ZB-11 Unslotted Replacement Nut for Guitars

Fixed my problem perfectly!!

Oct 18, 2020

I was having a very hard time finding the right nut replacement for my mandolin. Finally found this one at StewMac. Have never used the zero glide before, but this one works great. Had a good deal of sanding to do for a perfect fit, but it works great and sound is super on my mando. Thanks guys!!

Kenny Comeaux from

Zero Glide Query

Jun 23, 2025

I have a BC-350 banjo with the zero glide nut. It has been problem-free but I'm curious how this is an improvement over the zero nut found on budget European guitars since practically the beginning of time. I repaired instruments for decades and always regarded the zero fret as a marker of an inferior mass-produced instrument. No criticism of the Gold Tone zero glide is in any way implied here but I am confused.

CHRIS Battis

YES there is a Zero Glide nut for a square neck resonator.

Jul 16, 2021

Do you play a square neck Dobro You know that resonator guitar that is used in bluegrass music Then get a Zero Glide for that instrument. YES it works. I have a Gold Tone OB150 5 string banjo where I was introduced to the ZERO GLIDE nut system. This started a long time love affair with this fine invention. I installed one on a mandolin my Martin D custom that is my number 1 guitar I have one on one of my Telecasters and the rest will soon get them. If it has a nut then it needs a ZERO GLIDE nut. This is very easy to install you can even do the sanding to fit it with a Stew Mac tool that you use to sand nuts and saddles so you will be sure to get a perfectly flat surface for best results. Follow the instructions and you will be able to install the ZERO GLIDE nut even if you are not an experienced Luthier. You can improve tone on a entry level square neck resonator guitar like my Morgan Monroe and any other fretted instrument you install the ZERO GLIDE nut system. You can replace the cone and the spider bridge and the saddles with all the Beard goodies you can get to make your Dobro shine tone wise but DO NOT FORGET the ZERO GLIDE nut system. The one mod that will save you from a world of pain. You will not have to buy a very expensive set of nut files to install and set up a ZERO GLIDE nut system because it is not required unless you get one without slots for a custom job. The nut is bone and the fret wire is metal sometimes stainless steel so you are actually adding to your tone and you take away the usual nut issues with a Zero Glide. Everything I put a ZERO GLIDE nut system on plays much better and sounds much better too. YES there is a ZERO GLIDE nut for your Dobro and just about everything else. Need something custom ZERO GLIDE can help with custom nuts.

Ray Lawrence Jr

Good stuff The rest of the story 2

May 15, 2017

I just put the Zero Glide on my guitar. Very impressed. This is as close to perfect as I can get. I can bend all over the guitar and 95 of the time the notes come back to the original pitch....the few times they don t it s so minimal most people wouldn t notice it....I really believe that it s probably the tuners....they re decent low grade tuners. Nothing special. Amazing considering this is a 300.00 guitar. I checked the space between the 1st fret and the E and B strings fretted at the third fret...distance between 1st fret and bottom of string .....they looked like they were less than a thousandth and the guitar was not buzzing on an open string. The action is very low with extra thin strings on it. This made the guitar play even easier. I had the strings set at about 4 thousandths from the first fret while fretting at the third. This took them lower....especially on the first 5 frets. Good job on this I do wish they would have sent me a smaller fret.

David Kennedy