GIBSON LES PAUL SPECIAL PELHAM BLUE - NUT REPAIR

One of the more striking guitars to come through the shop recently was a Gibson Les Paul Special in Pelham Blue—a stunning finish on an already classic design. This particular guitar had a minor but important issue that needed addressing: a buzzing D string due to a nut slot that had been cut just a little too low.

The Problem

The owner had noticed an annoying buzz on the open D string, especially when playing clean or unplugged. Upon inspection, it was clear the D string’s nut slot had been cut too deep, causing the string to sit too low and make contact with the first fret when played open. This is a fairly common issue, especially on new guitars or ones that have had a less-than-perfect nut job from the factory or a prior tech.

The Fix

After confirming that neck relief and action were otherwise within spec, the nut slot became the obvious culprit. Rather than replacing the entire nut, I opted for a targeted repair:

Carefully filled the D string slot with a nut dust and CA glue mixture, allowing it to cure fully.

Once hardened, I re-filed the slot to the correct depth, ensuring proper clearance over the first fret while keeping ideal string spacing and break angle.

The Result

Once the slot was corrected, the D string buzz was completely gone. The guitar played cleanly across all frets, with improved tuning stability and better resonance. The client was thrilled—not only with the fix, but with how seamless the repair was. No more buzz, and no need for a full nut replacement.