Good stuff, thanks

Bought these to make a new nut for my Eastman mandolin. It came with the typical plastic nut, and I’m working on enhancing the sound by replacing the nut with a mother of pearl one. Being a really hard material, I wasn’t sure how the files would work, but they had no problems cutting the string slots! Highly recommend them!

So perfectly, in fact, I broke strings the first time I tuned up. the slots were exactly the same width as the strings, and in the natural bone, they bound on the string and overtightened between the peg and the nut - lesson learned. A testament to the precision of the tool, however. i have now adjusted my technique and don't know what I did before I had these precision instruments. Exactly the right thing for the job. I lay a credit card on the frets, and file down to it. Rough shape in seconds.

Not a big fan after trying this file. It is so thin as to be flimsy. Likewise the number of teeth or grit is low as a result. Even the next bigger file offered at .013 is more robust.I wanted to file a slot for a small .007 string and thought that this would be the answer.maybe it is me and my overall lack of practical application of making guitar nuts, but this file was not efficient at removing material. I could measure after so many passes on a TUSQ nut how much material was being removed with the .013 file. The .010 file was hard to estimate material removal for a given number of passes across the slot. Ended up using the .013 (guess if I am going up to a standard .009 string that will be better anyway).

Have a brass nut on the bench for another guitar, will try it again as the customer wants a .007 string on the high e, on this guitar as well.

My experience is that you need a tool that is stiff in the axis of application like these. Serrated wire-like files are too hard to control and they make the job harder and more risky. These are worth the bucks.

I was missing this Gauge , just need one other size and will have all nut slotting file sizes .

I purchased a couple of the smaller files for cutting some plain string slots. They work great and cut quick.

thumbs up

This file is very useful to work with the first pair of the metal strings of the Puertorrican Cuatro. This pair of strings are .011, but this is the file that can make the slot more close to correct point. But I sugest to S.M. to improve the metalic properties of the file.

After restringing, trust rod adjustment, and bridge height adjustment the next thing is the nut slot adjustments. To do this right you need all the different widths for the string you are using. I have used the Gauged Nut Slotting Files on all my guitars. This is how I get the best action for me on everything I play. You must be careful to use the right width for each string and not to go too deep. The angle is important, to follow the line from the nut to the tuner post. Great tools, great buys.