Guitar Nut Gauged Files
The All Important Guitar Nut
Luthiers and guitar players frequently make the mistake of underestimating the importance of the guitar nut.
In my career as both a guitar repairman and a luthier, I have seen great guitar nut setups, and totally messed up guitar nut setups. The difference can be totally amazing.
Additionally, materials can play a very meaningful role in the tone quality of a guitar, particularly when gravitating from a cheap plastic nut to a bone nut.
I will dwell on the nut in several articles ranging from the analysis of the guitar nut here, to making the nut, material choices, and making the perfect nut.
So you can tell that the guitar nut, that little strip of white plastic, ivory or bone plays a important role in the guitar playing ease and tone. These are some of the guitar attributes that the guitar nut is responsible for:
Now we will examine each of these elements in more detail and find out why this little strip of plastic, bone or ivory if of such importance to the guitar's playing ease and tone production.
Luthiers and guitar players frequently make the mistake of underestimating the importance of the guitar nut.
In my career as both a guitar repairman and a luthier, I have seen great guitar nut setups, and totally messed up guitar nut setups. The difference can be totally amazing.
Additionally, materials can play a very meaningful role in the tone quality of a guitar, particularly when gravitating from a cheap plastic nut to a bone nut.
I will dwell on the nut in several articles ranging from the analysis of the guitar nut here, to making the nut, material choices, and making the perfect nut.
So you can tell that the guitar nut, that little strip of white plastic, ivory or bone plays a important role in the guitar playing ease and tone. These are some of the guitar attributes that the guitar nut is responsible for:
- String Action or Guitar Playability
- Intonation of the Guitar
- Quality of the Guitar Tone
- Guitar Tunability
- String Age
Now we will examine each of these elements in more detail and find out why this little strip of plastic, bone or ivory if of such importance to the guitar's playing ease and tone production.
Title.
Gibson Guitar Mustache Bridge
String Action:
Okay this one is rather obvious, and quite simple to understand, but there is actually a little more to it than it appears on the surface.
Just minute changes in the groove depth can produce an incredible difference in the ease of picking the guitar.
Can you cut the string channels too low? Yes that is easy to do and you will ruin the nut and have to start all over. Then what is the ideal string depth?
That will be covered in another article on how to construct a guitar nut from scratch.
Intonation of the Guitar:
Guitar intonation refers to the proper string length to guitar scale relationship. This is important because the guitar nut has a role in determining the proper scale length. This beginning point of the scale is where the guitar nut and the fretboard join.
If the channels for the strings are filled improperly, the string length will be altered and throw off the intonation by means of making the string length fall somewhere ' within' the guitar nut, rather than the outside edge. The guitar will then play out of tune and will be nearly impossible to keep in tune.
The Guitar Tone:
Also the guitar nut has a ton of influence in the guitar tone quality. If you are interested to be convinced of this, just replace an ivory nut with a plastic nut in a fine classical guitar. You will not believe how much difference that can make. The string tone and sustain will be much more muted on the plastic guitar nut vs. the lively sound of the ivory guitar nut as well.
What this proves to us is that materials make an incredible difference with tone production. Also, to assure great guitar tone and sustain, be sure that the guitar nut is set properly into the guitar neck. With a perfect fit, the guitar nut will transmit all of the guitar string vibrations to the guitar neck. Also the tone and resonance of the strings will be enhanced as they arrive at the guitar saddle.
Guitar Tunability:
If the strings slots are filed or cut improperly, you will cause this the guitar strings to bind and be very hard to tune accurately. If the string slots are cut into the guitar nut with a set of gaged nut files, it will permit matching the nut file to the string diameter.
In order to perform to the maximum, proper string slots should possess the following attributes:
Preservation of the Strings:
Obviously, if all of the above conditions are met and the string slots are made properly the strings will not be subjected to nearly as much stress at the nut and the result is that the strings will age better.
Okay this one is rather obvious, and quite simple to understand, but there is actually a little more to it than it appears on the surface.
Just minute changes in the groove depth can produce an incredible difference in the ease of picking the guitar.
Can you cut the string channels too low? Yes that is easy to do and you will ruin the nut and have to start all over. Then what is the ideal string depth?
That will be covered in another article on how to construct a guitar nut from scratch.
Intonation of the Guitar:
Guitar intonation refers to the proper string length to guitar scale relationship. This is important because the guitar nut has a role in determining the proper scale length. This beginning point of the scale is where the guitar nut and the fretboard join.
If the channels for the strings are filled improperly, the string length will be altered and throw off the intonation by means of making the string length fall somewhere ' within' the guitar nut, rather than the outside edge. The guitar will then play out of tune and will be nearly impossible to keep in tune.
The Guitar Tone:
Also the guitar nut has a ton of influence in the guitar tone quality. If you are interested to be convinced of this, just replace an ivory nut with a plastic nut in a fine classical guitar. You will not believe how much difference that can make. The string tone and sustain will be much more muted on the plastic guitar nut vs. the lively sound of the ivory guitar nut as well.
What this proves to us is that materials make an incredible difference with tone production. Also, to assure great guitar tone and sustain, be sure that the guitar nut is set properly into the guitar neck. With a perfect fit, the guitar nut will transmit all of the guitar string vibrations to the guitar neck. Also the tone and resonance of the strings will be enhanced as they arrive at the guitar saddle.
Guitar Tunability:
If the strings slots are filed or cut improperly, you will cause this the guitar strings to bind and be very hard to tune accurately. If the string slots are cut into the guitar nut with a set of gaged nut files, it will permit matching the nut file to the string diameter.
In order to perform to the maximum, proper string slots should possess the following attributes:
- First, the string slot should have a rounded bottom which matches the contour of each string.
- To prevent string binding within the guitar nut, each string slot should be slightly wider than each respective string.
- Finally, in order to minimize string binding, each string slot ought to be angled toward it's respective strings tuning machine post.
Preservation of the Strings:
Obviously, if all of the above conditions are met and the string slots are made properly the strings will not be subjected to nearly as much stress at the nut and the result is that the strings will age better.
