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  #1  
Old 04-18-2020, 11:44 AM
Buzzy Buzzy is offline
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Default Sable string height problem at nut

I recently purchased a Sable and love it. After playing for the last month on it I decided that the string height of the first two strings is too high near the nut. It looks like the nut is compensated some how, it has waves on it as opposed to most nuts that are square edged. McPherson included another bridge with the guitar but I think the change needs to be at the other end of the string. Seems like the first two strings are much higher than the 3-6 strings.

Has anyone lowered the action of the strings near the nut and what was the method used?

I also notices that there is a groove alongside the B string slot in the nut (actually never saw it until I took this picture). I have not changed the strings so this must have come from the factory this way. Maybe the nut is messed up resulting in strings 1, 2 being higher than the others.

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Old 04-18-2020, 12:16 PM
JimCA JimCA is offline
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Working on nut slots is a lot more intimidating to me than sanding the bottom of the saddle, so I always take it to my local luthier get the nut right.

I'm a big fan of luthier http://www.bryankimsey.com for online setup information. He goes deep into what works and why. He makes the point that a few thousandths of an inch difference at the nut has a much bigger impact on playability than at the saddle. He suggests action at the first fret (bottom of string to fret distance) should be close to E = .018", A = .016", D = .016", G = .016", B = .016", E = .014". He's a bluegrass player, so this can handle a heavy strummer. I'm not, but it feels great to me.
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Old 04-18-2020, 12:43 PM
Buzzy Buzzy is offline
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Default Nuts are tricky

I agree about nuts being more difficult. I am not actually considering doing this myself but I think that McPhersons are a little different since the neck floats.

I want to be sure that I understand what the appropriate fix is so that I can find a luthier that can implement it. I think there is always a range of skills and knowledge out there and if you don't know at least a little you can't judge if you have a skilled technician or somebody who just talks a good game.

The more I have thought about this, and especially since I noticed the groove alongside the B string when I took the picture, I think this may be a factory issue. I have tried to contact McPherson several times and ways but with the closures have been unsuccessful. I was hoping to get their input on the solution.
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Old 04-18-2020, 12:45 PM
SpruceTop SpruceTop is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Buzzy View Post
I also notices that there is a groove alongside the B string slot in the nut (actually never saw it until I took this picture). I have not changed the strings so this must have come from the factory this way. Maybe the nut is messed up resulting in strings 1, 2 being higher than the others.

It looks like the B-string should be located in that "extra" slot which may be where it really needs to go. Are you sure your B-string, as shown, isn't actually sitting on top of the nut's non-slotted surface and that is why you feel at least that that string of the two top strings is too high?

A relevant aside: I bought a new Taylor 812ce 12-Fret, and took it out of its unopened shipping box, and out of its hardshell case right in the store. After tuning it, the darn thing was that I couldn't get my fretting fingers to properly locate on the 1st-string! A closer examination revealed that the guitar left Taylor with the 1st-string out of its slot and almost off the treble side of the nut. I loosened the string and put it in its slot and all was well. The lesson learned was that makers, even Taylor with its impeccable quality control, sometimes do miss a beat!
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Last edited by SpruceTop; 04-18-2020 at 12:58 PM.
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Old 04-18-2020, 01:31 PM
Tøf Tøf is offline
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Buzzy, if you called try to contact them via email instead. I sent a message to McPherson customer service last week and I received a reply the same day.
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Old 04-18-2020, 01:35 PM
Buzzy Buzzy is offline
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Default slot

Yes, I thought the same when I saw the shallow slot. I loosened the string and checked and no, it is in the deeper and apparently proper slot.

