Implications of an amateur setup?

[lowregister]

I bought my Warwick Standard Corvette off ebay two years back and never had it professionally setup. One day a clumsy friend of mine made the bass take a dive onto its face which destroyed the nut.

I had a millwright friend of mine make me one out of brass, because you know, it matched my frets. It is nice because i can adjust the height and such. I have the bass setup just the way I like it. The action is low, there's no buzz anywhere, the intonation is almost right on, the neck too has proper relief.



Nothing in the setup of this bass is problematic, but are there some things that now in my more experienced bass life that I should be aware of? Is this amateur setup misleading?

[mongo2]

Not too shabby, but I'd get the intonation right on and dress the sharp corners on the nut...ouch.

[ehque]

I'd adjust the nut so the string sat on the "edge" closest to the bridge. A flat topped nut like you have can mess with intonation.

A professional setup probably won't improve on your action and relief if you're already happy with it.

[lowregister]

Originally Posted by ehque

I'd adjust the nut so the string sat on the "edge" closest to the bridge. A flat topped nut like you have can mess with intonation.

Noted. How would you advise going about doing that?

[ehque]

I have no idea what will eat through brass fast enough, but using nut files to deepen the slots at an angle (roughly the angle of the headstock will do) and a large flat file to angle the top would probably work.

Some people have recommended using old strings as files. Not sure if that would work on brass. Angling the top might be cosmetic, but it will also help prevent your strings binding in the slots. The strings ideally should sit only halfway into the slots.

[lethargytartare]

Originally Posted by lowregister

Noted. How would you advise going about doing that?

Ask your friend what would be a good option for working those slots -- I'd expect him to have the right tools.

Read the stewmac "making a nut" guide as a reference.

The one thing that intrigues me -- if the nut height is adjustable, that suggests there is a gap between the bottom of the top part of the nut, and the "base" and the only true contact points are the screws. Also, there might be a tiny amount of play since the top part is only stabilized by the screws and strings. If you are happy with the result, that's the most important thing, but there might be a different tonal result if you had the nut fitted statically into the slot (as opposed to being "perched" on the screws), and if the nut were solidly affixed to the neck itself (as opposed to "floating").

I'd shine that thing too...I'd want to to blind people with the light it reflected

Cheers!

ltt

[ehque]

I wouldn't be too concerned about that unless it was fitted wrong - Warwicks have had adjustable nuts for years.

[Chasarms]

Originally Posted by lowregister

Noted. How would you advise going about doing that?

basically, you want the grooves deeper on the back side of the nut. They should taper up to leading edge.

[RustyAxe]

Originally Posted by ehque

I'd adjust the nut so the string sat on the "edge" closest to the bridge. A flat topped nut like you have can mess with intonation.

^ This.

[mongo2]

Originally Posted by ehque

I'd adjust the nut so the string sat on the "edge" closest to the bridge. A flat topped nut like you have can mess with intonation.

As long as the nut slots are angled from the fingerboard side of the nut down toward the headstock the flat top of the nut won't really effect anything.

However, I do shape/taper the top of the nut, but it's only for aesthetics.

[lowregister]

Originally Posted by lethargytartare

The one thing that intrigues me -- if the nut height is adjustable, that suggests there is a gap between the bottom of the top part of the nut, and the "base" and the only true contact points are the screws. Also, there might be a tiny amount of play since the top part is only stabilized by the screws and strings. If you are happy with the result, that's the most important thing, but there might be a different tonal result if you had the nut fitted statically into the slot (as opposed to being "perched" on the screws), and if the nut were solidly affixed to the neck itself (as opposed to "floating").

The previous design of the Warwick's carbon nut had the same thing. It consisted of a plastic base that rested on the headstock and then the nut "floated" on that with it's screws. It did have little guards on the side to keep it moving laterally, but I have yet to have any issues of it moving due to the pressure of the strings.

I now see what you guys mean about filing the nut to reduce amount of contact area. Thanks for the advice all