Cutting/slotting Nuts?

[KingRazor]

Haven't found a good guide on how to do it. Any suggestions?

[Musiclogic]

STEWMAC.COM : String Spacing Rule

This will be the easiest thing to buy to get the spacing without the math.

I am sure someone will take the time to put the math up also, but basically,

Take the nut width and subtract 1/4" from the total(to account for 1/8" edge spacing on each side)

take this number, and turn to a decimal figure.
Add up the total thicknesses of the strings and subtract from the remainder nut width.
this gives you the amount of room left for the spacing.
for a 4 string, divide the remainder by 3(3 spaces between 4 strings) this will give you equidistant spacing between strings.

or you can mark out the centers and file the slots on center

[KingRazor]

Originally Posted by Musiclogic

STEWMAC.COM : String Spacing Rule

This will be the easiest thing to buy to get the spacing without the math.

I am sure someone will take the time to put the math up also, but basically,

Take the nut width and subtract 1/4" from the total(to account for 1/8" edge spacing on each side)

take this number, and turn to a decimal figure.
Add up the total thicknesses of the strings and subtract from the remainder nut width.
this gives you the amount of room left for the spacing.
for a 4 string, divide the remainder by 3(3 spaces between 4 strings) this will give you equidistant spacing between strings.

or you can mark out the centers and file the slots on center

Cool, thanks for that. Anything about how deep to cut the slots?

[Meatrus]

Originally Posted by Musiclogic

STEWMAC.COM : String Spacing Rule

This will be the easiest thing to buy to get the spacing without the math.

I am sure someone will take the time to put the math up also, but basically,

Take the nut width and subtract 1/4" from the total(to account for 1/8" edge spacing on each side)

take this number, and turn to a decimal figure.
Add up the total thicknesses of the strings and subtract from the remainder nut width.
this gives you the amount of room left for the spacing.
for a 4 string, divide the remainder by 3(3 spaces between 4 strings) this will give you equidistant spacing between strings.

or you can mark out the centers and file the slots on center

But this.....FRETS.COM is cheaper! It doesn't have to be metal either, I made wooden ones.

As to the depth, theres plenty of info out there, it will depend on the bass, I use feeler gauges, but SM sells other stuff which may help.

[KingRazor]

Originally Posted by Meatrus

But this.....FRETS.COM is cheaper! It doesn't have to be metal either, I made wooden ones.

As to the depth, theres plenty of info out there, it will depend on the bass, I use feeler gauges, but SM sells other stuff which may help.

I haven't been able to find very much info on it otherwise I wouldn't be asking. Thanks for the link though.

[Musiclogic]

Depth is dependant on how you plan to set up the bass. Fretted, take the nut and trace the edge of the fb with the nut in place to see where the fretboard height on the nut is. Add the fret height along with 3/32 of an inch if you plan a lower action. This allows you wiggle room for action if your fretwork is good. Fretless, start at 1/16" above the fretboard and work from there.

[Meatrus]

The below were the first three headings from Google. They are for guitar, but the process is easily transferable to bass. Theres a thread at the bottom which may, or may not have relevant info too.



http://www.jemsite.com/articles-menu...-4-nut-height/

One

Nut Height & String Clearance - same on all strings or more on heavier strings ?

Good luck!

[Koeda]

This method worked pretty good for me - although I prefer the action a little closer.

How to slot a nut to depth in 5 minutes

David

[KingRazor]

Thanks for the info guys!

[iJazz]

Search YouTube for ElixirStringMedia channel. John Carruthers has a great tutorial about setting a nut. Actually, he has several great tutorials. This guy has been doing the work for decades, and his instructions are dead nuts simple to follow. Someone pointed out in another thread that these guys always a have little tricks and such that will always allow them a better outcome. No argument on that, but the basics are always the basics and the right place to start