A string jumping out of the nut

Going out on a limb here...

I see in your sig line that you're playing a Jazz Bass. If this is the bass that the A is jumping out of the nut on, my guess is that 1) your neck is really bowed and needs to be adjusted, which is probably not the case... or 2) the A string was clipped too short and rides up to the top of the post on the A tuner, thereby preventing you from getting good pressure on the nut - which is where I'm putting my money here.

Look at the angle the A string makes as it goes over the nut, and compare it to the other 3 strings. If the A makes little or no angle, and you can only count maybe one or two wraps of string around the peg, then I'd bet dollars to doughnuts that's your issue. Replace the A string, and when you do, clip the string NINE INCHES past the center of the peg. Install carefully, letting each wrap go below the next, like the threads of a screw, finally letting the A string leave the post near the face of the headstock.

The extra wraps of string will help to hold the string down on the post, thereby creating pressure on the A, and preventing it from hopping out.

It's a long post, but I'm punchy and wired after a good wedding gig, so for better or for worse, you get a novella instead of an answer. HTH!

 

Answer 2 is the most likely. Happens all the time on JBs.

 

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More string, more winds, more break angle, less popping out.

I find the A the trickiest string to get the correct break angle with, since the post is farther from the nut than the E (and/or B), and it has no string tree.

 

i had a nut-jumper once. i took a file and an old nut, and made powder. i mixed the powder with epoxy for a paste. i made like a pimple bump on the side of the nut where the string jumps out so its higher. other wise the only way to do it would have been file the nut deeper, and ruin the open strings action.i hope the above suggestions of string angle work instead. but if it dont, try this. johnny a

 

u can use eggshells powdered too, instead of plastic. i have fixed broken nuts with that too. the indians used to make glue with pine sap and powdered eggshell for thier arrow tips to seal the sinew and other uses too. it works. johnny a

 

Superglue and baking soda is another really fast fix. Hardens immediately and is fileable right away. But I'm hoping that it's simply a winding issue, as stated above.

 

All this talk of using superglue and whatever misses the point. The string will not pop out of the nut slot if there is enough downard pressure of the string in the nut slot. You will not increase this pressure with any amount of superglue and eggshells.

The way to get adequate downward pressure in the nut slot is to ensure that the string is wound on the tuner post properly - have a look at this diagram:

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=88194&d=1208135144

You might want one more wrap around the post for the A string just to increase the angle a bit more.