Hank Williams is the father of contemporary country music. Williams was a superstar by the age of 25; he was dead at the age of 29. In those four short years, he established the rules for all the country performers that followed him and, in the process, much of popular music. Williams wrote a body of songs that became popular classics, and his direct, emotional lyrics and vocals became the standard for most popular performers. Hank lived a life as troubled and reckless as that depicted in his songs. more...

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2 - *** WIN PRIZES ***

OK, here's you chance to help fellow musicians AND help yourself to a valuable prize! All you have to do is either:

A - tell me about a great guitar site
that I don't already have a link to

OR

B - write something for this Guitar Newsletter
(sent to GuitarMaster@hitsquad.com)

Submissions can be of any length - longer articles will be linked to a page in my site, with a summary in the newsletter. All entries are eligible for entry to the newsletter at a future date, but the prizes go to the most original / entertaining / interesting / useful article. It can be a funny guitar-related experience, a tip, joke, tab, review - anything fellow guitarists would enjoy reading!

What do you win? You can select a prize from any of the following:

*** Pyramid Strings
are offering your choice in strings
(up to the value of $75)
Check out their great range!

*** The ENHANCR:
increases resonance, volume, brilliance, clarity
and sustain for acoustic guitars - check it out

*** Leighton Watts tapes of his recent albums.
Don't know Leighton's brand or country music?
Go to LeightonBWatts.com

*** The new Melbourne Band TISM
(This Is Serious Mum) CD up for grabs:
www.tism.wanker.com

*** "Mr Funny Face" by the US pop punk band
Sprung Monkey (recent CD release)


Just send in your article NOW!

More Prize & Winner Details

Congratulations to last weeks prize winner:
Jay Shaw of Paris, Ontario, Canada for his article
"Replacing Guitar Nut - How It Turned Out"
(see next item in this newsletter)

He chose the ENHANCR as his prize
Thanks to Smith Family Music of Idaho for this prize!


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3 - REPLACING GUITAR NUT - HOW IT TURNED OUT


*** Prize-Winning Entry ***

Hey, a little while ago, in the Newsgroups, I was looking for info on replacing a guitar nut. Well it's done, and actually ended up working out not too bad.

There was a casualty though ... nobody told me to keep the small files out of any leaning area, so before I do this again I'll be buying a new file!

When I went to the store to purchase the nut, I specifically asked for the GraphTech line of nuts, but when the salesman asked me why I wanted graphite opposed to bone I just drew a total blank. Ended up I said that I heard it makes open strings sound better (which was what I didn't want to say), so he said that it wouldn't make too much of a difference and suggested getting a brass nut if I really wanted a better sound. I had totally forgot that I wanted to allow the strings to slide easier through the nut. But I knew I wanted the GraphTech nut so ...

When I got the brass nut home I immediately went to work ... removed the old nut off the strat using a hammer and piece of wood, and realized that there was no way the new nut was going to fit where the old one was.

... and the fun begins

Half an hour later the nut was finally thin enough to fit in where I wanted to put it (like I had a choice), so I put it in ... I was so proud of myself.

Cutting the slots was fairly time consuming at first ... of course I was still using the rectangular file with only 2 cutting surfaces opposite of eachother.

Once I saw that I could fit a pair of Low E's in the low E slot, I began to believe something just wasn't quite right. So I grabbed my handy "Guitar Shop Supply" catalog and went straight to the files section. All those tools in there besides files, all for cutting nuts ... Pre-cut nuts were beginning to sound good at this time. I found the special Nut-Files and noticed that they all seemed to have 2 cutting surfaces which came to a point. That just blew my mind!

So, I ran into the tool room and went digging to locate the right type of file for the job ... and I found one. It was definately a good size for the larger strings but I didn't have anything for the smaller ones. Only one I could use for the high strings is the small rectangular file. After finishing the E, A, and D string slots I picked up the small rectangular file and began on the G. As I began to cut the beginning of the new slot I noticed to, my amazement, that only one side of the small file was rectangular ... the other side came to a point with two cutting surfaces. Technology these days, totally unpredictable.

I sure miss that file.

After cutting all the slots, I installed the nut on my guitar and put the brand new Peavey, yes Peavey there was no way I was going to waste a good set of strings on a new brass nut, strings on the guitar. The strings were fairly high off the fretboard but that didn't bother me too much. All the strings were near equal distance apart except one ... the E-String! I quickly grabbed the small file and began filing the side of the slot nearest the A-String hoping the string would stay there, which of course it didn't.

I just removed the nut and threw it across the room in disgust. The worst $10 I ever spent.

One week later, as the broken chunk old nut, which I put back on, flew across my friend's basement nearly taking his brother's eye out who at the time was on the drums, I came up with a brilliant idea. Turn the nut upside-down and cut new slots.

There is no off position on the genious switch!

The next day I got to work. I filed until I couldn't file any more, or at least until I was finished anyways. The nut turned out great for the first one I've ever worked on. The strings fit almost perfectly, the height of the strings is very good, the tone fron the open strings sounds much better (when the guitar is unplugged ... it is a stock Mex Strat), and nobody should lose an eye.

When going in for a closer look, I almost lost an eye. I hadn't yet cut the excess string yet.

As soon as I get new pickups, my guitar will be great! Hopefully the salesman won't talk me into pickups with brass polepieces.

THE END

Hope you enjoyed this true story, and thanks for all the good advice from everyone who shared some.

Thanks again, Jay
http://fly.to/jay98

*** Prize-Winning Entry ***

Subscribe   |   Prizes   |   Archive As a visitor to the site, you already know that it aims to showcase the best that the Web has to offer to those interested in the guitar. This newsletter is an extension to that, aiming to review sites and products in an attempt to save your time surfing, letting you know what is new on the site & what is hot on the Net! Entries will be kept short, with references to URLs for further reading, rather that full text articles. If you want to include your own brief guitar-related article for the next newsletter, just mail me: humour, tips, tricks, reviews, tabs, experiences, lessons...

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