How to adjust my neck?

[shaynewgreen]

My nash tele fell face first in a stand and hit the floor. ouch ;( It's now buzzing, but only when playing open notes (all the strings buzz whrn played open). The neck is srtraight. I think this just means the nut needs to be raised, but I'm not sure. What should I do? How should I raise the nut if that's what I need to do? Thanks, guys!!

 

[dazco]

You got it right. You can shim the nut or make a new one. My recommendation would be have a new bone nut made for it by a good tech. You can however use a thin piece of material with a thickness like a matchbook cover or thereabouts. May need even less than that. Since you appear not to know much about this i would take it to someone. they could shim it for you, but i would say don't bother....just have a new bone nut made because shimming will hurt the overall tone, and i'm talking even fretted notes. A good bone nut made well and not shimmed is maximum tone. It may cost you around $50-60, but it's worth it. you can try and do it yourself if you are good with your hands, but be carful when removing the nut if you do because on a maple neck you can easily damage the finish or pull up some wood, the latter especially easy to do with a rosewood board.

 

[gkoelling]

Take it to a tech. If the nut was ok before it fell, it's ok still.

 

[phantasm]

Take the neck off and put it back on- sounds more like the neck shifted slightly when it fell- these things can happen with a bolt on neck. Like gkoelling said above "If the nut was OK before it fell, it's OK still".
I mean, why replace something when you don't have to?

 

[dazco]

I dunno guys...he said it only buzzes on open strings, and unless the 1st fret dislodged, which IS a possibility, the nut would have to be to blame. There is no other explanation. having fallen to the 1st fret may well have come up a bit. But as for the nut, if it wasn't installed/made right it could well have gone lower due to several possibilities if not made correctly. And that can be like that from the factory too. I see a ton of very badly made factory nuts. i would definitely look at that 1st fret tho. It pretty much has to be one of those 2 things if it buzzes only at the first fret.

 

[phantasm]

Could've also just kinked all the strings. I'd have no idea without actually inspecting the guitar. I would think a Nash would have a perfectly cut nut before leaving the shop.

 

[gkoelling]

I'd reseat the neck before messing with the nut.

Also, after taking a hard spill it might need a truss rod adjustment.

Either way, take it to a tech.

EDIT: The only way I can see the nut needing replacement is if it chipped, or cracked, in the fall.

 

[tomkatzz]

Another vote here to take it to a luthier and have him check it out. IMO it's worth a few coins to have it set up right. Especially for a good instrument.

 

[dazco]

The only way I can see the nut needing replacement is if it chipped, or cracked, in the fall.

Unless it wasn't fully seated and dropped in the slot in the fall. Or if curved base and the curve didn't match perfectly, etc. there ARE ways it could be the nut. But i still say 1)-the 1st fret coming up slightly is the more likey problem, and 2)-there is no way for the open strings to buzz and not fretted stings due to a neck that needs adjustment or re-seating. Any of those types of things will all cause more than just the open stings to buzz. I've been refretting guitars and making nuts since the 70's. This stuff isn't rocket science.

 

[Dana Olsen]

Unless it wasn't fully seated and dropped in the slot in the fall. Or if curved base and the curve didn't match perfectly, etc. there ARE ways it could be the nut. But i still say 1)-the 1st fret coming up slightly is the more likey problem, and 2)-there is no way for the open strings to buzz and not fretted stings due to a neck that needs adjustment or re-seating. Any of those types of things will all cause more than just the open stings to buzz. I've been refretting guitars and making nuts since the 70's. This stuff isn't rocket science.

It's not rocket science, but experience plays a large role. I don't think it's reasonable to expect a somewhat inexperienced player/ self-taught tech seeking advise on TGP to be able to correctly evaluate all the factors that might apply here.

I too think the OP needs a tech. I also think it's more likely that the neck slipped in the pocket than the nut somehow lowered itself as a result of the fall.

In any case, I respectfully submit to the OP and others on this thread: If you look the guitar over and can't see immediately what's causing the buzzing since the fall, then you need a more experienced eye to do the looking.

Greg's right - take it to a tech; it's what they DO (GRIN). That's going to give way better results than us here speculating about what could have happened in a fall, especially in the absence of pics. Sincerely, if you know how to work on your own guitars, you'll be able to see what's up with what's likely a simple problem here. If you DON'T see the cause right away, take it to someone who's more experienced. Have them look it over, evaluate and explain the problem(s), get the probs fixed and get a set-up.

I love the way my guitars feel after a set-up, even when I do 'em myself (GRIN). It'll make you feel great about your guitar, probably for around fifty bucks, unless there's damage we don't know about.

My three or four cents, Dana O.