ON THE BENCH #9: Cutting the Perfect Gibson Les Paul Nut AND MORE

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On this week's On The Bench episode, we'll go over some nut-cutting techniques to help you get the most stable tuning possible from a Les Paul or any other 3+3 headstock.

Пікірлер: 90

  • @rootsradical
    @rootsradical3 жыл бұрын

    *runs in out of breath* THIS IS NOT AN OFFSET YOU'VE CHANGED MAN.

  • @Puisheen

    @Puisheen

    3 жыл бұрын

    I don’t know who I am anymore!!!!

  • @brianmckenzie1318
    @brianmckenzie1318 Жыл бұрын

    Finally, someone who explains and shows the fix!!!! Kudos and THANK YOU!!!

  • @ryanfulldark2775
    @ryanfulldark27752 жыл бұрын

    I have a 73 SG Standard and this made me take a look at the nut. It stays in tune amazingly well, and sure enough, angled nut slots. This was definitely helpful. 👍

  • @musicmann1967
    @musicmann19673 жыл бұрын

    I'm with you on the 70's Gibsons! I know they are looked down upon, but I dig 'em! I had a late 70's Les Paul Custom many moons ago and always loved it.

  • @jralanmorgan
    @jralanmorgan3 жыл бұрын

    I hope the move is going well! Thanks for all of your hard earned techniques and information.

  • @telecasterbear
    @telecasterbear3 жыл бұрын

    Maple neck! Yeah! Safe travels, Oso Rojo.

  • @SIXX2772
    @SIXX27723 жыл бұрын

    Showing the pearly whites after the dentist lol.....you never fail to crack me up man lol

  • @jfdavenport
    @jfdavenport3 жыл бұрын

    At 19 I still attended a dental practice that specialized in young children. The dentist and my mum eventually persuaded me that I should really start attending an adult practice. I do still mis looking up at the cute mobile and getting a sticker at the end. I was the by far oldest kid in the waiting room. It was the mid 80’s and I went through a lot of phases - goth, hippy goth, hair metal - so I must have scared the wee ones and perhaps the dentist!

  • @mattdoliver1984
    @mattdoliver19842 жыл бұрын

    Your Cockney accent is one of best I’ve heard from an American mate lol That’s a top tip for the nut may try that myself so thanks for that, that LP is killer

  • @Puisheen

    @Puisheen

    2 жыл бұрын

    Lol thank you Matt

  • @mattdoliver1984

    @mattdoliver1984

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thank you Mike, your channel is awesome 👌🏼🎸

  • @maxpeck4154
    @maxpeck41543 жыл бұрын

    Great video! Your channel is my new favorite being new to Jazzmasters but my #1 is an SG, even though I'm not a big humbucker guy. Thanks!

  • @MenagerieMusic
    @MenagerieMusic3 жыл бұрын

    Yay new video!! I’ve been writing your tips down btw thankssss

  • @ArbiterBrick
    @ArbiterBrick3 жыл бұрын

    “Where is The Marshall Super Lead, is she safe, is she alright?” “It seems in your move, you killed her.”

  • @joelmiddaugh8229
    @joelmiddaugh82293 жыл бұрын

    Funny how I never hear people complaining about explorers not staying in tune. There is a generous angle on most of the strings and the angle on the high e is unbelievably drastic.

  • @Puisheen

    @Puisheen

    3 жыл бұрын

    Yeah you’re not kidding! I always wonder about that

  • @flapjack413
    @flapjack4133 жыл бұрын

    I had literally this conversation with a guy at work yesterday, about how Gibsons tuning issues are always because of the cut of the nut, and how important the nut is to the playability of a guitar. There is however a design flaw with the Les Paul headstock. It's not the nut, and it's not the angle alone. It's a combination of the huge cutout for truss rod access, with the 17 degree headstock, leaving very little continuous grain through the headstock, and why they're so prone to breaking. The truss rod access cut on a flatter headstock, or the 17 degrees with a small truss rod slot would be fine, but that combo just dooms them. I love Les Pauls, don't get me wrong, but that headstock design IS a major flaw in my book.

  • @isud2000
    @isud20003 жыл бұрын

    I angled the nut on my Epiphone Casino like you said and boy it made a HUGE difference. Never would've thought of that!

