#1
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Another Nut problem
Hello lovely people. I have been trying to help a friend who has a fairly rubbish Hondo guitar. Someone had put a nut on it that was way too big. I bought a nut of the right width and sanded it down to the right height.
Now when it is tight up against the end of the fret board I can tune the guitar, but by the time I get to the 5th fret the note is high and un playable. Here is what I have done:- Straightened the neck New strings Measured with a fret rule I had less problem with a guitar I made for my gcse than this - any help or wisdom from you guys would be awesome Thanks Melody xx |
#2
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My rule of thumb for setting up guitars is start with the nut, get it right with correct string slot heights, or at least pretty close. String it up to tension and check using the "press at the third fret, look for clearance over first fret" technique. With strings at tension, adjust the truss rod for your desired relief - I use .004 to .006 fretting at 1 and 12. The final thing to do is set your desired action at the 12th fret - .065 high E and .090 low E (1/16" and 3/32") is considered good, normal action for an acoustic guitar, but work up to it - with an old, cheaper guitar you may come up against wonky frets that need work, or leave action higher that ideal to reduce buzzing. So it sounds to me that you just need to start working on the bridge saddle. If you can measure how much you want to lower the action by at the 12th fret (say you measure .100 and you want .065) you take double that amount off the saddle. Don't go too far and run out of saddle. If that doesn't do it, there may be structural problems with the guitar.
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Brian Evans Around 15 archtops, electrics, resonators, a lap steel, a uke, a mandolin, some I made, some I bought, some kinda showed up and wouldn't leave. Tatamagouche Nova Scotia. |
#3
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From what you describe, it sounds like you have an intonation problem and the solution for that is working on the saddle.
http://charlestauber.com/luthier/Res...May%202015.pdf |
#4
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Thank you
I'm kinda wondering - the fret rule measure, if I go from the bridge (saddle) and the rule is at the front of each fret the nut is in the right place - if the centre of each fret is where the rule lies then there should be a 1mm spacer between the nut and the fret board Does that make sense?? |
#5
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Quote:
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#6
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Ummm - one more bit
If instead of using a tuner, and I tune the guitar by ear - instead of using the 5th fret tuning (Like E string on the 5th fret = A open on the next string down) I use 1st and 6th fret (sooo 6th Fret on the E string and 1st fret not the next) the guitar is in tune as long as I don't have an open string (like bar chords are ok) - this is why I'm still puzzling at the nut end of things And yeh, looks like I need to read loads!! Thanks Melody xx |
#7
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I'd start by ensuring that the strings break at the leading edge - at the face of the nut abutting the end of the fingerboard - of the slots in the nut. If they are not, they can negatively change the intonation. |
#8
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Quote:
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Rodger Knox, PE 1917 Martin 0-28 1956 Gibson J-50 et al |