This ain't normal, is it?

ghindman · #1 03-30-2006, 06:48 PM

Bought a MiM J Fretless off the 'Bay, and found this when I went to put on new strings:

That's not how these are setup, are they? I'm guessing a new nut is in order? The playing portion of the fretboard isn't affected, so I'm not that peaved, but what some people do to a perfectly good instrument boggles the mind.

Thanks.

lamborghini98 · #2 03-30-2006, 06:50 PM

Did he sand the nut down to be even with the fretboard???? Looks like he was trying to make a sort of zero fret. Theres no problems playing it? How does it sound?

jonathan_matos5 · #3 03-30-2006, 06:50 PM

that is a travisty

ghindman · #4 03-30-2006, 06:51 PM

Glad to hear I'm not losing my mind. There's still some actual nut, which is why I didn't see anything until I pulled the old strings off. It actually sounded surprisingly good, knowing what I now know.

Then again, I'm not going to shed a lot of tears over a $225 bass when it'll cost me $35 for a new nut.

mike phillips · #5 03-30-2006, 06:52 PM

well damn that sucks

Winky B. · #6 03-30-2006, 06:57 PM

If it sounds good for $225.00 dollars don`t worry about it.

fookgub · #7 03-30-2006, 10:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Winky B.

If it sounds good for $225.00 dollars don`t worry about it.

Yeah, don't worry about it. The guy just wasn't careful when he slotted the nut. If it sounds good, don't worry about it. You probably can't even see it with the strings on.

BassFelt · #8 03-30-2006, 11:31 PM

Everybody seems to agree that this looks totally wrong but I disagree.

On a fretted bass the bottom of the slot in the nut is equal (or slightly higher) above the fretboard to the fret height. However on a fretless, the bottom of the nut slots can be as (or almost as) low as the fingerboard itself. That means that in order to have pressure on the string in the nut to get a good witness point, the area behind the nut needs to be lower than the bottom of the nut slots.

IOW I think this has nothing to do with carelessness. It is unavoidable on a low action setup on a Fender because the fingerboard extends past the nut.

superbassman2000 · #9 03-30-2006, 11:46 PM

i wonder if that is a normal thing for fender to do, because i remember my fretless MIM fender jazz had the same thing, and i didn't even notice it until i sold it, and he wrote back to me telling me about it! (maybe that is my bass

) but either ways, i didn't notice a difference in playability or anything...maybe bassfelt is right

73jbass · #10 03-31-2006, 12:40 AM

I had a new MM SR5 fretless that was the same way from the factory.I wouldn't worry about it.

Whacked · #11 03-31-2006, 01:20 AM

just checked my MIM J fretless.
Pretty much the same and the action on that bass is pretty low.

Unless it affects playing, I wouldnt sweat it.

ghindman · #12 03-31-2006, 10:03 AM

Interesting - thanks.

Geoff St. Germaine · #13 03-31-2006, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BassFelt

Everybody seems to agree that this looks totally wrong but I disagree.

On a fretted bass the bottom of the slot in the nut is equal (or slightly higher) above the fretboard to the fret height. However on a fretless, the bottom of the nut slots can be as (or almost as) low as the fingerboard itself. That means that in order to have pressure on the string in the nut to get a good witness point, the area behind the nut needs to be lower than the bottom of the nut slots.

IOW I think this has nothing to do with carelessness. It is unavoidable on a low action setup on a Fender because the fingerboard extends past the nut.

I would mostly agree with this. I think it's a case of the area behind the nut being too high rather than the nut slots begin cut too deep.

Jazzin' · #14 03-31-2006, 07:33 PM

As long as those nut slots aren't lower than the fingerboard, it's normal.