LeftyBassist.com

I'm hoping that someone out here can answer this question. I need to replace the nut in my MIM J bass. I actually posted about this on December 9th that my Luthier could craft a replacement out of whatever material I want but it's a little costly. Anyway, I've been going back and forth on this and just want to get a stock nut.

My question is this: does anyone know if the nut on a Fender Jazz bass is universal? Meaning, there is no difference between a lefty and a righty version. Those pictures that I've seen make it look like the piece is symmetrical and there isnt a difference but before I go and buy one, I want to make sure it'll be ok.

Thanks in advance,

--bm

a properly cut nut is not symmetrical -

- the witness point in on the edge closest to the fretboard, and then it tapers down slightly inside of the nut. this keeps your string length terminating at the leading edge, and not somewhere inside the nut (which then has potential to cause an audible buzzing sound and issues with intonation)

- the string centerline spacing will be wider between the E/A strings than between the D/G strings (unless you utilize even center-to-center spacing which feels weird IMO)

- the top of the nut tapers down towards the headstock and not towards the fretboard


cutting a new nut from a blank is not a difficult endeavour for someone with a little experience and the right tools. finessing a nut to its optimum playing set-up is where the skill of a good tech is seen (or absent) ... you should also understand that a pre-slotted nut is not simply a drop-in replacement item - there's still a load of detail work to be done to that nut to make it 'playable'

if you're ordering a pre-slotted nut blank, it may or may not be usable as a lefty. a lot would depend on exactly how much shaping detail has been imparted to the blank ... and this would be impossible to know without actually having the specific nut in-hand

all the best,

R

Thank You! I've been trying to get the right answer for awhile and your technical details are very helpful. I think the main takeaway is that I shouldnt be cheap and let my Luthier do it right, using a blank instead of a pre-cut. I've got nothing to lose... at the very worst, I'll keep the old nut and have it reinstalled should the new one not work out.

thanks again,

--bm