  • @Puisheen

    @Puisheen

    3 жыл бұрын

    So glad it worked out!

  • @TomsGreenMind
    @TomsGreenMind Жыл бұрын

    Once again Mikey, you've saved the day 🫡

  • @EricMerrow
    @EricMerrow3 жыл бұрын

    Great video, Mike! I just got myself a 73 SG which at some point in the near future will need a nut change so this video is very welcomed!

  • @Puisheen

    @Puisheen

    3 жыл бұрын

    Eric how are ya! Thanks for watching!

  • @EricMerrow

    @EricMerrow

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@Puisheen Absolutely, brother! I'm good - just trying to stay cool. I hope you are doing the same up north!

  • @alexcorona
    @alexcorona2 ай бұрын

    Surprisingly I’ve never had tuning issues with my Les Paul and I’ve had it for 18 years now. Still has the stock nylon nut, I use 11s on it. I have A bone nut and a sting tree I’ve been meaning to put on, but I’m scared I’ll ruin its tuning stability. If it’s good, I tend to not want to mess with it….

  • @unclefungus7395
    @unclefungus7395 Жыл бұрын

    the best les paul i’ve ever picked up was a 70’s deluxe goldtop, the feel and the tone was just incredible.

  • @Daveymallon
    @Daveymallon7 ай бұрын

    I bought two Les Pauls in 2020 having always wanted them. A goldtop w P90’s and a tobacco with HB’s. The experience of joy soon turned very sour as i couldn’t get either to stay in tune. Took it to a renowned tech around my area and got both nuts replaced with bone(came with tusk although advertised with bone) and was so excited for the problem to be solved and my Les Paul journey to officially start only for them to continue to be very moody tuning wise, so moody that you couldn’t rely on either to gig with. Tech just told me, he couldn’t do it any better than what he did it, he’s a good guy. Anyways after 3 years of having 9k AUD sitting on a guitar rack not being used, Ive decided to have a go at it myself. Im going to do my research on cutting LP nuts extensively and see what everyone says because although this guy has nailed that les paul, he’s done nothing visually or principally different to what my guy did. Cut it on route to tuners and on D and G even did a little blow out trick at the back corner of the slot that I’ve heard many people talk about. I bought 4 slot started LP nuts from my new tech yesterday and they are straight. I relayed all of what I’ve just said to him. “Shouldn’t i be heading out towards the tuners”, his answer was a resounding no to which i have no basis not to trust him, he is a very big swinging dick in this world in both LA and Sydney mainly and for 40 years has done all the touring stuff when it lands in both LA and Sydney. He owns a PLEK and the 7 guitars i put in with him to go on the Plek, all came back stunning playing guitars, none of them went in stunning and that includes a 99 CS 59 reissue 335. That guitar now is the pride of the fleet, its better behaved than both my Les Pauls but still not perfect as in tuning. After a few minutes of playing, it settles down but it is an incredible guitar. So do i slant do i straight? Buddo here says slant, buddo here closer to me says straight. Im none the wiser.😂

  • @brooksphillips2234

    @brooksphillips2234

    2 ай бұрын

    Have you ever heard of the string butler? It's not the best looking thing but it works!

  • @Daveymallon

    @Daveymallon

    2 ай бұрын

    @@brooksphillips2234 my pride wont let me. I have heard of it but I’m not keen. Im going to build two les Paul’s and modify the issue out of them. I’ll keep the 2 standards for the studio but ill never gig with em.

  • @tidepoolbay
    @tidepoolbay3 жыл бұрын

    Nice Work!

  • @angelojimenez9081
    @angelojimenez90813 жыл бұрын

    love love love your content. you actually inspired me to try a jazzmaster for the first time and I can't put it down! do you have any video plans for mustangs? picked one of those up recently too and it might be my favorite guitar ever

  • @Puisheen

    @Puisheen

    3 жыл бұрын

    I do! Just depends on what I’m after

  • @devilsdoorbell
    @devilsdoorbell3 жыл бұрын

    I love a cherry sunburst (I blame Ace Frehley, circa '76 for my immediate love of the guitar and finish) but I think they're hit and miss over the decades. Some are "nope!" and this one is YES!

  • @matthewf1979
    @matthewf19792 жыл бұрын

    I love my Gibson guitars. I have been doing the angled slot setup for years now and I have *ZERO* tuning stability issues.

