Hey, Take a Look at My Nut!

Mr Grumpy said:
View attachment 39136

That's gonna bind on the G, hasn't it? There are distinctly different hard angles coming into the nut and going out of the nut. Further, being half ontop of the nut, there's yet more friction and potential for binding, isn't there?

I'd say the same issue with the B.

Your D looks nice.

I say that because I've been rather irked with the G string on my SG Special, so took some time working the nut slots. It looks really ugly now, but I have much smoother angles, no binding at all. Since I did that (3 weeks ago or so?), the guitar has stayed in tune perfectly. :D

Here:

View attachment 39135

This was the thought process: a curve coming into the nut and through the nut then leaving in a straight line to the bridge. I know it looks really ugly, but it's the best tuning stability that I've ever had with a Gibson G string, so I'm happy. I also wanted a deep channel, so there's no side or bottom friction that could contribute to binding problems.

I hasten to add: I know nothing, so the luthiers and fellas who know will probably (rightly) tell me that my solution is an awful one. :io:
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Your solution is a very good one. Angling the slot is recommended for the Gibson's problematic G string. Nice work!!
 
chilipeppermaniac said:
OK this thread is timely. I am really struggling ever since playing my one SG the other night with headphones out of my little amp. From my quick half assed look, I am guessing I may have poorly cut nut slots.

I could hear string buzz very clearly on the G and B strings. Then I got my eye out to look up and down the neck for bow. Best I can see is the neck is not straight or back bowed. In other words, there is some neck relief.
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Fret the 1st fret of each string. Buzz?
No = not the nut slot as far as open string height
Yes = nut or fret buzz (could have more than 1 issue).
You can try raising the bridge temporarily stupid high to eliminate fret buzz as the culprit.
If open string still buzzes with the bridge stupid high, it is the fit of the string in the slot, not the height.

I found a too narrow slot by putting a little finger pressure on the string on the tuner side of the nut and see if the open string buzz sound but changes or stops. "Flossing" the slot as described by @JohnnyGoo resolved it. I used actual nut files to gently widen the slot as I did not want that particular one any deeper.
 
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Thanks JT,

Now I feel like a dummy, and my apologies to all my forum mates. It turns out my issue appears to be in the NO category.
NO, not guitar, YES to what and how I was hearing the guitar thru that particular amp/headphones.

What I initially thought was string buzz was really just from me trying headphones thru my amp and getting crackling/buzzing when certain volume and frequencies on the higher strings being struck and transmitting in my ears.

Unplugged the headphones and played through the amp speaker. No buzz noticeable.
 
Cadorman said:
View attachment 39113

My wife won't check it out, but do you see anything weird at the B string? A little warp maybe? Been having a hell of a time getting in tune, so I tuned the B string at the 3rd fret and it's perfect. Of course the open B is flat now. I think I need a new nut. Sorry, didn't mean to steal your thunder Mcblink.
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JohnnyGoo said:
One of the flaws in Gibson string path design is the string angle to the tuning pegs. PRS guitars kinda corrected this if you look at there headstocks. Course Fender has the straight path from strings to tuning pegs but you need those string trees.i prefer the OFR method. Im always pullin and tugging and dinkin with my Gibson style guitars tuning.Not so much with the Fenders.Just the way it is.Nothin is perfect.View attachment 39148
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OFR!!!!

Zero issues.
 
Godin guitars have well made headstocks, never any issues with tuning due to those style of headstocks.
 
Cadorman said:
And here we go with the Gibson bashing again....
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Well....now that you’ve said something about it....
I’m still happy with mine....and my PRS SE, and my Gladiators, and my Fender, and Squier...I don’t have a Peavey “guitar”...hmmmm....Adrian....you wanna help me out with that?...I’m thinking something 24.75 inch scale, mahogany, superferrites...maybe the hum bucking rail ones....I dunno....
I'm sure someone will come along and fix this situation @Cadorman ....
 
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