# My Own "Nut Sauce"



## TWRC (Apr 22, 2011)

Get yer minds out of the gutter! 

For many years I've been using mechanical pencil lead on my saddles, nuts and string trees to aid the tuning process - especially on all of my tremolo equipped guitars. Over the weekend, I was at Canadian Tire getting some white lithium grease and found something I had no idea existed:










So for $4.99, I picked up the tube knowing that I had a bunch of lubes and greases at home that I could mix it up with to form my own nut sauce compound. I grabbed a small tupperware salad dressing container and mixed the graphite powder with this (I'm sure you can use vaseline as well): 










So far I haven't noticed any differences from using just straight pencil lead, but with the added lube, it really helps the graphite adhere to the nut slots and saddles. The only downside is wiping the excess off after you've restrung the guitar, but this is much cleaner than the products that I've used in the past from retail stores and the amount that I ended up making will probably last me a lifetime and then some. Give it a shot the next time you're at a hardware store!


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## Jimmy_D (Jul 4, 2009)

Clear unscented Chapstick is good stuff...


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## Intrepid (Oct 9, 2008)

Great idea, I might have to give it a try. I've used the chapstick lip balm stuff before as well. It works.


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## TWRC (Apr 22, 2011)

I think lip balm is a great idea; however, I'm fully convinced that graphite does combat string breakage. Now, I'm only basing this off of my experience with Graphtech products. I understand that the formula is completely different, but whatever it is, it totally works.


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

Good idea, thanks for the tip!

I've never broke a string at the nut though, tuner post, sometimes,
mostly at the saddles is where mine break, if and when they do.


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## TWRC (Apr 22, 2011)

Same here. I use graphite on the nut more for tuning / string binding than anything. I'm going to use this on the saddles of my non-graphtech equipped guitars.


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## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

So what do you guys do, put this on at string changes?


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## TWRC (Apr 22, 2011)

Pretty much.

Here's a pretty good video of that entire process:

[video=youtube;87OkMlCGgWo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87OkMlCGgWo[/video]



Diablo said:


> So what do you guys do, put this on at string changes?


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## Erich (Apr 23, 2013)

So did you find that Ultra Slick graphite lube to work well enough on it's own? or no? Thinking about picking some up myself.


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## TWRC (Apr 22, 2011)

It's a powder, so I can see it being useful when applying it on the nut, but it might be a bit difficult to apply on your saddles. That's why it's good to mix it with something that will stick. I'm sure you could use vaseline or chapstick.


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## doriangrey (Mar 29, 2011)

another fan of the chapstick method here...I used to use pencil lead too but I went to the chapstick method a few years ago and that's what I stick with now...plus you can also use to keep your lips lubed up fer when your hunny wants a kiss ;o)


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