After replacing or upgrading a nut, finish the job with fast-acting cyanoacrylate adhesive.
In my previous column (“Using Super Glue in Guitar Repair”), we explored techniques for using fast-acting adhesive to seat frets and secure a string nut. We’re not quite done with this topic, but before we put super glue to work on another project, please take a moment to review the safety tips I outlined last time around. As I mentioned before, super glue can be your best friend or worst enemy, so before you start slinging the cyano, it’s important to refresh your memory of these crucial dos and don’ts. Right? Thought so.
String nut touch-up.
Super glue is handy for making small repairs to a guitar’s finish. Here’s an example: Most guitars have a little finish at either end of the string nut to create a smooth transition between the edge of the fretboard or binding and the nut itself. But after replacing the string nut—let’s say you’ve upgraded from a plastic nut to one made of bone—there’s usually a small edge or drop off where the nut meets the fretboard (Photo 1). As you may recall from our prior column, super glue is available in a variety of thicknesses. To smooth out the transition between the nut and where it joins the fretboard, you can fill that area using a few drops of medium viscosity or gel-formula super glue.
Make sure the area around the edge of the string nut and binding is absolutely level, because you don’t want the glue to pool on one side of the nut edge and create more work for you later.
But wait, there’s more! It’s common for the binding on older guitars to turn yellow over time. Stewart-MacDonald sells an amber-tinted formula that matches this aged look nicely. (Stew-Mac also offers tinted super glues in white and black, which can come in handy for other finish touch-up projects.) If your guitar has binding, using tinted medium super glue will accomplish two goals: You’ll fill the edges around the ends of the replacement nut and help it blend in with the binding.
Assume the position.
First, place the guitar on its side so the neck is horizontal to the workbench and one end of the nut faces up, the other down. To prevent an electric guitar or bass from tipping over, I use a quick release clamp on the body to stabilize it. Because acoustics have a thicker body, they’ll typically stay in place without a clamp. Balance the guitar on its tuner keys, not the neck, and use books or small boxes to support the guitar as it rests on it side. (In our shop, we use leather bags filled with buckshot for this and other stabilizing tasks.)
Make sure the area around the edge of the string nut and binding is absolutely level, because you don’t want the glue to pool on one side of the nut edge and create more work for you later. A bubble gauge comes in handy here.
Apply the glue.
Photo 2
This is where you don your safety glasses. Once the guitar is stable, put a few drops of super glue on the end of the nut and let it dry (Photo 2). You only need to apply enough glue to cover the side of the nut and binding to build a smooth surface where they join together. A medium formula of glue, which is what we recommend, will take several minutes to dry. If you want to speed up the drying process, you can spray super glue accelerant on it. We’ve used GluBoost and NCF Quick brands in our shop, and they both work great.
Having a well-ventilated workspace will reduce accelerant fumes and minimize eye irritation. At the shop, we run a small fan to keep the air circulating when using super glues and accelerants.
Tip: Accelerants can cause what we call the “Swiss cheese effect.” This happens when you prematurely spray the accelerant on the glue. It causes a chemical reaction that results in the glue bubbling up into a white foam, which forces you to scrape away all the glue and start over. To avoid this, wait several minutes before blasting the glue with an accelerator. A little patience will save you a lot of time.
File it down.
Photo 3
When the glue is dry, use a miniature file to gently file away any excess (Photo 3). Do this carefully to avoid damaging the original finish around the nut and binding. The object of the exercise is to file the glue flush with the nut and binding without disturbing the surrounding surfaces.
Sand and buff.
Photo 4
Next, lightly sand the glue-covered area with 600 grit paper to feather it to the edge of the fretboard or binding (Photo 4). Now gently sand it with 1500 grit paper to smooth out any scratch marks.
Photo 5
Finish this job using extra-fine buffing compound and a polishing cloth (Photo 5). I use Planet Waves Restore for this last stage, but you can find other buffing compounds at auto stores or online.
Photo 6
Now step back and admire your work, which should look similar to Photo 6.
After flipping the guitar over on its opposite side, position and secure it (remember to keep the neck perfectly level), and then repeat the process for the other end of the nut.
And that’s it—another task completed, thanks to super glue.
[Updated 1/20/22]
- Guitar Shop 101: Using Super Glue in Guitar Repair - Premier Guitar ›
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- Guitar Shop 101: The Guitarist's Essential Toolkit - Premier Guitar ›
- Guitar Shop 101: Using Super Glue in Guitar Repair - Premier Guitar ›
This convenient, easy-to-use controller can open up an entire world of sonic shape-shifting. Here are some tips to either inspire you to try one or expand how you’re currently using this flexible, creative device.