  • @lifelongfan07
    @lifelongfan074 ай бұрын

    I have an 86 LP Standard. It never went out of tune until the nut was replaced. I play 9’s.

  • @brooksphillips2234

    @brooksphillips2234

    2 ай бұрын

    Always save your old nut. You can always put it back on.

  • @BeesWaxMinder
    @BeesWaxMinder Жыл бұрын

    G R E A T 👍

  • @glennmattison3180
    @glennmattison31802 жыл бұрын

    Am I hearing Honeysuckle Blue by Drivin N Cryin? Nice!

  • @pedroo255
    @pedroo2553 жыл бұрын

    very pedagogical as always

  • @sonix180d9
    @sonix180d92 ай бұрын

    I just had this video recommended to me on 5/18/24 and wish I had come across it when it was first posted. What would you recommend you're as a alternative to nut files?

  • @ADHuss1
    @ADHuss12 жыл бұрын

    One of the most Tech Savey musicians on the planet and a Les Paul player is Tom Scholz. Tom uses a device on his guitar that makes the nut on his '68 reissue LP a straight through nut then the string bends at the device. Tom's device is similar to the String Butlar V3 or the Fender LSR Roller nut. What can you tell us about Tom's device?

  • @Puisheen

    @Puisheen

    2 жыл бұрын

    It's totally unnecessary, but fine to use. Just cut the nut correctly!

  • @brooksphillips2234

    @brooksphillips2234

    2 ай бұрын

    ​@Puisheen the problem for lots of ppl is they don't have anyone near them that can do that. I took my Goldtop to a few different luthiers and I wasn't satisfied at all. Eventually I started to teach myself how to cut a nut. I started with pre cut nuts and now I get blanks and cut my own. It's still not quite there but it's getting there. I am using my string butler for now until I can get another nut. I would prefer not to use it but so far it has played best with it on.

  • @padernia4477
    @padernia44773 жыл бұрын

    Great video! Your expertise is appreciated. Im curious, do you wind your strings in the normal way (both sides wound downwards) on a Gibson or do you think there is anything to this idea of winding the high strings upwards? Ive never tried this myself but have heard people talk about it as if it makes a big difference.

  • @Puisheen

    @Puisheen

    3 жыл бұрын

    Always go down the tuner shaft says me

  • @musicmann1967
    @musicmann19673 жыл бұрын

    Great idea! Do you just use various gauges of Mitchell's abrasive cord for the nut slots, or mostly one gauge? If so, which one/s? Thanks!

  • @Puisheen

    @Puisheen

    3 жыл бұрын

    I have the whole set! Use the ones closest to your string gauges and you’ll be set

  • @musicmann1967

    @musicmann1967

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@Puisheen Thanks! It's a revelation to me! I didn't know about this stuff till I just saw you mention it. I immediately went to the Stew Mac site and there it was. Thanks a lot!

  • @brooksphillips2234

    @brooksphillips2234

    2 ай бұрын

    ​@Puisheen that's good stuff but I wish I could find it small enough for the high e on a set of 9's!

  • @BasBach
    @BasBach3 жыл бұрын

    Hey dude quick question my Squier jazzmaster had a ground problem cause I replaced the saddles a long time ago with graphtech ones. I took out the ground from the bridge thimble thingy and put straight to a screw on the tail piece thingy not super great job but it now works better. Is this something you've seen or worked on before??

  • @Puisheen

    @Puisheen

    3 жыл бұрын

    Oh you have to order the conductive saddles if you’re using Graphtech. Otherwise, this happens

  • @TheJhkjhkjh
    @TheJhkjhkjh3 жыл бұрын

    @puisheen do you recommend the use of glue to install a nut on Gibson style guitars?

  • @Puisheen

    @Puisheen

    3 жыл бұрын

    A little dab of Titebond is usually all it takes. I do not recommend CA glue for nuts!

