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Posted by RobJ on 19-02-2006 18:16

I was changing the strings on my Eclipse Artist a few days ago and noticed the nut is loose. I did my best to line it back up as I completed the string change and now find there is significant fret buzz at the zero fret of the G string which wasn't apparent before. I can sort of move the nut around a little and get the buzz to lessen but not completely go away. I plan to take it in to the luthier's shop to have him correct the problem and do a thorough setup, but I'm curious to know a few things; The nut is brass and I was wondering what type of glue is used to secure it, I'm new to the brass kind and really have no idea. Has anyone else here experienced a problem like mine with a loose nut and fret buzz? If so, what was the required remedy? Best regards, Rob

Posted by Rob Green on 19-02-2006 22:13

Hi Rob, Sorry to hear about the problem. It sounds like the string guide / top-nut has just taken a knock dislodged. They were glued on with epoxy so you just need to clean up the surface of the brass and the end of the fingerboard before gluing it back on. I guess the extra string rattle is just because the top-nut is vibrating when you play as the zero fret would not have moved. I hope this helps. Regards, Rob Green.

Posted by RobJ on 20-02-2006 07:07

Hello Rob, Thanks for the information. While I don't plan on repairing this myself, I was wondering what type of epoxy you are refering to. Granted I'm not very knowledgeable about adhesives and such but I always thought epoxies where of a more or less permanent nature, that is you wouldn't want to use them on something you may want to take apart again, in this case a nut which you might want to replace at some point. On the other hand it could well be that the term epoxy means something else your side of the pond.

Or, which is more likely, I've a misunderstanding about what epoxies are.

Edited by RobJ on 20-02-2006 07:26

Posted by boris_spyder on 21-02-2006 01:41

I had the same problem on my buzzard 2. Bought it used...played it a few weeks & while I was practising it came loose. Took the strings off, cleaned out the slot gently with a piece of cloth & glued it back in with some clear household epoxy. It's been fine since (2 years).

Posted by Malc on 02-03-2006 00:17

When I got my Shark it was obvious the previous owner had reglued the nut at some point, and I've had to do it myself since. I think I used superglue, but it hasn't been a problem. In a way it's sort of reassuring to hear that mine isn't the only one.

Posted by RobJ on 02-03-2006 07:25

Thanks for the input guys. My bass is headed into the luthier's shop next week for a good going over and repair of the loose nut. I don't trust myself to do much more than basic setup work on my basses let alone get near one of them with glue in hand.

Rob