Advice on cutting nut slots

[Westside]

Hey guys, looking for some advice on nut slotting. I’m no novice when doing setups and guitar builds but I’ve always sort of lacked confidence when it comes to making nuts. I’m currently trying to make a nut for a Strat type guitar with a 2 point term, this is the first time I’ve worked on a guitar with a term.

The problem I’m having is with the G string. I’m able to get the bass E, A and D strings down to under 0.4mm above the first fret with no buzzing when picked relatively hard. However with I go to 0.4mm with the G it’s hitting the first fret. It almost seems like the rest of the strings when struck are vibrating horizontally and avoiding the the top of the fret but the G ends up vibrating vertically and so creates the buzz at the first fret? Seems around 0.5mm is okay for the G.m string. Is there something obvious I’m missing? Am I aiming too low with these numbers to begin with? Can’t recall having this issue on my hard tail / tunomatic guitars in the past.

For info, the other setup specs on the guitar are 0.25mm neck relief and 2mm height at 12th fret for low E and 1.5mm for the high E.

Cheers

 

[LtDave32]

Stack some feeler gauges in front of the nut to help prevent sawing too deep.

 

[cmjohnson]

Dave's right. I cheat in a similar fashion. I measure the height of the first fret with calipers or a depth gauge and stack up feeler gauge blades to that height plus my desired action height plus a few thousands for fine adjustments, above the first fret, and file the slot down until the file makes a light touchdown on the gauge. Then I polish the slots and check string height.
So, if the first fret height is .035 then I"ll stack up something like .055" worth of feeler gauges and sneak up on the final height.

I have to sneak up on it because my preference is to get the first fret string height as low as possible. Sometimes (too often) I take one file stroke too many and end up with a first fret buzz. I'm slowly getting better and better at resisting the temptation to do that again.

 

[Westside]

Dave's right. I cheat in a similar fashion. I measure the height of the first fret with calipers or a depth gauge and stack up feeler gauge blades to that height plus my desired action height plus a few thousands for fine adjustments, above the first fret, and file the slot down until the file makes a light touchdown on the gauge. Then I polish the slots and check string height.
So, if the first fret height is .035 then I"ll stack up something like .055" worth of feeler gauges and sneak up on the final height.

I have to sneak up on it because my preference is to get the first fret string height as low as possible. Sometimes (too often) I take one file stroke too many and end up with a first fret buzz. I'm slowly getting better and better at resisting the temptation to do that again.

I’m wondering if that’s my problem, chasing the lowest possible string height… it’s just odd that the thicker strings are able to go lower than the G string

 

[Joe Desperado]

I shoot for .015" or about .4mm above the first fret for unwound and a bit height for wound. I use the Stew Mac gauge for this. Its very easy to use and well worth the money if you do this regularly

 

[Joe Desperado]

Also, check relief. The neck could be too straight or in a slight back bow

 

[LtDave32]

I've ruined countless nuts chasing an ultra-low standard.

I've since revised my standard to higher, but still low enough to ensure against tuning problems or difficult fretting.

It's a tough balance to maintain, that slot depth. Especially so with the Nylon 6/6 I use as standard.

I no longer cut to "one more saw-pull is too far", but it's still a pain in the butt..

 

[CB91710]

It's like walking up to the edge of a cliff to get a better view.
It gets better and better until that last step, then you're screwed and get to start over.
I tend to go a little flat on my relief, and maybe a touch higher than needed on the nut and the 15th.
As long as it intonates and open chords are in tune, I'm happy.

Itching to see how a DSG setup plays

 

[Joe Desperado]

To me, this is the best time saver for Nuts and its highly repeatable. I alway go for .012"-.015" for unwound and .018-.022" for wound strings. This makes playing at the first fret (like the F chord) easy but has no buzz over the second fret. A bit of neck relief also helps a lot.

PS: Fancy Box not included LOL

 

[CB91710]

^^^^
I picked one up on Reverb for quite a bit less than the Screw-Mac version ($65)
"Elmer" nut slotting gauge.

The brass adapter is only $25 if you already have the depth gauge.

 

[Joe Desperado]

^^^^
I picked one up on Reverb for quite a bit less than the Screw-Mac version ($65)
"Elmer" nut slotting gauge.

