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I have built many guitars, but sometimes I get buzzing after intonating the saddle and setting the nut action. It has always been one of my most troublesome steps. I am curious as to how the rest of you do these steps

As far as the nut goes,. I have always used nut files at an angle between the fretboard and the headstock. Do you do the same?

Also when intonating the saddle, how do you treat the front edge of your saddle? I mark my intonation spot on top of the saddle and then try to have the front (neck side) drop off steeply. I have the back edge just rounded off.

How do you all do these steps? Any pictures?

Thanks

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Andy Z.
http://www.lazydogguitars.com

I do the saddle pretty much like you've described. I suspect you're getting buzzes from your nut slots. (I think) The string doesn't want to make a sharp turn, first from the plane of the FB, then from the plane of the slot to the plane of the headstock. The string is like loose between the front and back of the nut. I try to make the bottom of the slot rounded, starting at the same angle as the fingerboard, then rounded until it's at the angle from it toward the tuner. I get the slots pretty close with files, the finish with abrasive chord. I've got to make a nut next week. I'll try to remember to take some pictures.

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I didn't mean to say it, but I meant what I said.
http://www.brackettinstruments.com/

Hey Andy,

One thing that has helped me is to profile the nut narrower at the string slots.....I don't have the exact measurement but if the nut is 1/4" wide maybe sand it down to .150-.180 wide on top......I usually cut my slots then do the profiling, it has helped a bunch. Also be very careful not to rock the file side-to-side or front-to-back, I found pulling the file in one direction helps. Relative to the saddle, I found that the rounding over part on the backside is critical, it doesn't take much of an imperfection to cause buzzing, think about the string path from the pins and roll an edge on the saddle.

Greg

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Gwaltney Guitars

Andy : You sound like you are right on the money. Don't know how wide a saddle you use ,but besides the two edges I try to make sure there is no flat spot at the top of saddle, none, nada. Even though you drop off sharp in front if you have just a bit of flat on top you may be getting your buzz. Why am I telling you this .....you know this already....!!!
Tom

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

I use 3/16ths saddles to have more room for intonation

As far as nut slots, some curve them from fretboard to tuners some do flat bottoms at an angle between headstock and fretboard. What works best?

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Andy Z.
http://www.lazydogguitars.com

Andy: You have made me start thinking before my coffee this morning...! Dangerous enough with my coffee...!!!! Based on what I said in my first post one would think that one should radius the nut slots but I don't ...at least not intentionaly.I just try to go half the angle between board and headstock. Any problem I've had has been at the saddle end. Good luck and take care.

Tom

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!