Metropoulos Forum

How hard is it on the neck two swap back and forth between bodies if it's done carefully? I really like the feel of my neck, and want to try it on another body I've got laying around.

What is the cheapest, most garage-y way to cut my own brass nut at home? I've got some really good measurement tools for height and spacing since my grandfather was a machinist back in the 70's, but I need to know info on files. I read a post ages ago with some of this info and I can`t seem to find it again.

Thanks and cheers,

Travis

P.S. Sorry for being a sponge and not really contributing outside of asking questions.

For the neck, it is my experience that the impact is not much more than using a floyd rose to dive bomb all the time... The thing is to be carefull in not stripping the screws (use propser size bit and impecable shape) and not over tightening (be carefull with that screwdriver, Eugene...). Also, I find it a pain to reset a neck that needs shims if you have to redo them everytime, so do whatever it takes to re-use the shims if it is possible.

Brass is fairly soft for any regular file or metal saw. I used to adjust them height with sandpaper and a little patience! The strings can be installed on the guitar and their position can be gently marked with a small triangular file just to check the spacing. I little notch is all that is needed for a dry fit before you commit to the actual grove (by filling down the notch) or the overall string height (by sanding down the nut itself on sandpaper...).

Good luck!

I think to do a good job on the nut you need a set of nut files which means at least 6 sizes or a set. In any case Stew Mac carries a couple different sets. They also and I use a special scale that spaces the strings on the nut so that the space between the strings is the same rather than the distances center to center of the strings. While this might sound weird the special spacing actually is what you're used and looks perfectly normal while spacing C/C looks and feels wrong.

I would indeed be carefull with my screwdriver if performing a swap. I'm not sure that I'm going to do it yet, it depends on how my brass nutted "Crapcaster" Neck sounds on it's original body. A while back I purchased a very very cheap body and neck from my boss, it's the extreme definition of a factory second, which I made look even worse by attempting to use chemical stripper on the body, which didn't so much strip as mutilate. However, when you tap this asstacular 3 piece mystery wood body, it actually has a pleasant ring, very lively, and it has a nice weight to it.

As for the nut, I have a good relationship with a couple local techs, I could probably come in and cut my own nut with their tools on a day where their not using them. And yeah 908, a buddy of mine cut his own nut once using the center to center method and it was definately not the same as the special guide.

Basically I'm starting/joining a rock and garage band, and we're gonna probably be playing a lot of really shady bars. I want to take as little valuable gear with me as possible. AKA I don't want to take my nice 412, my Les Paul, or Strat with me.


Every time I go to finish this project, I run out of money. Hopefully this time it finally happens.