hello,this is not actually a strat question,but i know were to get my advice.i have a 1986 (MIJ) jerry donahue tele,the nut is way loose when you bend a string it pops right out.can i glue this back in?if so what do i use?or should i replace it?would rather not replace it.the guitar is all original. thanks guys.

I'm with Nevin, although if you are getting movement from string bending the nut must be really quite loose in the gap.

If there is a big enough gap for that kind of movement make sure you glue it straight.

And remember to gently remove any residue from the factory glue.

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speak slowly I'm a drummer too!!

And I proudly lack a stick or a kazoo up my arse...........

In a nut's slot, do NOT use wood glue, crazy glue or anything else that is difficult to remove as you'd be playing a mean trick on the next person who has to clean out that nut slot when and if the nut has to be serviced again. Who knows? It could be YOU!

Remove any crud in the nut slot and on the nut prior to doing anything.

Using your existing nut, place a couple of dots of white glue in one side of the nut's slot. Place the beginning of the nut onto the glue and then gently slide the nut through the slot into it's proper place; this will distribute the glue. Once in place, using your thumb and first finger, true up the nut evenly with the edges of the neck. Next, press the nut down firmly and evenly, distributing pressure across the nut from the center, out (I use my thumbs). Wipe off the excess glue that squeezed out with a damp paper towel and then dry that area with a dry paper towel. Finally, wrap rubber bands around the neck and nut in order to tightly hold the nut precisely in place while it is drying. Leave it dry say, overnight. Once dried, remove the rubber bands; string, tune and enjoy as usual.

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You dig?

hey thanks for the advice.what do you mean by white glue?like elmers or carpenter's wood glue?

Like Elmer's white, repeat white glue...........

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The blues ain't nothin but a good man feelin bad.

I agree, use the white glue! And do not use a lot.

If my nut was falling off, I would call a doctor right away!
Good luck with your nut job mate!

You're quite welcome.

Elmer's WHITE glue; NO carpenters wood glue.

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You dig?

Some would call me a loose nut...

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It wasn't Willy-Nilly, it was at crows.

No argument!

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You dig?

elmers white glue like the school kids use. it doent take a lot of strength to hold this thing down and in place. martian suggested rubber bands, but i would think the string tention would be enough to hold it in place. just my opinion, doesnt mean im right.

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63supro
"The good thing is in a club situation, most of the patrons are trashed and really can't tell the difference."

waycool...you know what happens when you put new strings on a guitar....or even try to retune old ones.....lots of movement on there right?...Martian's rubber bands are to hold it in place until the glue dries.

I've suggested the rubber band method because otherwise, each string's tension would have to be perfectly even AND downward bearing for the nut not to shift and to where the glue would dry without air gaps. Lastly, with the modified strings' tension, the neck would probably not be straight thereby causing the nut to dry at an ever so slightly yet improper angle in the slot. As you can now see, the rubber band method is the safest, most stable and most efficient.

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You dig?

with the nut channel cleaned out and the nut clean, its not gonna take a whole lot to hold that nut in. you dont have to tune to pitch here with this. every time ive ever had a nut pop this is how ive done it. never the first issue.
but hey if the rubberband works do it. im just saying what works for me.

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63supro
"The good thing is in a club situation, most of the patrons are trashed and really can't tell the difference."