New nut to correct string alignment

[erogenousjones17]

This one goes out to everyone who's ever shaped their own nut. (insert dirty jokes here)  :laughing7:

I'm about to replace the plastic nut on my Strat with a new bone nut, which I plan on shaping myself. I find that the strings on this guitar sit a little too close to the high e side, making soloing on that string a little uncomfortable. On the new nut, can I shift all the slots a tiny bit towards the bass side to correct for this, or is that just not a good idea?

Also, I recently tinkered with the slots in the plastic nuts to correct a small buzzing problem (and to get some practice using my new set of nut files), and I've started having tuning problems. Any ideas what I could have messed up? Anything else I should watch out for when I start shaping and filing?

Thanks all.

 

[erock]

for a new nut and spacing (if it is wrong to begin with) try the file here http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-tech/109915-compensated-nut-layout-tool.html

I used the second version of the file on my soulmate neck, and the spacing is great.

another thing is, get a set of torch tip files, they round out the slot to stop the buzzing, it might help with the tuning problems. However I wouldn't count on that

 

[Cagey]

I find that the strings on this guitar sit a little too close to the high e side, making soloing on that string a little uncomfortable. On the new nut, can I shift all the slots a tiny bit towards the bass side to correct for this, or is that just not a good idea?

Sure it's a good idea. You can shift them from side to side, tighten up the grouping, or both. What you need is a string spacing guide...

The way it's used is you create a blank nut, and position the high/low strings where you want them and file a shallow slot to hold them in place. Then, you take the spacing guide, and move it back and forth until you find where the high/low string slots match up to marks on the gauge. Then, you mark the other four string slots off the gauge. File those slots, and you're golden. The spacing is automatically correct, and in the position you want them to be. The ruler is graduated in such a way that the marks get progressively closer together as you go up the scale.

It's an expensive gauge for what it is, but there's no easier or more reliable way to do it. So, you unclench the $20 and hope you can use it more than once so you can justify it. Stewart-Macdonald has them here.

 

[Nando Vallart]

This rule from StewMac is GREAT!!!

 

[chrisg]

for a new nut and spacing (if it is wrong to begin with) try the file here http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-tech/109915-compensated-nut-layout-tool.html
I used the second version of the file on my soulmate neck, and the spacing is great.
another thing is, get a set of torch tip files, they round out the slot to stop the buzzing, it might help with the tuning problems. However I wouldn't count on that

What you need is a string spacing guide...

It's an expensive gauge for what it is, but there's no easier or more reliable way to do it. So, you unclench the $20 and hope you can use it more than once so you can justify it. Stewart-Macdonald has them here.

The free one on the tdpri site above looks the bees knees to me - and it saves saves you $20 from stew mac  :icon_thumright:

 

[Cagey]

The free one on the tdpri site above looks the bees knees to me - and it saves saves you $20 from stew mac  :icon_thumright:

I didn't see that. For some reason, links on this site aren't obvious. That's why I always bold/underline them when I create them so people can see them clearly. Might be a waste of time because it might be a problem that's local to me; I don't know.

In any event, that's a good link, and thanks for that. Much better than throwing $20 at a glorified $.10 cent ruler.

 

[Superbeast520]

Heres an excellent set of instructions for doing a nut.

http://www.stewmac.com/freeinfo/Nuts,_saddles/a-nuts.html   .....Making a Nut step by step

http://www.stewmac.com/freeinfo/Nuts,_saddles/i-5350.html   .....Nut making and setup

http://www.stewmac.com/freeinfo/Nuts,_saddles/i-1811.html   .....Using feeler gauges to control nut slot depth

http://www.stewmac.com/freeinfo/Nuts,_saddles/i-0673.html.....Using the string spacing rule good tips that can also be applied to your own ruler

http://www.manchesterguitartech.co.uk/nut_slot.php   .......free string spacing calculator for perfect spacing including compensation for string diameter.

 

[-CB-]

I'm lazy.

Use the old nut to mark the slots for the new nut, then just shift the nut over a bit before truing up the ends.

 

[erogenousjones17]

Sounds good. I was just worried that shifting the strings slightly away from the natural straight line from bridge to tuner might be somehow less than ideal. What do I know?  :laughing7:

 

[erock]

Sounds good. I was just worried that shifting the strings slightly away from the natural straight line from bridge to tuner might be somehow less than ideal. What do I know?  :laughing7:

between any 2 points is a straight line

 

[erogenousjones17]

Sounds good. I was just worried that shifting the strings slightly away from the natural straight line from bridge to tuner might be somehow less than ideal. What do I know?  :laughing7:

between any 2 points is a straight line

Except on a globe.  :laughing7:
Seriously though, I agree, but shifting the nut to the left adds a bit of a kink to the original line. However, it occurred to me immediately after typing that last post that on most guitars (at least the LP I happened to look at), the strings don't trace a straight path from bridge to tuner. Silly me.

 

[Superbeast520]

Heres another excellent set of Nut making instructions with a few smart tips not covered in the other links with huge detailed pictures to boot...... :icon_thumright:

                        Heres the link:   http://www.eguitarplans.com/making_a_guitar_nut.pdf 

 

[erogenousjones17]

NECROPOST!!!  :evil4:

I finally got around to making a new nut! I think I did a good job for a beginner--no buzzes, open notes don't sound dead, intonation and tuning stability are good--and all I have left is some final shaping (for aesthetics) and polishing.

However, since this new nut is meant to coerce the strings out of their natural (off-centre) alignment, I obviously can't rely on the string tension to hold it in place when gluing it in (since the strings will want to force the nut towards the treble side). Is there any chance that this same lateral force could be enough to dislodge the nut once it's glued in?  :icon_scratch:

 

[Patrick from Davis]

The downward tension holding the nut in place is generally greater than the lateral forces pushing it off center, or what have you.  When gluing it I just hold it in place and tension up the strings, it then holds fine.  After the glue is set, there shouldn't be enough force to move it.  You don't need much glue at all.
Patrick