Need a luthier. Help with Nut width!

[TaylorByron]

Surely one of you guitar pro's know this answer.
I recently purchased a Morgan Monroe Cedar Hill - 50 with Rose
back and sides and that lovely Cedar Top. (Mch-50)
The Problem is the nut width at 1-11/16 inch. During that
wonderful fret #2 A three finger bar chord (A simple one),
my fat fingers MUFFLE a near by string. All my other fid's
have the 1-3/4 inch nut which is perfect.

Can the NUT be changed to the wider one?
Can I have it replaced with another Bone nut?

This guitar is just wonderful, with a large, devastating sound!
I really don't want to trade it in, but fix it.

Any ideas? Thanks in advance of your assistance.

[pf400]

It's possible, probably most of the time, to replace the nut with one with wider spacing. You may have to get a nut custom-made (not too expensive). I did this with great results on a nylon string crossover guitar. I've seen a few posts here on AGF where folks have been successful with increasing the spacing this way even on a standard electric quitar that had a 1 11/16 width. Will make your chording easier.

[charles Tauber]

Yours is a common question.

The answer is "maybe". There are three primary factors that go into the string spacing. First, there is the actual width of the fingerboard at the nut (length of the nut). Second is the distance between the two outside strings and their respective edges of the fingerboard. Third, there is the length of unplayable fret at each end of each fret, due to bevelling or rounding of the ends of the frets.

If you have a sufficiently wide fingerboard at the nut, with sufficient distance between the two outside strings and the effective ends of the frets, then, yes, you can have a new nut made that widens the string spacing. If there isn't sufficient distance between the two outside strings and the effective end of the frets FOR YOUR PLAYING STYLE, then you will have issues with pulling the strings off the sides of the fingerboard/effective ends of the frets. You might be able to widen the string spacing some - within the limits of what geometry you have - but not necessarily as much as you'd like.

Take it to a qualified repair person to determine if, and by how much, you might widen the string spacing.

[Hot Vibrato]

I also prefer a 1 3/4" nut, but I have a guitar that I really like with a nut that's less than 1 11/16" wide. I was able to spread the strings wider by making a new bone nut for it. Also, in the course of refretting the guitar, I did my best to keep the ends of the frets as vertical as possible, while still maintaining a graceful bevel. This made it possible for me to play this guitar relatively comfortably, but I still prefer a wider neck.

Of course, the wider you space the nut, the more prone the outside strings are to slipping over the edge.

[John Arnold]

When i push the limits, I like to see the player play the guitar to get a sense of where the problem will likely be. Some players tend to push off the first string, while a lesser number have problems with the sixth. If that is the case, then I can put the string that has less problems a little closer to the edge.
I have refretted guitars and minimized the bevel to widen the spacing a bit. However, that is usually left until the guitar needs a partial or full refret.

[Slight Return]

Most stock nuts are not cut very well. Which includes spacing to the edge of the frets (usually too cramped) and the spacing between each string (usually not very good).

If you can have someone cut a bone nut for it, I'd go with that. Then you can not only maximize the width of the spacing, but correct any present issues with the string-to-string spacing on the current nut.

I'm with Hot Vibrato on keeping the fret ends vertical and only beveling as much as necessary to get them smooth. That's the ideal way to do fretwork IMO, as it allows you the maximum width of the neck to play on. Wherever the fret bevels are on your guitar now is what you gotta work with.

Side note: I play the A chord in that position these days with my index finger alone. I just bar the 3 strings. I was having some issues with muting strings too and that helped a lot.

It isn't uncommon for the E and the A to have narrow spacing at the nut, i.e. the A string being too close to the D, and maybe that's causing issues too.

But especially on narrower necks, maximizing the outside E string spacing is mandatory for playability. Nothing worse than a cramped nut on a narrow neck.

[TaylorByron]

Slight, you hit the nail on the head!
The A and the D string were too close on the factory nut.
I found a lovely and capable luthier in my town that
carved a new bone nut. He was concerned about how
far we could go without nearing the fret ends.

Measuring before and after: OS>OS 1-6 had 35.2mm after: 37.6mm
still pretty far from a standard 1-3/4 spread nut. (44.4mm)

But now the differential between A & D has opened ever so 'slightly' (!)
to allow me to fret that F-2 Bar "A" with dos fingeroos!
I love it because I do a lot of H/O P/O on the B string, with A-Dom 7's
allowing the 9th and the Sus - WITHOUT muting the A string with my
big fat paws.

What a difference it made. IT is an incredible guitar with an enormous
projection! Morgan Monroe Cedar Hill - 50! That Cedar top sings!

While this baby was at the shop, I lucked out into a guy wanting
to sell his Eastman E60m to pay for his new Martin D-18VS.

While at his home, I played both. And now with the Eastman home
with me, against my Martin D-18 GE, The little 000 Eastman
is fantastic in both play-ability and sound. (Don't tell Chris, but
I really like the Eastman!) But I am NOT selling the Martin!

Thank you to all who were kind enough to respond!
We are an amazing club!