guidothepimmp :-[ I know, I know.. I'm about to start carving a nut for my soopastrat build but am having difficulty finding info on how high a nut should be, and my measuring isn't working out to great. Sooo, how does one determine how high a nut should be before slotting in the grooves?
Gearhead You make it too high (say, 2-3mm more than the frets), then slot grooves, then finish the guitar and string up. Finally, you tune the nut and take off the face of the top if that feels better. Tuning of the nut happens with an accurate tuner, measuring the seminote of difference between the note fretted on the first and the note of the open string. If the difference is more than a semitone, the nut is still too high. If the difference is less, you get yourself a new nut. Fret exactly on the first and don't overpress.
Wizard Gearhead wrote You make it too high (say, 2-3mm more than the frets), then slot grooves, then finish the guitar and string up. Finally, you tune the nut and take off the face of the top if that feels better. Tuning of the nut happens with an accurate tuner, measuring the seminote of difference between the note fretted on the first and the note of the open string. If the difference is more than a semitone, the nut is still too high. If the difference is less, you get yourself a new nut. Fret exactly on the first and don't overpress. See ... the nut does act as a zero fret ?
AlanRatcliffe Mine are usually just a tiny fraction higher than the frets. I rough cut to about .010 higher than the fret using feeler gauges then tweak by feel with a few strokes of the nut files from there. I usually end up with a slightly flatter radius than the fret That's me - some guys like a bit more fight, but I prefer to raise the action from the bridge side.
Bob-Dubery Gearhead wrote Finally, you tune the nut and take off the face of the top if that feels better. Tuning of the nut happens with an accurate tuner, measuring the seminote of difference between the note fretted on the first and the note of the open string. If the difference is more than a semitone, the nut is still too high. If the difference is less, you get yourself a new nut. Fret exactly on the first and don't overpress. Doesn't this presuppose that the saddle and the frets are correctly located?
guidothepimmp Thanks Gear, Alan I'll give that a go.. I'm still busy with the initial carving but I'm sure I'll have more q's when I get to the tuning bit..
Gearhead X-rated Bob wrote Doesn't this presuppose that the saddle and the frets are correctly located? It does, but the question was about height, not location. I reckon if the oke can't get that right, he will not be complaining about this advice.
guidothepimmp Well, the frets are 100% spot on, and the bridge will be too, that bit I do know how to calculate, nut height had me bewildered but Gears suggestion makes sense now that its been spelt out. Just as well I have plenty of bone.. I see at least 1 or 2 stuff ups coming..
Zulublues One tip that I've found useful from old Dan, is to sharpen and sand away half a wooden pencil, then use that to scribe a guide line on the face of the nut using the top of frets 1 & 2 as your guide. This gives you a lower limit. then file down to where the first fret intonation is as good as you can get it following Gearhead's sage advice. Ciao M