If you’re not yet using expression pedals, you should consider them. They have the power to expand and control your sonic universe. For the uninitiated, expression pedals are controllers that typically look like volume or wah pedals. Of course, traditional volume and wah pedals are expression pedals, too, but they are dedicated to controlling only those two effects.
Modern expression pedals allow you to assign and control parameters of your stomps or modelers by moving the expression pedal as you would a volume or wah. Dunlop, Boss, Ernie Ball, Yamaha, Behringer, Mission Engineering, and other manufacturers make these handy devices.
Many, but not all, of today’s stompboxes and modelers have expression pedal inputs that allow for manipulation of one or more parameters of those devices. In the past, this required bending over and turning a knob, or trying to turn a small knob with your foot—both of which can hamper your playing. The freedom of an expression pedal is the control you have over more aspects of your sound, especially in a live setting.
Although some of the uses for expression pedals below can also be accomplished by creating multiple presets, that will not allow real-time control over the parameters like an expression pedal will. Here are some notes about expression pedal use that might get you thinking about how one could help you.
Delay Repeats: Controlling the timing of a delay with tap tempo is very common, but how about controlling the number of repeats? With an expression pedal, by setting the expression control on your delay to control the number of repeats, you can easily go from a few for your rhythm sound to more for your lead sound, and then back off again.
Reverb and Delay Mix: The mix control on reverb and delay pedals allows you to balance the amount of wet to dry signal that you hear. There is often a delicate line to having just the right amount of wet signal with these two effects. If you have too much, your sound can be washed out and undefined. Too little and it can be dry and lack space. The part you are playing, and the venue you are in, can also change the amount of mix you need for these effects. By using an expression pedal for the mix control on reverb or delay, you can alter the sound on the fly to compensate for the part and the room, including turning down the mix for busy parts and up for parts with fewer notes.“Some uses for expression pedals can also be accomplished by creating multiple presets, but that will not allow real-time control over the parameters like an expression pedal will.”
Modulation Depth: The depth of a modulation effect, like a phaser, can drastically alter your guitar sound. A light amount can create a feeling of subtle movement, while a heavy amount can give a thick, underwater-type sound. An expression pedal can help you create a constant feeling of change throughout a song, allowing you to build up and break down the depth for different sections as you see fit.
Tremolo Speed: While the speed of tremolo can often be controlled by tap tempo, using an expression pedal for the same parameter offers other creative uses of the effect. With an expression pedal, you can easily speed the tremolo up to make subtle increases to the energy of a part or slow it down to decrease the energy. You can also create drastic changes in the speed that sound like a fan accelerating or slowing down. Or you can abruptly turn the tremolo off. This last option can be an exciting way to end a song or part.
EQ Change: Every guitar player uses EQ to sculpt their sound—whether via the tone controls on your instrument or amp (modelers included), or a dedicated equalizer used as part of your rig. Subtle tweaks can help you do things like balance out different guitars, cut through the mix more, or compensate for a boomy stage. Real-time control of EQ with an expression pedal is more common in the modeler world than the amp and pedal world, but it does exist in both. For example, increasing the midrange can give you more clarity and cut for solos. Decreasing it can create a flatter sound that can help you stay in the mix with the rest of the band. An expression pedal allows you to have one setting and alter it for multiple situations or guitars as opposed to having separate presets.
While this is a very short list of options for expression-pedal use, it should give you a good place to start. The most important thing is to always be creative, have fun, and find your own voice. An expression pedal can help you do all three.
Voltage Cable Company's new Voltage Vintage Coil 30-foot guitar cable is now protected with ISO-COAT technology to provide unsurpassed reliability.
The new coiled cables are available in four eye-grabbing retro colors – Surf Green, Electric Blue, Orange and Caramel – as well as three standard colors: Black, White and Red. There is also a CME exclusive “Chicago Cream” color on the way.
Guitarists can choose between three different connector configurations: straight/straight plugs, right angle/straight and right angle/right angle options.
The Voltage Vintage Coil offers superior sound quality and durability thanks to ISO-COAT treatment, a patent-pending hermetic seal applied to solder terminations. This first-of-its-kind airtight seal prevents corrosion and oxidization, a known factor in cable failure and degradation. ISO-COAT protected cables are for guitarists who value genuine lifetime durability and consistent tone throughout their career on stage and in the studio.
Voltage cables are hand made by qualified technical engineers using the finest components available and come with a lifetime warranty.
Voltage Vintage Coil features include:
- Lifetime guarantee, 1000+ gig durability
- ISO-COAT treatment - corrosion & oxidization resistant cable internals
- Strengthened structural integrity of solder terminations
Voltage Vintage Coils carry $89.00 USD pricing each and are available online at voltagecableco.com, as well as in select guitar stores in North America, Australia, Thailand, UK, Belgium and China.
