Very thin under-nut shim material options

[s1m0n]

I recently had a chinese mandocaster in to a local luthier to have a new nut installed. The factory nut was awful and I wrecked it trying to do a self-slot adjustment. I got the new nut back today. The action is a LOT better, but there's a tiny buzz on an every string. It's very faint; just a faint 'electric' buzz. This luthier is the top option, locally.

The action is very creamy, even on at the first fret, so I don't want to change much, but I can't live with the buzz. Every string is equal, so I think that all I need to do is to come up with a very thin shim material for under the nut. What are some good options?

[Jeff Mando]

old credit card plastic works well for a shim. you might first try a capo on the first fret just to make sure it is the nut and not some other issue, like a bridge buzz.

[pops1]

A credit card would be way to thick for a shim. I like a plane shaving of a similar neck material. A little shim goes a long way unless you want to recut all the nut slots.

[Hendrik Ahrend]

The nut on my Gibson Distressed Master Model was originally shimmed with super glue, no kidding.

[Ivan Kelsall]

Take it back to the luthier who installed the new nut - he's done a poor job IMHO. It shouldn't buzz on every string. The luthier should have spotted that & put it right before he gave it back to you. What's the point in paying a luthier to do a job & then having to fix 'his' poor workmanship yourself = return it,
Ivan

[houseworker]

As Jeff Mando pointed out, there may be another cause. Lack of relief in the neck, or an issue at either the bridge or the tailpiece. If the buzz only occurs when you're plugged in, it's probably a grounding issue. If the slots in the nut have been cut too deep, you'll only get the buzz when the strings are open.

Paper's as good as anything if you want a shim material that's easy to work with. But I'd head back to the luthier.

[mandobassman]

Take it back to the luthier who installed the new nut - he's done a poor job IMHO. It shouldn't buzz on every string. The luthier should have spotted that & put it right before he gave it back to you. What's the point in paying a luthier to do a job & then having to fix 'his' poor workmanship yourself = return it,
Ivan

I completely agree. If I had that work done, paid for it, and it came back with a buzz, I'd be taking it back. A good luthier should make it right without question.

[Paul Busman]

I agree with taking it back to the luthier. Barring that you could try a paper shim and you could add extras until the problem was solved.

[EdHanrahan]

While the "back to luthier" idea is IMHO correct, don't forget that paper is simply re-constituted wood, possibly denser and certainly more consistent than an original piece of wood (or wood shaving) would be. At the extreme, one of the more respected luthier/posters here once described using stacked post-it notes to determine the needed thickness of a shim.

[sliebers]

I agree, it should not buzz if you paid a luthier to do the work. However, LMI sells bone shims that are made for shimming nuts. Super glue them on and sand them to the nut's profile. If you do a good glue job, the seam is almost invisible.

[tbrahan]

I can't remember which luthier's site it came from, but peel and stick address labels are really easy and effective. Put the nut bottom side down on the sticky side of the label, cut around the outline with a sharp exacto, and try it on the mando. Rinse and repeat until the buzz stops. It'll only take a coupe of layers, you won't hear any change in tone and its almost invisible.

[Mark Gunter]

I've done it often in so many years of guitar playing and making my own adjustments, and FWIW my go-to material is an ordinary playing card. Always worked a charm for me. So far, I haven't had to shim a mandolin nut, though I did cut the slots too deep on my third mandolin. I decided to replace with a new bone nut.

[Perry Babasin]

Vellum...

[rockies]

I agree with above, get the luthier to make it right. However if you do need to raise a nut a minimum amount I have used cello tape ( scotch tape). It is adhesive and stays in place while you replace the nut and is .003" to .004" thick when pressured down by the strings.
Dave

[geoffreymbrown]

There's always shim stock (brass, plastic, or steel) used in machine work. Pretty much any machine shop will have it many thicknesses and the thinner stuff cuts easily with scissors. Precise, stable, what more do you want. I have a 1960's jig borer which was shimmed at construction to 10ths (that's 0.0001) with shim stock.

[Ivan Kelsall]

'Packing' the nut up is a makeshift procedure IMO. The mandolin should be returned to have it looked at. If there's no issue with neck relief,then the nut should be replaced 'again'. The instrument should be 'right' without bits of packing on it - that's what you paid the luthier to do. BUT - is the buzz caused by the strings being too low,or,are the nut slots too wide ?. Is there a buzz when the strings are played 'open',or only when fretted ?. Have the bridge sections been lowered at all - assuming it's a ''caster'' style bridge/tailpiece ?,
Ivan

[houseworker]

If the cause of the buzzing is indeed nut slots cut too deep, of course the nut should be redone. But I doubt that's the problem, when it's "a faint 'electric' buzz" across all eight strings. Given that we're dealing with a solidbody, the first thing to rule out is a grounding issue.

Unfortunately the OP seems to have lost interest in this thread. Unless they give us more information, it's impossible to assist with a diagnosis, let alone suggest a solution.

[Ivan Kelsall]

I think the term ''electric buzz' was to simply describe the sound. But,i agree,we need more information,
Ivan

[Jim Garber]

My luthier uses a small piece from a string package for a superthin shim. I have also used iron-on hardwood veneer I have bought at Home depot to shim up a nonadjustable bridge. That could work too.

[s1m0n]

I think the term ''electric buzz' was to simply describe the sound. But,i agree,we need more information,
Ivan

Yes. To clarify, this is happening while unplugged. The sound has lost clarity and gained an unpleasing complexity. It's nothing I can ascribe to a particular string buzzing on a particular fret, but nothing other than the nut has been changed.

[pops1]

If only the nut has been changed, then most likely the nut is the problem. Slots too small, too deep or not out to the front of the nut. Take it back and ask that they look at it. Post some good close up's of the strings in the nut, but a hard diagnosis from a picture. If you post a pic, post the strings not in the nut too.

[s1m0n]

If only the nut has been changed, then most likely the nut is the problem. Slots too small, too deep or not out to the front of the nut. Take it back and ask that they look at it. Post some good close up's of the strings in the nut, but a hard diagnosis from a picture. If you post a pic, post the strings not in the nut too.

Thanks. I'm in the midst of moving house so it might be a few days, but not because I'm uninterested. The luthier's in the town I'm moving to, so when the dust clears I'll likely go see him again.

[houseworker]

It's nothing I can ascribe to a particular string buzzing on a particular fret, but nothing other than the nut has been changed.

If the nut is the cause of the problem, it'll only occur on open strings, not on fretted ones. Is that the case here?

[Ivan Kelsall]

If the nut has been replaced,that would require the strings to be removed & with so much metal work down at the other end - tailpiece/bridge combo.,is it possible that the 'buzz' originates from there ?. The description ''Electronic'' buzz seems to be of a metalic nature. I'd definitely check that end out as well,
Ivan
This is the Mandocaster belonging to a fellow Cafe member & friend of mine - 'mucho metallico' down at t'other end.

[Willie Poole]

If it was the nut it wouldn`t buzz on all frets assuming it has the proper neck relief, I would say that the OP needs to raise the bridge a tad....If it has an adjustable bridge...

Willie