reference for string's height at 1st fret

[chalie]

Hi Guys,
I am working on adjustment at the nuts, bone type, on my new Pedulla T-bolt 5 as it came very high.
I wonder if there is any good reference for the gap between the string(s) and the 1st fret.
Thanks

[pkr2]

Originally Posted by chalie

Hi Guys,
I am working on adjustment at the nuts, bone type, on my new Pedulla T-bolt 5 as it came very high.
I wonder if there is any good reference for the gap between the string(s) and the 1st fret.
Thanks

It should be the same as the gap between the string and #3 fret while fretting #2 fret. I usually cut the nut Just a smidgin higher (5 or 6 thousandths) to allow for some settling into the notch and to make some allowance for future wear in the nut slots.

Look at the bottom of the nut slots as a zero fret and it will be pretty clear.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

[chalie]

Originally Posted by pkr2

It should be the same as the gap between the string and #3 fret while fretting #2 fret. I usually cut the nut Just a smidgin higher (5 or 6 thousandths) to allow for some settling into the notch and to make some allowance for future wear in the nut slots.

Look at the bottom of the nut slots as a zero fret and it will be pretty clear.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

Thanks for your input.

I wonder is it better to remove the nuts and sand it down at the bottom side or should I do the filing at each slots, if all strings have equally clearance.
I experienced both way.

[pkr2]

Originally Posted by chalie

Thanks for your input.

I wonder is it better to remove the nuts and sand it down at the bottom side or should I do the filing at each slots, if all strings have equally clearance.
I experienced both way.

If the nut slots are cut accurately enough I don't really think that it would make any difference. In my experience, I've settled into my own way of fitting a nut that works well for me and I always fit the top of the nut rather than the bottom.

I'll explain the way I do it but I'm sure there are other ways that would work just as well.

I start out by modifying a pencil to mark the nut where the bottom of the slots will be. With a sharp pocket knife, shave the wood on the pencil down on one side untill you just reach the lead. Place a piece of sand paper on a flat surface and sand the pencil down untill its nice and flat down the cut side. Now sand a chisel edge on the point of the pencil. The lead must be beveled like a chisel with the long part of the bevel on the flat side. Cut the pencil so it spans the first and second fret. By laying the pencil flat on the neck, spanning the first two frets, you can accurately mark the nut where the bottom of the nut slots should be. If, for instance, you want to leave .005" for the reasons that I pointed out in the other post, position a feeler gauage between the frets and the flat side of the pencil. This will raise the mark on the nut by the same amount as the thickness of the feeler guage.

Once the nut is carefully marked, use a triangular shaped file to file the notch down to the mark. Now you can use your tool of choice to round out the notch being very careful not to make the notch any deeper. Be sure to just barely clear up the sharp bottom notch that the triangular file left or the nut will be prone to crack and break at the bottom of the notch. Be VERY careful not to go ANY further than just enough to make the bottom of the notches smooth.

Restring and check your work. If everything is OK, you can file the top of the nut down until 1/2 the diameter of the strings are above the top surface of the nut. A little final finish sanding and the nut should fit perfectly.

a couple of words of caution. Be sure to slope the bottom of the notches down toward the back side of the nut slighttly so the witness point is on the front edge of the nut or you will have some wierd intonation probs. Be sure to mask off the face of the headstock. Murphys law is that you'll put at least one scratch on the headstock if you dont.

I hope I'm being clear enough that you understand each step. If not, I'll be glad to clarify as needed. Just take your time and you shouldn't have any trouble.

[pkr2]

Originally Posted by Joshua

pkr2 sure saves me a lot of typing round these parts...

LOL!

I realize that I'm posting an awful lot. I really don't mean to hog the forum and I'm counting on you to let me know if I am.

I'm retired and still miss getting my hands dirty. I really enjoy the feeling of helping someone avoid some of the screwups that I have made, and believe me, I've made my share.

Besides, this is a good place to offer help because there are lots of people here that know setup inside and out that will cover my back if I offer a solution that may not be as accurate as I think it is.

Thanks for putting up with me.

[pkr2]

Originally Posted by Joshua

Puh-lease!



You should feel free, nay encouraged, to post as much as your little heart desires. I have never seen you post anything but grade-A spot-on advice, and I have learned a thing or 2 (or 3 or 4 or... ) myself along the way.

If we ever cross paths in "the real world" coffee (or the beverage of your choice) is on me!

Thank you for the kind words. The second round will be on me.

A lot of water has gone under the bridge since we first met on the forum. It has been a pleasure.

[chalie]

Dear pkr2,
Thanks for you great effort. I am very please to received such knowledge which makes people life much easier.
I live on the other side of the world so I am not able to response promptly.

Once the neck has no tension on, no strings, it will probably bend back (backward bow) but by doing this manner of marking, it should not have any effect since it is a very short distance between 2nd fret and the nuts that we about to deal with. Is this correct?

I sometime have problem when making the strings too low at the nuts. The strings tend to have a kind of buzz at the upper side (between fret fingers and nuts) but I believed that it was at precise point (height) that created this problem. If I went a bit lower it might eliminate this buzz as well.

Thanks once again for your great assistance

[pkr2]

Originally Posted by chalie

Dear pkr2,
Thanks for you great effort. I am very please to received such knowledge which makes people life much easier.
I live on the other side of the world so I am not able to response promptly.

Once the neck has no tension on, no strings, it will probably bend back (backward bow) but by doing this manner of marking, it should not have any effect since it is a very short distance between 2nd fret and the nuts that we about to deal with. Is this correct?

I sometime have problem when making the strings too low at the nuts. The strings tend to have a kind of buzz at the upper side (between fret fingers and nuts) but I believed that it was at precise point (height) that created this problem. If I went a bit lower it might eliminate this buzz as well.

Thanks once again for your great assistance

You are more than welcome, Chalie.

You are correct about the reason for using only the first two frets as the reference point. That takes any bow in the neck out of the picture.

If you look closely you will see that the string forms a slight hump as it exits the nut. This hump, if not corrected will have the same effect as a nut slot which is cut too high. Just be sure to press down each string firmly right where the string exits the nut to remove most of the hump and the adjustment wont change as the string stretches.


If you use the string itself as a reference without removing most of that hump, the reference will change as the tension on the string pulls the hump out of the string. As the hump straightens out the bottom of the string will get closer to the frets which can cause some buzzing on the open strings.


Actually, lowering the slots will only aggravate the problem. Keep in mind that nut slots cut too low can make the bass almost unplayable because of buzzing, but if they are cut a bit too high, the only problem may be a slight raising of the action.

You seem to have a good grasp of what you're doing so you shouldn't have any problem, but if you do we're always here. Feel free to ask for clarification at any point as you progress with your work.

I am grateful to have made a new friend halfway around the world.

[chalie]

pkr2
Thanks for the remak about the hump. I always use guitar carpus over the first night of re-strings the bass to eleminate these humps if I need that bass at the next day other wise keep that for some days. Same with this one, I have them strung for a week before the set-up since this is a newly arrived from factory.
The thing was that the slots were at the coreect level but the fixing of the nuts wasn't perfect so the slope of the slots were not in the line of string's slope. The point that the string were sitting on was not at the inner side but perhaps in the middle so the height was too much.
I filed all the slots to the slope that matching the srting's and put a little more to ensure that strings are resting at the inner side of the nuts.
I found that the reached to an acceptable level but I need more of that so I stared to lower the slots again and not I have a good set-up on this bass.
I think I made too short notice to the factory so they could not take care the setting well enough though it is made by a famous brand.
Thanks again and stay in touch.