Nut slots too low?…

[martingitdave]

I picked up my D-28 Custom Authentic from the shop where it was for sale on consignment. I’ve yet to find a replacement with equal tone and a better neck. And given this one is paid for, I figured it was time to get serious about the setup.

The tech was able to lower the nut slots. But, frankly, I think they are too low now and the guitar will buzz when I play with a heavy right hand.

What do the experts suggest? Have someone fill the slots, make a new nut, or level the frets?

[fitness1]

There are obviously other variables involved.

Is it buzzing on open strings only?

Did he do any other adjustments besides the slots?

Do you know how to check the slot depth?

http://www.frets.com/FretsPages/Musi...nutaction.html

[martingitdave]

Originally Posted by fitness1

There are obviously other variables involved.

Did he do any other adjustments besides the slots?

Do you know how to check the slot depth?

http://www.frets.com/FretsPages/Musi...nutaction.html

Evidently just the adjustable truss rod and the nut slots. I asked him to leave the saddle as is and he did. The action came down just from the nut alone. I’ll check the link. But I can hear a difference. The bass strings don’t ring the same. They are too close to the next fret. Especially noticeable when playing a G chord in first position.

Thanks!

[Quickstep192]

it's common practice to build a dam around the slot with tape, then pack the slot with baking soda or bone dust, then saturate with super glue and re-slot.

[zmf]

Originally Posted by martingitdave

Have someone fill the slots, make a new nut, or level the frets?

Another option is to put a spacer under the existing nut and file the slots to satisfaction. I was skeptical of this, but a good luthier/tech recommended it and it worked out fine. An option particularly if it's otherwise a well cut nut, which was the case with the Santa Cruz in question.

[D-utim]

Find a tech that knows how to setup a guitar.

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by martingitdave

Evidently just the adjustable truss rod and the nut slots. I asked him to leave the saddle as is and he did. The action came down just from the nut alone. I’ll check the link. But I can hear a different. The bass strings don’t ring the same. They are too close to the next fret. Especially noticeable when playing a G chord in first position.

Thanks!

If you're getting buzz when the 5th and 6th strings are depressed to make a first position G then the nut slots aren't the culprit. Once the string is pressed to a fret then the nut slot is no longer part of the equation.

If the slots are too high then it can be difficult to press the strings down to create clear notes. If the slots are too low then the string will buzz in the open position. Neither one of these scenarios is applicable in your case.



Check your neck relief and string height over the 12th fret.

[fitness1]

Originally Posted by martingitdave

Evidently just the adjustable truss rod and the nut slots. I asked him to leave the saddle as is and he did. The action came down just from the nut alone. I’ll check the link. But I can hear a different. The bass strings don’t ring the same. They are too close to the next fret. Especially noticeable when playing a G chord in first position.

Thanks!

Then the next thing I'd do is check the relief - may be too little for your playing style.

http://www.frets.com/FretsPages/Luth...ef/relief.html

[rmp]

Originally Posted by D-utim

Find a tech that knows how to setup a guitar.

yep this..

the person who worked on that may have a bit too gung ho with the nut files..

this is such a fine line detail,, .


Everyone has a different touch, it's really not precisely a one size fit for all.

it's easy to sort out, but a pain in the but to find the "right" setup guy.

Know who you got doing your work. Walk away if they are not doing it right.

the "right" setup tech makes all the difference

[fitness1]

Originally Posted by rmp

yep this..

the person who worked on that may have a bit too gung ho with the nut files..

this is such a fine line detail,, .


Everyone has a different touch, it's really not precisely a one size fit for all.

it's easy to sort out, but a pain in the but to find the "right" setup guy.

Know who you got doing your work. Walk away if they are not doing it right.

the "right" setup tech makes all the difference

And they can only do it 'right' if the client has verbalized what he wants.

[martingitdave]

Originally Posted by fitness1

And they can only do it 'right' if the client has verbalized what he wants.

Yes, in his defense, I was looking to improve playability because of neuropathy. I think he was hoping to improve to the greatest extent possible. I didn't remind him that I play with a heavy right hand when I'm leading bluegrass. He probably only saw me Travis picking with bare fingers.

[John Arnold]

Without information about which open and fretted notes are buzzing, it would be a wild guess as to what is actually going on.
Too little relief will cause buzzing in the first position, both on open and fretted notes. Too much relief, and the buzzing shifts to the higher numbered frets.
A nut that is too low will cause buzzing on open strings, but will have no effect on buzzing of fretted notes. A nut that is noticeably higher than the fret plane makes the guitar unnecessarily hard to play, especially in the first position.
I generally set the relief at 0.006", then set the nut height as per Rudy4's illustration, then adjust the action at the saddle. Playing style determines the action.
Too much relief or too high a nut will also cause bad intonation.
If the buzzing is restricted to certain strings or is prominent only on the bass or treble side, it is best to reshape or replace the saddle such that only the offending strings are raised. Setup is all about optimization, and very often it is not possible to achieve that goal without touching the saddle.

[calvanesebob]

The nut action should be set first, and with the relief set dead flat. Then the relief should be set to the players preference. Then the action at the 12th fret should be set after that.

If you set the relief before the nut action, then you risk the chance of open string buzz if the player wants the relief lowered. Setting the nut action with the neck dead flat first eliminates that risk.

[Rad]

If you decide to fill the nut slots, StewMac sells a set of nut powders that work very well.

I have done the baking soda/nut powder thing, Stewmac’s powders are far superior. StewMac has a how to vid on their site. I have no affiliation with StewMac other than they have a lot of my money

Here are a couple shots: the powder set, the slot filed, the slot recut.

[Daddyo]

Originally Posted by martingitdave

I picked up my D-28 Custom Authentic from the shop where it was for sale on consignment. I’ve yet to find a replacement with equal tone and a better neck. And given this one is paid for, I figured it was time to get serious about the setup.

The tech was able to lower the nut slots. But, frankly, I think they are too low now and the guitar will buzz when I play with a heavy right hand.

What do the experts suggest? Have someone fill the slots, make a new nut, or level the frets?

The correct answer is get a new nut cut.
Don't even consider filing the frets.
If it was one string I would consider maybe filling the nut slot. I've done it and on one guitar it lasted 15 years and on another it lasted a few months.

You could buy a set of cheap automotive feeler gauges and cut down the .001 or .002 and shim up the nut. The solid steel would not reduce tone.

Personally, if I could afford a D28 Authentic I could afford to have a new nut cut.