Hesh wrote:
I found this:
http://www.lutherie.net/nuts.html...
I didn't cut the slots like this, but just flat and straight.
The only string that is half in the slot is the low 'E' string, the rest are lower or 'buried'!
Can I sand down the top of the nut until half the string is exposed? Or get another nut and leave the slots alone (as cut by graphtech) and lower the nut by sanding down from the bottom/underneath of the nut until the pre-cut slots are the correct height above the first fret?
many thanks!
No buried strings in the slot are NOT an issue and this notion of 1/2 the string in the slot is BS and many players with their style can bend a sting right out of a 1/2 depth slot. You can reduce the nut material above the strings if you want but it's not necessary. When I make a nut, when we Ann Arbor Guitars make a nut and when many graduates from a well known Lutherie school make a nut we file the nut right down so the file hits the strings sacrificing a set of strings, the old set in the nut making process. This means that the slot is the full depth of the respective string(s).
But what's REALLY important here instead of the snake oil on the Internet about 1/2 height nuts slots is the set back angle of the nut slot that you file. The slot should be:
1) Slightly wider than the string AND one gauge up in strings so the player can go heavier with strings if they want. This means that the string will not be binding in the nut slot causing unresponsive tuning and then a jump on the tuner in pitch with a "tink" sound that can be heard.
2). This is the money activity the nut slot should have a set-back angel of at least 4 degrees. I like to go a bit more like 5 - 6 degrees or even 7. On acoustics we usually shoot for 1/2 the set back angle of the head stock (often around 14 degrees). On electrics not all headstocks are set back at all such as Fender. So make the slot that you file about 5 - 6 degrees or so. If it's flat you will get a sitar tone, the buzz that I think you've been chasing all along... A nut slot that does not have enough of a break angle or has a hump filed in it encourages the vibrating wave of the string to breach the nut face and buzz as the slot rises to touch the string. This sitar sound often sounds like it's coming from the bridge but it's a nut slot and a very common thing that happens when people don't understand how to file a but slot. There has to be enough of an angle to terminate the vibrating wave of the string or that wave travels into the slot. It often throws off the intonation for that string.
3). The link you provided does describe how we determine how low to cut the slot but they wussy out and don't encourage folks to take the slot lower and the benefits of same.
You said "I didn't cut the slots like this, but just flat and straight." Not sure if you are speaking of angling the slot direction toward the tuner post of if you are saying that there is no set back angle on your slots that they are flat. If the later is true that's your buzz, sitar sound and this is classic. Search on "set-back angles" if you are interested in more information but I provided all the money point here already.[/quote]
Very informative and to the point, as usual, thank you!
Luckily I haven't touched it again yet anyway!
Thanks for setting the record straight.
The angling of the nuts slots direction are NOT angled toward the tuner posts, but follow the initial pre-cut graphtech slots. But, there is no set back angle on the slots, they are more or less 'flat'.
When you mention degrees, are you assuming a 360% circle?
Does the bottom of each slot need to be 'round', or can the bottom of the slots be flat/square like the nut files profile?
many thanks![/quote]
Great now I feel like we are actually speaking "with" each other.
OK the nut slots are not angled toward the tuners and that's how PRS does it. When we speak of "set-back" angle for nut slots the fret plane is your zero degrees or baseline. So we want the nut slots to be cut at >4 degrees away from the fret plane or a "set-back" angle. Make sense. I like more than 4 and you have that now. Less than four can cause buzz and it's highly likely that the buzz you have on or had on an open string is because of a flat nut slot. They can wear that way too.
PRS uses a horrible plastic material on the SE's for nuts, the black crap. It parts like the sea for Moses for the fret file and then when you remove the file it did not actually cut but closes back up and pinches the string. It's one of my only beefs about PRS of which I own some too. I replaced my black SE nut on my PRS with black Ram's Horn which is not much better because it's very soft in my experience but it is black....
Yes the string should be laying in a nut slot that is perhaps .001" or so larger than the string on both sides and rounded like the string on the bottom. There are those here who will argue that a V shaped nut slot is good enough for them. They're right it is good enough for them but it's not good enough for me or my many clients. A V shaped nut slot will pinch a string, cause tuning instability and even breakage with aggressive benders and trem users.
So cut the slot "set-back" the degrees we suggested to you. I use dedicated nut slot files from Stew-Mac with rounded cutting surfaces that match the gauge of the individual stings. Be sure too that not only is there that set-back angle but when using the file you are not cutting the front of the slot as less angle than the back or creating a "hump" in the spot or that can result in the sitar sound too. When I was learning to cut nut slots properly I set a small block of wood on the peg head and positioned it so that when my file was in the but slot and touching the block of wood it was around 7 degrees. Training wheels if you will.
And yes a 360 degree circle if that helps you visualize what we speak of. The fret plane is zero.
So...... do this.... please
1). Set the relief and truss rod.
2). Cut the cut slots.
3). Set action at the 12th
4). Set intonation
5). Play every note and be aggressive looking for rattle.
Pat yourself on the back and enjoy a very well set-up PRS.[/quote]
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In 'freemans' epic setup thread:
https://www.tdpri.com/threads/basic-setup.952636/page-2, he only briefly mentions the angle of the nut slots:
"I try to make the slot parallel with the fretboard but roll off as the string exits the slot and I may open the back end of the slot to avoid binding."@freeman
I attach image of my hosco files, they are not round, only a slight curve at best. Do I need to get something else please?
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