I was handed a 1998/99 Classic Player 50's Stratocaster to clean up.....do what you can for it.

The guitar is in great shape under the layer of crud and cigarette smoke residue on it. The screws and bridge saddles were quite rusty.

The only real problem that I can identify is that the nut was cut horribly wrong. The E and A string are closer together than they should be, and closer than any of the other strings are to each other. It quite noticable. When you play it its hard to keep you finger off the E string when you go to fret the A. Someone at the factory goofed.

I need to find a new pre-cut nut for this guitar if I can.

Anyone have a lead on that. Thanks in advance.

OL

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I remember when we were free!

I've never used a pre-cut, only ever cut my own. Here though is a link to some
http://www.allparts.com/SearchResults.asp?searching=Y&sort=7&search=nut&show=20&page=2

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Now on Facebook Too

give this a try..

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Nuts,_saddl ... _Nuts.html

Gotta hate it once you get in your 50s and start having problems below the waist.

Hi Oneal: in addition to the good suggestions above, I've often found that GraphTech TUSQ nuts work very nicely and sometimes drop in and set up well without any adjustment whatsoever. That depends on the individual guitar, of course, but at any rate this product is well made and easy to use:

http://www.wdmusic.com/tusq_strat_slotted_nut.html

Cheers - C

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Ceri thanks,

Always hope to hear from you on these occasions.

I am adding pictures of this sweet baby.









The guitar has an interesting history. It's a 1998/99 MIM (MN 81....) Classic "something" Classic or "classic player 50's 60's" I am now unsure. It does however have the old style truss rod system. The body is two piece and has the traditional SSS route with no fat strat route under the hood. The pickups are non-ceramic. The tuners are classic style Fender. the neck I think is the 7.25 radius which takes getting used to, for me, I have only the 9 radius in my stable.

The owner of this guitar was involved in a auto accident and the guitar was left in the vehicle and never claimed. I am told it sat at the auto garage for some years and was finally given to a musician in the area. It has sat around for several more years gathering dust and layers of tar and nicotine. Un-played and un-loved. This is the person that approached me with the instrument for a clean up/tune up etc.

I cleaned it up and polished it. I checked under the hood and cleaned there too. I resisted my initial inpulse to replace the rusty hardware and left it with its hard earned rusty hardware classic look. I merely lightly oiled the hardware. The pickup polls needed cleaning and a little light coat of oil, very light! It now smells like a good fine old shotgun.

Then I re-strung it and immediately noticed the ill-spaced nut.

My question now is: the slot under the current nut, is it straight or curved. Do I look for a flat bottom nut or a curved one. This instrument has a 7 radius neck. Will just any Strat nut fit radius. I love the current American standard spacing. Will a mail order pre cut nut come with new standard or old standard spacing. I guess I am looking for something compatable.

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I remember when we were free!

Base of the nut should be curved like the radius.

I have a classic player 50's from 99 and its a maple fretboard I believe the pics of the guitar you posted are a classic 60's. As far as getting a pre-cut nut it shouldn't be that hard most music stores carry them and seeing how the width on strats was pretty much standard for many years I'm sure you wouldn't have much trouble finding one. If you can't I know I have a few lying around in my parts box and would be glad to send you one.

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Common sense and a sense of humor are the same thing, moving at different speeds. A sense of humor is just common sense, dancin'

If you want to look for the correct nut for your guitar, look for the specs for the Classic Series 60s Strat. The Classic Player series had a 2 point tremolo and the Classic Series 50s Strat would have a walnut plug on the headstock.

It has the 6 point system and there is no plug in the headstock

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I remember when we were free!

Hi again Oneal: one of the reasons I suggested the Graphtech TUSQ nut in my previous post is that with that one it doesn't matter which type of slot you have. Here's a pic:



You will notice that on the bottom edge in the middle it has a little tab protruding. If your slot is curved you just snip that tab off and the nut will fit the radius of the slot. If the slot is flat you leave the tab in place and it fits staight off.

From memory I believe the Graphtech nuts come in a choice of fingerboard radiuses, but whether or no a little bit of adjustment to the string slots is all it takes to change a nut from 7.25 to 9.5, or vice versa. And, as I say, I've more than once had a TUSQ nut drop in without need for any adjustments whatsoever - which is always nice.

Nice looking Strat, by the way. And it's always great to hear about a neglected instrument being brought back to life, so kudos to you!

Cheers - C

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Thanks Ceri, I have one on order. Will update when I get it worked out.

By chance I had a spare Brass GFS trem block that I never thought I would find a use for. I bought it for my American Standard project but the GFS unit has the classic spacing.

It fit perfectly in this classic guitar. Exit the zinc alloy trem block. Twas ment to be!

P.S. I think the owner is going to give me this guitar. He has no interest in it and it came to him free. "He told me do what you want with it."

I am not sure if that means "take it its yours" or fix it up how ever you desire. I am going to seek clarification.

I have fallen in love with it, but have to admit its harder to play than my American Standard current production necks.

OL

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I remember when we were free!

well here's praying for you that he doesn't want it back because she is a beauty...good luck

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Common sense and a sense of humor are the same thing, moving at different speeds. A sense of humor is just common sense, dancin'

OK,

Its time to remove the old nut and it seems to be in tight. Does or did Fender use glue on the nuts. How do I get it out without damaging the neck.


OL

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I remember when we were free!

Well I removed the nut, but not without difficulty.

It came out in sections as it was brittle. However, unknown to me, whoever installed it aparently used some superglue on the very center section.

When I applied pressure to remove it the center nut piece (between the g and d string), it came out, but took along with it a nice chunk of wood ahead of the nut slot.

A little white glue, and I put the wood piece back where it belonged. It scared me to death and hurt me also. I love this guitar and to deface it in any way is a travesty.

My graphtech nut is in the mail and hopefully this episode will soon be just a bad memory.

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I remember when we were free!