Nut width and string spacing (4 strings)

[roberthabraken]

I've got a question concerning the neck design for my current build (First build thread 'Roberts JB4'):

I want to have a more or less regular jazz bass neck, but with 24 frets instead of 20 / 21. I made a full scale drawing, but I think the nut is somewhat narrow and the strings are very close to the side of the fretboard.

Width @ nut: 38,5 mm
String spacing (center-to-center): 10,67 mm
Spacing from center of string to outside of fb: 3,25 mm

When you encounter the width of the E-string, it'll almost fall of

Maybe someone with a Jazz Bass can provide me with some useful information?

 

[burlboy]

HI ,my jazz is 38.23mm at nut,aprox 10 mm string spacing,3.15mm edge of string to edge of neck.geddy model.hope that helps.

 

[roberthabraken]

Thanks! By the way.. are the strings spaced equally between strings.. .or spaced from center to center?

 

[John Wentzien]

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Here's a video to help you with it!

 

[roberthabraken]

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Here's a video to help you with it!

Yes, I've seen that video, but it doesn't explain how to measure... he uses the ruler for that, and I don't have or want to buy the ruler, mostly because I'd like to know how it works and understand what I'm doing ..

 

[John Wentzien]

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This might be of more help then.

EDIT..Sorry --they only have the calculator fot 6 string.

 

[roberthabraken]

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This might be of more help then.

EDIT..Sorry --they only have the calculator fot 6 string.

Yes, I noticed. At the moment, I am making a full scale drawing of the nut, including the width of the strings.. (.045 - 0.105 strings), together with the information I have.. see if I can figure it out

 

[roberthabraken]

Strange thing is: burlboy tells me his neck is 38.23 mm wide @ the nut and as far as I know.. for a jazz bass it should indeed be around 38.5 mm, but.. when I look for parts on the internet I come across some pre-slutted jazz bass replacement nuts, all exactly 39.46 mm wide! Any ideas?

 

[roberthabraken]

Okay, I've finished the drawing, here it is:

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Equal spacing (8,19 mm) between strings, so not the center-to-center method. A standardish jazz nut width of 38,5 mm and regular gauge strings from .045 to .105.

What do you think?

 

[MEKer]

Watching this conversation with interest. I too would like to get something really slick and fast with closer string spacing. With the 8.19mm string edge to string edge, you are talking about a 1/3 inch spacing. Is that TOO close? Would it have string vibration interference? I was thinking 10mm at about .4 inch. What do you guys think. And then of course, who has an adjustable bridge to that closeness AND what about a neck?
Thanks

Edit: I am referring to having a pretty regular nut spacing and then KEEPING a .4" spacing pretty much down the length once it normally reaches that.

 

[molotovshake]

The closest string spacing bridge I have found is the Kahler fixed 7450 or the 2450 (older model) The min spacing is 13.8mm. I have one set at 14.5mm (Center to center BTW)

 

[MEKer]

Does that then leave too much of an "edge" on the sides of the low E and G? Using the Kahler set at its closest or at the 14.5 mm you mentioned?

 

[roberthabraken]

Watching this conversation with interest. I too would like to get something really slick and fast with closer string spacing. With the 8.19mm string edge to string edge, you are talking about a 1/3 inch spacing. Is that TOO close? Would it have string vibration interference? I was thinking 10mm at about .4 inch. What do you guys think. And then of course, who has an adjustable bridge to that closeness AND what about a neck?
Thanks

Edit: I am referring to having a pretty regular nut spacing and then KEEPING a .4" spacing pretty much down the length once it normally reaches that.

The closest string spacing bridge I have found is the Kahler fixed 7450 or the 2450 (older model) The min spacing is 13.8mm. I have one set at 14.5mm (Center to center BTW)

Does that then leave too much of an "edge" on the sides of the low E and G? Using the Kahler set at its closest or at the 14.5 mm you mentioned?

Sorry guys, I think you've lost me... this thing is about the nut, not the bridge... @ the bridge, strings spacing is like twice the spacing @ the nut.. about 19 mm for a standard bridge. Never said I want the strings equally spaced throughout the whole fingerboard. Guess there aren't many basses around not having a tapered neck.

So.. back to topic: a standard Jazz Bass has neck width of 38,5 mm, you need those 3 mm at the edge so the strings won't slip off the edge.. if you take a regular set of strings (.045 - .105), the spacing of 8,19 mm @ the nut is the only one I can come up with to get the strings equally spaced between the edges of the string..

 

[Greg_M]

I know this is an old thread....

I got interested in this problem and did some cad work and came up with this solution.....

I use 100-80-65-45 strings

1.5" nut

Distance between strings 0.3186"

Distance from edges of E and G strings to sides 0.1271"

String centers from bass side of neck.
E__0.1771"
A__0.5857"
D__0.9768"
G__1.3504"

My Jazz does not use this spacing. The distance between the A and D string were larger and other distances were smaller and were both different.

 

[rogerb]

I just bought a Graphtec tusq nut. It is 31mm (and a bit) middle of E to G, but a AM STD jazz bass is 29.6mm. The Graphtec seems a bit close to the edges at the nut. I am putting this on a Fender licensed neck. The Graphtec tusq nut was the same as the specs they give, just that the spacing seems wider than what a real AM STD jazz bass is. Must be another model they use as a guide or some happy medium.

I'm using a tape measure and eyeballs, center to center.

Graphtec nut spacing is E*A*D*G:
10.6mm -10.4mm - 10.3mm

Fender AM std spacing is E*A*D*G:
10.2mm - 9.9mm - 9.5mm

I haven't finished putting together the bass yet so I'm not sure if it is really too close. Amazing what a mm or so can do!

 

[byacey]

I know this is an old thread....

I got interested in this problem and did some cad work and came up with this solution.....

I use 100-80-65-45 strings

1.5" nut

Distance between strings 0.3186"

Distance from edges of E and G strings to sides 0.1271"

String centers from bass side of neck.
E__0.1771"
A__0.5857"
D__0.9768"
G__1.3504"

My Jazz does not use this spacing. The distance between the A and D string were larger and other distances were smaller and were both different.

I just recently did a similar thing in making a new brass nut for my bass, by drafting it out first in CAD. I use the same string gauges as you posted, and I wound up with .330" string edge to string edge. It worked out very nicely. Strings center to center were .210 between G and D, .405 between D and A, .420 between A and E.