The top of the nut is shaped to follow the radius of the fretboard, and the string slots also follow this curve. To allow the strings to clear the top of the first fret, the bottoms of the slots should be . 030″ higher than the fret height.
Keeping this in view, how deep should nut slots be?
The slots should be only deep enough so 1/3 of the string is above the top of the nut and 2/3 in the nut.
In this manner, how do you adjust a nut slot on a guitar?
In this way, how do you adjust the height of a nut?
How do you measure guitar string height?
Measure string action (the height of the string above the fret) at any point by placing the gauge behind the string. The string height markings are at increments of . 010″ (ten thousandths of an inch). When the bottom of a mark aligns with the bottom of the string, that measurement is the string height at that point.
How high should electric guitar strings be at the nut?
Generally, the bottoms of the nut slots should be a few thousandths of an inch higher than the tops of the frets when the neck is straight. To check nut-slot height, hold the string down at the third fret, and see how much it moves over the first fret.
How high should the strings be at the first fret?
String Height at the 1st Fret
| Low Action | “Normal” Action |
|---|---|
| Low E: 0.51mm (0.020”) High E: 0.30mm (0.012”) | Low E: 0.76mm (0.030”) High E: 0.41mm (0.016”) |
Should guitar strings be the same height?
Most guitarists who play purely, or mostly, bottleneck keep their strings much higher than is comfortable for standard playing, and that height makes slide work a breeze. If your style blends slide and standard fretting on the same guitar, experiment to find a happy medium.
What happens if the nut is too high?
Nut slots that are too high create a situation where the guitar is difficult to play in first position. They can also throw off the tuning and intonation. Nut slots that are too low will create what many players refer to as a “sitar” effect.
When should I adjust my guitar nut?
Why & When Should You Replace or Adjust the Nut?
- The nut is too high.
- The nut is too low (the string grooves are too deep)
- The string grooves in the nut are too wide.
- The nut is broken.
- The guitar doesn’t sound so good anymore (often a plastic nut)