Interesting story about your Taylor. I have two Taylors and they both have an incredible set up from the factory. That is probably why I noticed this 1, 2nd string issue so much. I was having to use a much higher force to properly fret the strings near the nut and noticed that the strings seemed much higher than the rest. I figured they should be the same or slightly lower.
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Old 04-18-2020, 01:39 PM
Buzzy Buzzy is offline
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Originally Posted by Tøf View Post
Buzzy, if you called try to contact them via email instead. I sent a message to McPherson customer service last week and I received a reply the same day.
I used the contact page on April 2nd and have not heard. I also tried calling and using FB and FB messenger. I will try the email. Thanks
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Old 04-18-2020, 03:37 PM
tbeltrans tbeltrans is offline
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I have two Sables and have not seen that problem in either one. Email has worked well for me when contacting McPherson.

Edit: I have brought a number of newly acquire guitars to Marty Reynolds to notch the nut a bit. I don't want to mess it up and he has the experience to take off just the right amount. I would probably tend to overdo it. I have not felt the need to have that done to my newest Taylors or McPhersons. Also, it is quite unusual, but not impossible, for a McPherson to have a problem fresh from the factory. I hope you get it resolved quickly and to your satisfaction.

Tony
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Last edited by tbeltrans; 04-18-2020 at 03:53 PM.
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Old 04-18-2020, 04:02 PM
GuitarLuva GuitarLuva is offline
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First off don't be alarmed by the 'styling' of the nut. Apparently McPherson use a patented compensated tusq nut and saddle by Graphtech and that's what it looks like. I recently ordered myself a Sable (never received it as of yet) but I've been doing a helluva lot of research lately about the company. This post doesn't make me feel good though . Do you have any means of measuring the string height at the nut? McPherson's attention to detail is supposed to be extremely high so I'm a little surprised to hear this. That being said I don't have a proper set of nut files myself, which is ideally what you would want to file a little off a nut slot, but I found welding torch tip cleaners to work really well on tusq as it's not as dense as bone. You can get those at your local hardware store (if its open) and pick the size that matches the string. Ideally you would want to be able to measure it though as you're filing. A nut is probably the hardest part of a guitar to get right and you can easily mess it up.
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Old 04-18-2020, 04:53 PM
tbeltrans tbeltrans is offline
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The compensations on the lower E string and the B string are normal, or at least yours look like mine. There is only one notch for each string on my Sables, so if you have an extra notch for the B string, that is a bit odd. I can't say that my B and high E strings are too high though.

I hope that helps.

Tony
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  #11  
Old 04-18-2020, 06:38 PM
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It sounds like a very, very serious problem to me. I think the owner would be better off just sending me the guitar and let me deal with the heartbreak. Heck, I'd even give him a few hundred bucks.
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Old 04-18-2020, 08:00 PM
tbeltrans tbeltrans is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by EvanB View Post
It sounds like a very, very serious problem to me. I think the owner would be better off just sending me the guitar and let me deal with the heartbreak. Heck, I'd even give him a few hundred bucks.
As the owner of two Sables, I think Evan has a point. But not to put too fine a point on it, I think your Sable would be happier with me because it would have friends just waiting for it to arrive. When it comes to Sables, three is not a crowd. It is just a party getting started.

Seriously, Buzzy, I think that contacting McPherson by email, you will find them very responsive. Of course, you can reach either Evan or me by email or PM too.

Tony
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  #13  
Old 04-18-2020, 08:43 PM
martingitdave martingitdave is offline
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I think you need to reseat the plain strings in the nut slots. Might have gotten loose during shipping and you tuned it up with them unseated?
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Old 04-18-2020, 09:53 PM
GuitarLuva GuitarLuva is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by martingitdave View Post
I think you need to reseat the plain strings in the nut slots. Might have gotten loose during shipping and you tuned it up with them unseated?
Sounds like a good theory to me and I'm hoping you're right!
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  #15  
Old 04-19-2020, 09:48 AM
Dbone Dbone is offline
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This is a bit surprising. I guess even McPherson can slip. Does it have anything to do with current going ons in the world? Less people working, lessened quality control, etc...? I obviously have no idea...just speculating.
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mcpherson, nut adjustment, sable, string height

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