Guitar Nut and Saddle Vise

If you have ever tried to work on a guitar nut or a guitar nut blank, you know it can be difficult trying to hold the nut in place while trying to file or shape it. You may have tried to place your nut or saddle blank into a normal machinist's vise to hold it steady while you shape it. This too has its problems. Most machinist vises are wide and don't have very long jaws or jaw inserts. Filing down the top of a guitar saddle in a traditional machinist vise can be pretty challenging because you can't file the proper angle into the saddle without hitting the vise with your file. Luckily for us, the nut and saddle vise was created for this very reason.

How it works

The guitar nut and saddle vise works the same exact way a traditional vise works. It clamps to the top of a table and has jaws that expand and contract with the turning of a handle. The only difference between a nut and saddle vise and a traditional vise is the design of the jaws and the vise body. The jaws are much thinner and taller than a normal vise. The nut and saddle vise body is also angled so that you can file your saddle at extreme angles without hitting the vise. Obviously, this vise can hold more than just nuts and saddle. It can hold any small object securely, so you can repair it.

The nut and saddle vise is an extremely convenient tool to have. It makes filing and shaping nuts and saddle a breeze. The vise doesn't get in your way or impede you from filing in some pretty extreme angles. This would be a great addition to your guitar repair bench. I would suggest getting two different vises: one normal sized machinist vise and the nut and saddle vise. This way you can grip larger fixtures as well as work on small parts. Obviously, you will also want a wood vise on your bench to hold your guitars in place. Take a look at the nut and saddle vise. It's a great investment for your guitar repair bench. If you would like more information about how to make a guitar nut, please see my how to make a guitar nut article.