2 posts
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Post by stevie on Mar 8, 2017 17:35:11 GMT
Hi, I have a HB35 that i'm having a few tuning issues with; fretted notes on the first few frets are really sharp, especially the G string. (I'm aware that this is a common problem on guitars in general) I've already taken the nut height down a little, and I'm wondering if there's anything else I can do? If i press down very lightly the problem is not as bad (but this isn't really practical!), so I'm wondering if it's the height of the fret wire, rather than the nut, that's an issue? (Maybe I should just use thicker gauge strings! I'm using 10's at the moment) Has anyone else had similar problems? Thanks
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Post by micoli on Mar 8, 2017 17:52:32 GMT
You're right about it being a common problem, and when I found out about it I checked my guitars and discovered they were all too sharp at the higher frets.
I solved the problem by filing the string grooves deeper. That brought the A, (2nd fret, G string), in particular much more in line to what it should be, ie less sharp. I did mess up quite a few times before I got the depth of the grooves more or less right and had to throw away a few bone nuts, (I cut them too deep and got fret buzz on the top frets!).
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Post by bigh on Mar 13, 2017 8:31:06 GMT
I would be more inclined to take it off and flat sand the back to reduce the height, that way you maintain the relationship between the strings and radius at the nut.
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Post by daveb on Mar 13, 2017 11:34:11 GMT
I would be more inclined to take it off and flat sand the back to reduce the height, that way you maintain the relationship between the strings and radius at the nut. That's a valid approach if the nut is accurately cut across all 6 slots. Problem is - often only one or two of the slots are too high, so you really need to file the slots individually for a good result.
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Post by bigh on Mar 13, 2017 11:38:39 GMT
Yes I agree with you, hope it works out well mate.
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Post by dacfan on Mar 13, 2017 19:31:48 GMT
I've had to file the nut slots a little on a lot of guitars, even some of the very expensive ones. I set up all my nuts to have around .018" (0.45mm) between the first fret and string. I use a feeler gauge to measure and then cut just a little until I have them right. Also it's good to cut the slot at the same angle the headstock is bent back at. That way you have proper break angle of the string at the nut. I use welding tip cleaners as much as I can because nut slot files are outrageously expensive and you want to cut the slots relative to the string gauge you use. If you use the same saw to cut all the slots you will have too much movement or pinching or any number of issues. BigH has a valid point as well. If they are all way too high it wouldn't hurt to sand the nut down a bit and maybe solve the problem without having to cut. Some people don't like them but Gretsch, Mosrite, etc. solved a lot of nut problems many years ago by using a zero fret. Thomann sells the Zero Glide nut to help solve some of those issues. I'm thinking of trying one on a strat soon. They do a lot to eliminate pulling sharp when you fret hard.
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605 posts
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Post by oghkhood on Mar 14, 2017 6:10:47 GMT
May I give a tip to ease your work and not shape the strips too deep ? Apply one to three layers of sticker (adhesive metal would be better) according to the sticker thickness, on the first fret. The sticker will have to be applied very clean and smooth on the fret's edge Then you can file/sand the nut untill you get buzz. That should be ok once the sticker is off
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2 posts
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Post by stevie on Mar 23, 2017 13:24:09 GMT
Sorry for the late reply; Just want to say a big, big thank you for all the great tips on this thread, absolutely brilliant. I've now managed to fix the problem (well, almost; I may still have a bit of tweaking to do!) using a combination of the techniques suggested above. Although I haven't tried ohgkhood's sticky metal tape technique, but what a great idea! I may yet try this. I also ended up using very fine grade sandpaper folded in half to try and get a smooth finish to the grooves (without resorting to purchasing those expensive nut files). Thanks again guys!
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