Nut width ?

[rauchman]

Greetings,

Was wondering about using a slightly smaller width nut vs the nut slot in an attempt to get more meat on neck on the outer sides of the E strings.  Can one get a neck with a 1 11/16 nut slot, but use say the TUSQ XL nut cut for a 1.650" spread (assuming it's the next size down from the 1 11/16").  Kind of like using an R3 Floyd nut, where the string spread is a little thinner than the R4 nut.  Or do the Tusq nuts come precut with different string spacings?

 

[Steve_Karl]

Greetings,

Was wondering about using a slightly smaller width nut vs the nut slot in an attempt to get more meat on neck on the outer sides of the E strings.  Can one get a neck with a 1 11/16 nut slot, but use say the TUSQ XL nut cut for a 1.650" spread (assuming it's the next size down from the 1 11/16").  Kind of like using an R3 Floyd nut, where the string spread is a little thinner than the R4 nut.  Or do the Tusq nuts come precut with different string spacings?

I think the easiest fix for what you're wanting is to order the neck with no nut then have a luthier install the tusq nut and measure where the slots will be cut while you're there talking with them about it.
For me it was as simple as saying "I need a tighter spacing at the nut so the e strings aren't flopping off the edge.
They knew exactly what I was asking for and got out out the string spacing rule and a piece of paper and we eyeballed it.
I've done that for a few guitars and it's worked out just like I wanted.
It was about $60 or $65 per nut. Might be double the price of a Warmoth installed nut but worth it to me to get exactly what I want.

 

[Cagey]

One of these is handy, too, if you don't mind fabbing your own parts from blanks.

 

[rauchman]

One of these is handy, too, if you don't mind fabbing your own parts from blanks.

Awesome!  Thanks!

 

[Ace Flibble]

Done this a few times for my own guitars. I just buy a pre-shaped, pre-cut 42mm or 42.5mm nut and shove it in a 43mm neck. When it comes to modding someone else's guitar I always cut nuts fresh, but for my own I'm lazy and it works fine, even though there is often a very slightly noticeable gap at either end of the nut where the nut clearly doesn't fit the whole width of the neck. Usually I nudge it so it is flush on the bass side, giving me much more room to gain purchase on the 1st string for bends and leaving the 6th string pretty much where it would always be for easy thumb-over playing. Though I do also only use guitars with 12" or flatter radius fretboards and quite low frets, so it's easy for me to get the action right even when shifting the nut around a touch.