The brass adapter is only $25 if you already have the depth gauge.

Is your analog or digital? I prefer the analog dial version as it becomes very visual and not so much mathematics.

 

[LtDave32]

It's like walking up to the edge of a cliff to get a better view.
It gets better and better until that last step, then you're screwed and get to start over.
I tend to go a little flat on my relief, and maybe a touch higher than needed on the nut and the 15th.
As long as it intonates and open chords are in tune, I'm happy.

Itching to see how a DSG setup plays

The DSG way, you have to tension the strings to get the proper height off the first fret. It's pretty close. "as low as possible without buzzing", my mentor used to say. But for practical purposes I leave it a tad higher.

My "three on a side, & explorer" (all electric guitars using a 3/16" nut), all get a Nylon 6/6 nut. It never wears down an is self-lubricating. The result is a guitar that is really easy to play "up there" in the first few frets.

I made a tutorial thread on working with Nylon 6/6. It gives a good detail of the process

(I never showed the final photo where I trimmed the top so the strings sit only in about 3/4 of the string diameter as they should, I sand away the excess slot)

You must use the four gauged jewler saws from SM, and a hacksaw blade for the low E and A slots. With saws, Nylon 6 cuts like butter. With files, forget it. -though I can openup and smooth the slots ith files. I really wish someone would make a full, proper set of gauged saws, or SM to add 2 more sizes for the E and A slots.

Gibson used to injection-mold them with the slots pre-formed.

 

[fumblefinger]

This just makes it really easy.

StewMac Safe Slot Nut Guard - StewMac

Stop your file before the slot's too deep and your nut is ruined.

www.stewmac.com

 

[CB91710]

Is your analog or digital? I prefer the analog dial version as it becomes very visual and not so much mathematics.

It's digital.
I do like Analog, but with the way the eyes are getting, it's nice not to have to pop the readers on if I forget my regular glasses downstairs (I keep a pair of readers in the toolbox for just that purpose)

 

[CB91710]

The DSG way, you have to tension the strings to get the proper height off the first fret. It's pretty close. "as low as possible without buzzing", my mentor used to say. But for practical purposes I leave it a tad higher.

My "three on a side, & explorer" (all electric guitars using a 3/16" nut), all get a Nylon 6/6 nut. It never wears down an is self-lubricating. The result is a guitar that is really easy to play "up there" in the first few frets.

I made a tutorial thread on working with Nylon 6/6. It gives a good detail of the process

(I never showed the final photo where I trimmed the top so the strings sit only in about 3/4 of the string diameter as they should, I sand away the excess slot)

You must use the four gauged jewler saws from SM, and a hacksaw blade for the low E and A slots. With saws, Nylon 6 cuts like butter. With files, forget it. -though I can openup and smooth the slots ith files. I really wish someone would make a full, proper set of gauged saws, or SM to add 2 more sizes for the E and A slots.

Gibson used to injection-mold them with the slots pre-formed.

Gibson has gone to the Tusq nuts on the Original Series.
I'm not sure what they used on my V, but they did a nice job... it's seriously low.
I was actually concerned that it was too low, as when I ran my knife-edge through it, I could BARELY feel the "step" as it cleared the slots.
But no buzzing.

 

[LtDave32]

They went to Tusq because nylon is so damn difficult to work with.

The fact that Nylon 6/6 never wears down means you can have it low the fret top, and it will stay there.

They went with Corian for a while too. But Corian wears down. I know this from experience.

Home Depot, you can get all the Corain square samples you want for the asking. It's in the kitchen counter planning center.

Great for learning nuts though. But the slot won't stay forever, it will wear down.

 

[LtDave32]

This just makes it really easy.

StewMac Safe Slot Nut Guard - StewMac

Stop your file before the slot's too deep and your nut is ruined.

www.stewmac.com

I like that.

 

[fumblefinger]

StewMac Safe Slot Nut Guard - StewMac

Stop your file before the slot's too deep and your nut is ruined.

www.stewmac.com

I just bought the clamp and the gauges. Didn't need any of the rest of the listing.
.042 first fret, add .010 for high E and the B string. Add .012 for the G and D, .014-.016 for the A and E. Totally eliminates the old back and forth.