  • @pappy017
    @pappy0173 жыл бұрын

    stock keys? Same on my '77 Deluxe:)

  • @danpeabody5687
    @danpeabody5687 Жыл бұрын

    Enjoyed your video! I have a possibility related question. How HIGH should the the nut be? Meaning how high should the strings be off the first frett? I have a R9 I believe gibson is cutting the nut higher than it should be to accommodate sloppy neck work. By that I mean it seems that the distance from the first fret the top of the first fret to the bottom of the string is pretty damn high I play 11 through 52s and I do not like any fret buzz whatsoever. I am not a kid I am not playing metal(very much) I’m 61 I play jazz, and blues. Zeppelin an Peter Green. How high should the strings be at the first fret? Seems very important not just for the instrument to produce the correct note or pitch when fretted but also because the height of the string at the nut will dictate how low the guitars action can be all the way up the neck. Thank for your help. By the way I got my first Gibson les Paul standard in 1976 in Seattle

  • @Puisheen

    @Puisheen

    Жыл бұрын

    I think everyone has a slightly different answer for this. Me, I like my slots cut fairly close to the first fret. When I last measured some of my guitars most were somewhere between .012"-.015" between the top of the first fret and the bottom of the wound strings. What Gibson does these days may not really have anything to do with fretwork -- it's very common for a factory-fresh guitar to have more clearance than necessary because the expectation is always that the guitar will be set up for the player who owns it. As such, you can always remove material on the nut, but your can't put it back so easily. Your '76 Les Paul sounds cool!

  • @thecaveofthedead
    @thecaveofthedead3 жыл бұрын

    I have two Gibsons. One has a Maestro. One has a Bigsby. According to 'boomer wisdom they 'can't stay in tune.' My suspicion is that a lot of people played Gibsons in the '60s and '70s when people didn't really understand this effect of the nut. And guitar repair on these American steel string designs was a little new without a lot of info being shared. So people yanked maestros off SGs and removed Bigsbys from Les Pauls. They also tell you you _need_ a roller bridge (when Bigsby's own bridge design doesn't roll). Of course it's almost all in the nut. A well cut nut, and your Bigsby and Maestro stay in tune as well as the average Strat. And this video shows another way (new to me) that you can get the nut cut to further improve that stability.

  • @Puisheen

    @Puisheen

    3 жыл бұрын

    The Lyre Vibrola is my second favorite ever made. My ‘77 355 would NOT go out of tune even when I lifted the guitar by the arm!

  • @colmkelly5524

    @colmkelly5524

    3 жыл бұрын

    Paul Bigsby designed his vibrato unit to work with a rocking bridge. The issue with Bigsbys and Tuneomatics and the idea that that the roller bridge is needed stems from the fact that at some stage Gibson stopped using domed thumbwheels with their Tuneomatics which allowed the rocking motion (like on an offset bridge).

  • @thecaveofthedead

    @thecaveofthedead

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@colmkelly5524 Odd that Bigsby's own bridges don't rock, no?

  • @colmkelly5524

    @colmkelly5524

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@thecaveofthedead gretschpages.com/forum/general-tech-questions/bigsby-bridge-question/62899/page1/ Good discussion of the original Bigsby bridge here

  • @Puisheen

    @Puisheen

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@colmkelly5524 Sure, but it's also true that Bigsbys and TOM bridges can work flawlessly with the usual maintenance applied. A rocking bridge isn't necessary at all for everything to come back into tune even with vigorous application of the vibrato. Roller bridges aren't necessary for this

  • @nicolassanchez3099
    @nicolassanchez30993 жыл бұрын

    No offset, but good vid and nice tips Letsgo

  • @AvaToccoRodriguez
    @AvaToccoRodriguez3 жыл бұрын

    Hey Mike, I got a question, I wanna buy a Fender Classic Vibe Bass VI, but I've heard the intonation is downright horrible with the stock bridge. Should I replace them, and if so, what bridge? I love Bass VI's and offset guitars, but I also want a guitar that stays in tune. What do you think I should do?

  • @Puisheen

    @Puisheen

    3 жыл бұрын

    Rose! I've worked on a bunch of them and the bridge is limited, but not a problem for intonation. The stock bridge is great, the stock strings could use a thicker low E for sure. Just make sure you set it up like any other offset guitar (shimmed neck, raised bridge) and you'll be okay!

  • @AvaToccoRodriguez

    @AvaToccoRodriguez

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thanks mike! What degree shim do you recommend for the Bass VI? Also keep in mind, I generally like my guitars to have high action, but as you mentioned in your shimming video, some shims can be too large and the bridge won’t be able to keep up. In this case, for a player like myself, I’d like to know your recommendation. Thanks! Btw, I really enjoy your channel, and I always enjoy watching your videos!

