lot of guitars and amps issue


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Not what you asked about, but you can have a new graphtech tusq nut within a couple of days from Amazon. I think that would be much better than a shim.









Nut Graphtech PQ-M100-00 Martin Style Angled Bottom : Amazon.ca: Musical Instruments, Stage & Studio


Nut Graphtech PQ-M100-00 Martin Style Angled Bottom : Amazon.ca: Musical Instruments, Stage & Studio



www.amazon.ca


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## Latole (Aug 11, 2020)

Which guitar are we talking about ? $200 or a $2000 guitar

Milkman is not wrong


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

Latole said:


> Which guitar are we talking about ? $200 or a $2000 guitar
> 
> Milkman is not wrong


It's a smaller body Takamine with black back and sides made with the same finish as an Ovation. Not the shape but the finish. It was selling for $700 used 20 years ago.


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## Latole (Aug 11, 2020)

What is wrong with the nut ? String are too close to the fret board ?

I use dust from the top of the nut and crazy glue
Here he use baking soda; 



https://guitarniche.com/guitar-nut-repair-tips/



*Repairing Worn Slots*
Wear. As guitar nuts age, they can feel quite comfortable but the slots can become low enough to cause an irritating buzz on the open strings and produce a loss in tone.

It’s pretty easy to determine which ones are the culprits, they’re the ones that buzz when you give them a good open pluck and sometimes you can actually see them riding the first fret.

Usually it’s only one or two strings which show these symptoms and to keep things simple, we’ll deal with rebuilding string height on a limited level.








A standard remedy for this problem is to use Krazy Glue and baking soda. The recipe works fine, but I’m a fan of using the same material the nut is made of.

I keep a handy supply of bone dust available as it tends to cover most instances of string slot repairs nicely. We’ll also need something to cut the slots with.


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## Rollin Hand (Jul 12, 2012)

If the nut has to come out anyway, I would just replace with a new one. Is it a bone nut? Plastic?


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

Rollin Hand said:


> If the nut has to come out anyway, I would just replace with a new one. Is it a bone nut? Plastic?


I think plastic. I would most likely go with the Graphtec nut...


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## BrotherWE (Sep 1, 2021)

player99 said:


> I am looking for something ready to go that is hopefully hardwood, and thin that I can glue to the bottom of the nut to shim it a small amount.
> 
> I read somewhere that the dollhouse hobbyists have wood flooring that works great, but there are no dollhouse parts stores near me.
> 
> Suggestions?


Are you sure you need to mess with the Nut? I'm not sure what your issue is, Is it strings buzzing? Maybe its as simple as adjusting the truss rod.


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## Latole (Aug 11, 2020)

BrotherWE said:


> Are you sure you need to mess with the Nut? I'm not sure what your issue is, Is it strings buzzing? Maybe its as simple as adjusting the truss rod.



I ask 2 days ago, no answer.........


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

Latole said:


> I ask 2 days ago, no answer.........


Definitely the nut. I press the string at the 3rd fret and the strings lay on the 1st fret with no space. I ordered a new one from Next Gen.


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## BEACHBUM (Sep 21, 2010)

Sandpaper. It's pretty much the universal choice for shimming electric guitar necks and lots of folks use it to shim nuts and saddle slots as well. It works just as good as wood because it is wood.


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## Markus 1 (Feb 1, 2019)

player99 said:


> I am looking for something ready to go that is hopefully hardwood, and thin that I can glue to the bottom of the nut to shim it a small amount.
> 
> I read somewhere that the dollhouse hobbyists have wood flooring that works great, but there are no dollhouse parts stores near me.
> 
> Suggestions?



I've done it once or twice
Worked very well
Superglue between nut and shim and then fix the nut in place normally


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

player99 said:


> Definitely the nut. I press the string at the 3rd fret and the strings lay on the 1st fret with no space. I ordered a new one from Next Gen.



The graphtech material (if that's what you ordered) is easy to work with, It files and sands nicely and is easy to shape. Most of the nuts I buy are already grooved too.

Good luck.


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

Milkman said:


> The graphtech material (if that's what you ordered) is easy to work with, It files and sands nicely and is easy to shape. Most of the nuts I buy are already grooved too.
> 
> Good luck.


Yes I got the Graphtec xl preslotted. I have a set of 9-42 nut files, and I recently bought a nut tool kit from Stewmac for hacks like me.

The complete set here:





StewMac Safe Slot Nut Guard - StewMac


Stop your file before the slot's too deep and your nut is ruined.




www.stewmac.com


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

player99 said:


> Yes I got the Graphtec xl preslotted. I have a set of 9-42 nut files, and I recently bough a nut tool kit from Stewmac for hacks like me.
> 
> The complete set here:
> 
> ...


You may not even need the nut files. With the Tusq nuts I often only need to file the bottom for overall height and trim the ends so they sit flush to the edges of the neck.

It sure makes a difference in tone. We fuss over other elements that often do little to change the sound of the guitar. A new nut is pretty impactful relatively speaking.


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

After driving to Next Gen to pick up the nut today I put the nut in tonight and it is lower than the one I have. I found a small piece of veneer off the edge of an old kitchen cabinet door, glued it on the bottom of the nut and it dropped in to the perfect height. I could have saved some time and money and just shimmed the nut that was in there... but I do gain the experience of working with my nuts.


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## BEACHBUM (Sep 21, 2010)

player99 said:


> After driving to Next Gen to pick up the nut today I put the nut in tonight and it is lower than the one I have. I found a small piece of veneer off the edge of an old kitchen cabinet door, glued it on the bottom of the nut and it dropped in to the perfect height. I could have saved some time and money and just shimmed the nut that was in there... but I do gain the experience of working with my nuts.


Another thing you gained with the Graphtech is that it's self lubricated. No more ping and pop when you tune the strings.


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

BEACHBUM said:


> Another thing you gained with the Graphtech is that it's self lubricated. No more ping and pop when you tune the strings.


I still nut lube them...


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