Strings sticking to rosewood nut - what can I use?

Jim Hanks

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I just got in a new instrument and I want to work out a couple of kinks before I show it to you. For now, let me just say that it has some wound strings and some unwound strings. More later, I promise. :cool:

One issue is that the strings are really sticking badly trying to tune, moreso on the wound strings but even on the unwounds to a lesser degree. The nut is rosewood (as is the fretboard). What can I use to slick things up that won't damage the rosewood nut and fretboard?
 
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No 2 pencil lead has graphite, cheap, easy, non destructive.
 
No 2 pencil lead has graphite, cheap, easy, non destructive.
^ This. I've done that for any stringed instrument no matter the nut material for years.

Before that, you could get a super fine grit piece of sandpaper and fold it over and gently run it through the slots to smooth things down.
Wear a mask and gloves. I wouldn't guess this little dust could be too harmful, but some people have a rosewood allergy that can cause serious issues. So I wouldn't feel right not mentioning that.
 
Make sure the string slot is large enough for the string diameter. The double-edged nut files from StewMac work well (.032/.026 and .012/.020).
 
Make sure the string slot is large enough for the string diameter. The double-edged nut files from StewMac work well (.032/.026 and .012/.020).

It's a new instrument and these are the stock strings, so the slots are wide enough. Just sticking like crazy. It almost like trying to tune with friction tuners. :p
 
It's a new instrument and these are the stock strings, so the slots are wide enough. Just sticking like crazy. It almost like trying to tune with friction tuners. :p

That's no guarantee of anything much. Here's a quick test. Unwind the strings from the tuners and see how well they run through the nut slots by hand without any tension on them.
Are the slots wide enough? Are the slots rounded at the bottom? Can you feel them sticking somewhere?

I've replaced the wood nut with a bone nut on one of my ukulele's. Whatever I tried I couldn't get the wood nut to work for me.
 
That particular piece of rosewood might not be hard enough to serve as a nut with wound strings. When you bring the string to pitch, the windings might be leaving impressions in the wood which make the string resist further tuning. Many rosewoods fall at about 2400 on the Janka hardness scale - compared to ebony at more than 3000.

I’d think the solution is to swap out the nut for bone, or swap out the strings for non- wound... or possibly flat wound. If the non wound strings stick, check the slots are wide enough and lube with graphite as mentioned above.
 
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