About Voltage Cable: Established in 2021, Voltage Cable Co. is a family owned and operated guitar cable company based in Sydney, Australia. All their cables are designed to be played, and built for a lifetime. The company’s ISO-COAT is a patent pending hermetic seal applied to solder terminations.
Featuring dual-engine processing, dynamic room modeling, and classic mic/speaker pairings, this pedal delivers complete album-ready tones for rock and metal players.
Built on powerful dual‑engine processing and world‑class UAD modeling, ANTI 1992 High Gain Amp gives guitarists the unmistakable sound of an original "block letter" Peavey 5150 amplifier* – the notorious 120‑watt tube amp monster that fueled more than three decades of modern metal music, from Thrash and Death Metal, to Grunge, Black Metal, and more.
"With UAFX Dream, Ruby, Woodrow, and Lion amp emulators, we recreated four of the most famous guitar amps ever made," says UA Sr. Product Manager Tore Mogensen. "Now with ANTI, we're giving rock and metal players an authentic emulation of this punishing high gain amp – with the exact mic/speaker pairings and boost/noise gate effects that were responsible for some of the most groundbreaking modern metal tones ever captured."
Key Features:
- A complete emulation of the early '90s 120‑watt tone monster that defined new genres of modern metal
- Powerful UAFX dual-engine delivers the most authentic emulation of the amp ever placed in a stompbox
- Complete album‑ready sounds with built‑in noise gate, TS‑style overdrive, and TC‑style preamp boost
- Groundbreaking Dynamic Room Modeling derived from UA's award-winning OX Amp Top Box
- Six classic mic/speaker pairings used on decades of iconic metal and hard rock records
- Professional presets designed by the guitarists of Tetrarch, Jeff Loomis, and The Black Dahlia Murder
- UAFX mobile app lets you access hidden amp tweaks and mods, choose overdrive/boost, tweak noise gate, recall and archive your presets, download artist presets, and more
- Timeless UA design and craftsmanship, built to last decades
For more information, please visit uaudio.com.
- YouTube
The Memphis-born avant-funk bassist keeps it simple on the road with a signature 5-string, a tried-and-true stack, and just four stomps.
MonoNeon, aka Dywane Thomas Jr., came up learning the bass from his father in Memphis, Tennessee, but for some reason, he decided to flip his dad’s 4-string bass around and play it with the string order inverted—E string closest to the ground and the G on top. That’s how MonoNeon still plays today, coming up through a rich, inspiring gauntlet of family and community traditions. “I guess my whole style came from just being around my grandma at an early age,” says Thomas.His path has led him to collaborate with dozens of artists, including Nas, Ne-Yo, Mac Miller, and even Prince, and MonoNeon’s solo output is dizzying—trying to count up his solo releases isn’t an easy feat. Premier Guitar’s Chris Kies caught up with the bassist before his show at Nashville’s Exit/In, where he got the scoop on his signature 5-string, Ampeg rig, and simple stomp layout, as well as some choice stories about influences, his brain-melting playing style, and how Prince changed his rig.
Brought to you by D’Addario.
Orange You Glad to See Me?
This Fender MonoNeon Jazz Bass V was created after a rep messaged Thomas on Instagram to set up the signature model, over which Thomas had complete creative control. Naturally, the bass is finished in neon yellow urethane with a neon orange headstock and pickguard, and the roasted maple neck has a 10"–14" compound radius. It’s loaded with custom-wound Fireball 5-string Bass humbuckers and an active, 18V preamp complete with 3-band EQ controls. Thomas’ own has been spruced up with some custom tape jobs, too. All of MonoNeon's connections are handled by Sorry Cables.
Fade to Black
MonoNeon’s Ampeg SVT stack isn’t a choice of passion. “That’s what they had for me, so I just plugged in,” he says. “That’s what I have on my rider. As long as it has good headroom and the cones don’t break up, I’m cool.”
Box Art
MonoNeon’s bass isn’t the only piece of kit treated to custom color jobs. Almost all of his stomps have been zhuzhed up with his eye-popping palette.
Thomas had used a pitch-shifting DigiTech Whammy for a while, but after working with Paisley Park royalty, the pedal became a bigger part of his playing. “When I started playing with Prince, he put the Whammy on my pedalboard,” Thomas explains. “After he passed, I realized how special that moment was.”
Alongside the Whammy, MonoNeon runs a Fairfield Circuitry Randy’s Revenge (for any time he wants to “feel weird”), a literal Fart Pedal (in case the ring mod isn’t weird enough, we guess), and a JAM Pedals Red Muck covers fuzz and dirt needs. A CIOKS SOL powers the whole affair.
Shop MonoNeon's Rig
Fender MonoNeon Jazz Bass V
Ampeg SVT
DigiTech Whammy
CIOKS SOL