Apparently fender cant cut a nut for $@!&. Now I have to drop another 75 bucks on a new bone nut for my strat. People $@!&* about gibson being much more expensive than fender. Well I guess its cuz they actually do the job right.

On a new guitar???? Their usualy cut too high not too low.
Not being funny i'd get a 2nd opinion and $75 is a high price too. I'd charge £5 and the price of the nut blank (around £6.50). That comes to around $15. I'd only charge £15 if i took an instant dislike to the person or something, its only 15-20 minutes work to fit a blank and slot it. Another 10 minutes to set the slot heights.

Why not make your own?

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No no and no

Well this guy is THE best in the area. Hes done this for 30 years. He recommends a bone nut. He said it would be 75. But he said, and he showed me the nut was drasticly undercut.

I've seen many a Gibson nut lacking too, believe me!

$75 is WAY too much, period.

If your guitar is relatively new, that could be a warranty issue. If not, shop around but you have to weigh competency as well as price.

I've been beating the drum here a long time about this: Just because a shop has a so called, "tech" and just because said shop might be an authorized Fender (or whomever) service facility, it does NOT automatically follow that said shop has any competent service personnel.

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You dig?

No man. This isnt a shop. This is a tech. He has been playing since he was 8. Working on them since he was 20. He has experience. I think 75 bucks in expensive also, but I know it will be done right. All the other shops screw up all the tech work I have them do.

How exactly did he show you? Did he not hint about shimming the underside of the nut to raise the slots?

Ps i dont carve a bad nut myself. Good enough to warrant ditching earvana compensated nuts, despite having a hangup about low fret intonation being as near as possible.
example
http://www.fender.com/community/forums/viewtopic.php?t=21957&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=45

That second nut took me three and a half hours to design and make. From measuring the offsets to retuning the guitar when it was complete. Thats nearer $75, not just slotting a blank and bung it in there.

BTW bone is not always the best material. There is argument for it being good if you play a lot of open chords. The benefit (if any) of a bone nut is lost as soon as you fret a note.

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No no and no

Based on your experiences and if you choose not to tackle the job yourself (which I personally don't recommend), $75 spent for the job and the peace of mind which would come with it, just may make it that much more equitable.

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You dig?

Man $75 is way too much for a nut job. I say there is nothing wrong with the nut that a recutting or refiling shouldn't fix. About a 10 minute job at the most. Now if the slots were too deep now that's another story but still not a major deal to change the nut.
Once again niki is right on this one.

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The time has gone, the song is over, thought I'd something more to say.

Either way still too much

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The time has gone, the song is over, thought I'd something more to say.

Yes. I would say so.

Hi callen3615: $75 certainly is a price for nut jobs - if you see what I mean.

You (and your tech) can buy a sized bone blank for $8.62:

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

The remainder is a very glamorous charge for putting six slots in it, no matter how skillfully.

On a side point, I'd agree with those saying the difference between bone and synthetic materials is small - though who knows, it may be a vital couple of percent to you.

If after all you ain't fixated on bone, I've often done well with TUSQ pre-slotted nuts, at $6.54. There's usually very little additional work once one of those is seated, and there was one time I could find no adjustments to make at all:

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

Just another option...

Cheers - C

EDIT: pounds to dollars...

The guy has to recover the cost of those fancy slot files!

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

If he's ever done a second nut job then he's got his money back already!

The dilemma is that we've heard here several times of "techs to the stars" charging outrageous prices (I'm recalling what Mr schmintan was quoted for a simple set up by The Edge's guy). On the other hand, we also hear about the awful work some street priced techs do.

How to find a good guy at the right price...?

Cheers - C

I guess you have to follow recommendations by people you trust who have used the guy. And perhaps those people will let you check out the guy's work. That's the best way. Otherwise, it's a gamble!

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.