nuts..

[amptech]

Does anybody here know a good source for gibson bone bass nut blanks?

Most blanks i can find is no more than 6mm wide. I need 8mm for a ´67 eb0 project.
Apparently, those who part out basses now also takes the nut off.

It is only a matter of time before the dot inlays go too....

[Basvarken]

I usually go to the butcher and ask for a piece of bone.
Really, it isn't hard to cut/sand a topnut. (it does give kind of a foul smell when you sand it)

[amptech]

I usually go to the butcher and ask for a piece of bone.
Really, it isn't hard to cut/sand a topnut. (it does give kind of a foul smell when you sand it)

ReallY?? I always thought it had to be cut from horns. Is regular cow bone hard enough?
I do have a good butcher. I also usually cut from blanks, so I´ll manage. And it smells like burning your skin with a soldering iron and burning your hair at the same time....

How do you dry that ´fresh bone´, then?

[drbassman]

Stew Mac or Luthiers International don't have them?

[chromium]

I bought a small stock of blanks off Ebay years ago. Wasn't very expensive- around $10 or so.

I just use sandpaper taped to the bench for the bulk of the shaping, sometimes a dremel to help round the edges.

The blanks look like this:


Here's one that I made:

[amptech]

I do know how to make them, the problem (maybe I was not specific enough) is that the regular blank bone size
is to small for the ´wide´nut style of the skinny neck late 60´s gibson basses. A regular bass blank is up to 6mm wide,
while the gibson nut is 8mm.

I do use StuMac for nut blanks, but neither them (or China/ebay) have wider than 6mm.

[chromium]

I do know how to make them, the problem (maybe I was not specific enough) is that the regular blank bone size
is to small for the ´wide´nut style of the skinny neck late 60´s gibson basses. A regular bass blank is up to 6mm wide,
while the gibson nut is 8mm.

I do use StuMac for nut blanks, but neither them (or China/ebay) have wider than 6mm.

Got ya... Yeah the blank I posted there is also only 6mm thick.  I didn't even realize that some Gibbies had thicker ones, but just looked at my Triumph and sure enough!

Rob's suggestion is probably worth a go in that case.

[dadagoboi]

I do know how to make them, the problem (maybe I was not specific enough) is that the regular blank bone size
is to small for the ´wide´nut style of the skinny neck late 60´s gibson basses. A regular bass blank is up to 6mm wide,
while the gibson nut is 8mm.

Yep, that's how it is these days... superglue one up from 2-6mm pieces.  You won't notice the line after you shape it.

[drbassman]

Yep, that's how it is these days... superglue one up from 2-6mm pieces.  You won't notice the line after you shape it.

What a simple idea!

[Dave W]

Just wait until somebody claims the superglue affects the tone.

[Basvarken]

ReallY?? I always thought it had to be cut from horns. Is regular cow bone hard enough?
I do have a good butcher. I also usually cut from blanks, so I´ll manage. And it smells like burning your skin with a soldering iron and burning your hair at the same time....

How do you dry that ´fresh bone´, then?

Haha I don't know. Just used what I got.
It looked and felt dry. 

[chromium]

Some great builders have been known to glue their nuts together 

[Lightyear]

Some great builders have been known to glue their nuts together 

Sounds painful......  

Crawling back under my rock now 

[amptech]

There was no way for this thread to stay clean, was there....

[chromium]

I spied some bone blanks on Ebay that might help.  That width would work okay if yours has the skinnier neck...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Unslotted-bone-nut-ukulele-mandolin-40mm-8mm8mm-NUTC-/221324662938?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item3387fa589a

Also observed that the stock nuts on my '66 EB-2D and '68 EB-3 are both only 4-5mm thick, and looking back at pics my former '69 EB-0 the nut is much thicker - like that of the Triumph.  Never noticed that difference before!

Can't say I recall ever having this much dialog about nuts, actually.