strat-o-steve

Properly winding your strings around the tuning posts, and stretching your strings can do as much to help or harm your tuning stability as a badly cut nut. Also check your intonation. If it is off, your guitar is off (as a whole).

It sucks, but it is all too common. Could go with top hats.....but I dont like the feel of them the same way.

That does make a huge difference! Looks great. May I ask, is this actual binding, or paint?