  • @Puisheen

    @Puisheen

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@AvaToccoRodriguez Rose, I'd start with the .5. It really helps to get those strings off the body even if you love high action. And thank you!

  • @AvaToccoRodriguez

    @AvaToccoRodriguez

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for the help, I really appreciate it! I will get up weird behind the bridge stuff and write some cool Midwest emo stuff with you in mind!

  • @PerpetuallyTiredMusician
    @PerpetuallyTiredMusician3 жыл бұрын

    Ah yes, the design flaw built into guitars since the beginning of guitar time. You tell em Mike Hope the move went well. Peace

  • @Puisheen

    @Puisheen

    3 жыл бұрын

    The move was... a lot. Lol

  • @doctorbarber1
    @doctorbarber1 Жыл бұрын

    But if Gibson slotted the nuts properly at the factory they might fart out a couple dozen fewer guitars a day 😱😱

  • @joelmiddaugh8229
    @joelmiddaugh82293 жыл бұрын

    On any guitar that wont stay in tune 90% of the time it's the nut.

  • @Brannington
    @Brannington3 жыл бұрын

    Instructions unclear: got into a horrific boating accident while setting up my Hagstrom swede

  • @BaBaBaBenny
    @BaBaBaBenny3 жыл бұрын

    The guys who made those ugly-ass string butlers must be laughing all the way to the bank.

  • @TomsGreenMind
    @TomsGreenMind Жыл бұрын

    Curvy nuts? 😂

  • @dalenixon1947
    @dalenixon19473 жыл бұрын

    It's not a design flaw that breaks headstocks, it's neglect. Just look after your guitars, you paid good money for them.

  • @emzee1148

    @emzee1148

    3 жыл бұрын

    Except it IS a design flaw and they should just put a volute on neck. The Gibson neck also effects tuning stability.

  • @eata55

    @eata55

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@emzee1148 as he said within the first 2:37 seconds in the video. It comes from the setup, in this case he mentioned the nut being improperly cut. They had values on them standard in the 70s but people didn't like them, so you only see them on some models

  • @devilsguitaristmusic

    @devilsguitaristmusic

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@emzee1148 They did put a volute on their guitars for awhile and everyone hated it. It's not a design flaw if the guitar breaks from being knocked over or falling off something. A design flaw would be if it just broke from normal playing.

  • @jralanmorgan
    @jralanmorgan3 жыл бұрын

    Anybody ever had the string tree screw snap off? I don't know how to get it out safely.

  • @MrCurtyWurty

    @MrCurtyWurty

    3 жыл бұрын

    Hi mate. Is any of the screw sticking out still? If so, I'd probably use a pair of pliers to grip it and twist it out. If not, would probably have to drill it out and, potentially, plug the hole and re-drill for the new screw.

  • @jralanmorgan

    @jralanmorgan

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@MrCurtyWurty The head snapped off of it and the screw is under the surface of the wood. I'm not sure if they make extractor bits that small...I may have to just re-drill it.

  • @AndyChicas

    @AndyChicas

    3 жыл бұрын

    I've had luck scraping a groove in a broken screw so I can use a flat head to remove it. BUT. That was on a much larger screw...

  • @jralanmorgan

    @jralanmorgan

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@AndyChicas hmmm....maybe if I can find a small/hard enough to create a groove for a flathead.

  • @gretchman
    @gretchman3 жыл бұрын

    POORLY CUT NUT GANG SOUND OFF!!

  • @shovington67
    @shovington672 жыл бұрын

    Besides, 6 machine heads on one side of a Les Paul would look dumb, so there's that...

  • @Puisheen

    @Puisheen

    2 жыл бұрын

    I dig the ones with the Explorer headstock, and that one JB Firebird/LP mashup too

  • @shovington67

    @shovington67

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@Puisheen , oh, you mean the Aldo Nova Les Paul from the early 80's. Their not terrible by any means. I bought a 2018 Les Paul Tribute in 2019 , new from a local music store for a smokin' deal. It has a mahogany neck instead of a maple, but no binding. I just wanted the tone wood and the basic made in USA starting point. Your video is going to really help me negate some of the inherent problems with the guitar. Thank you so much in advance !

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