Bad nut on a new guitar?

high_lander · Jun 27, 2019

Just picked up a new 2018 Studio. G string fretted at A goes way sharp, other wise the guitar is intonated correctly. I am thinking the nut may need to be redone? Hate this is a new guitar that i have this issue on.

Big Al · Jun 27, 2019

high_lander said:
Just picked up a new 2018 Studio. G string fretted at A goes way sharp, other wise the guitar is intonated correctly. I am thinking the nut may need to be redone? Hate this is a new guitar that i have this issue on.

Not really the nut, but the nature of every guitar with even tempered tunning. You have never owned a guitar that the G string didn't fret sharp on the first few frets. It should fret A not A# but will be a few cents north of a perfect natural A. If you check you'll find your E, A and D all play sharp at the second fret.

AAAAAARRRRRGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!:##:##:##:##

I hate this as I play lots of open chords. What can you do?

I found a solution in Earvanna compesated nuts. I use the drop shelf nuts on my Gibsons. You just remove and save old nut. I lable and bag it, keeping it in the case pocket. Remember to score along the nuts bottom edge to keep finish chipping minimised.

The new Earvanna Drop shelf compensated nut for 1 11/16 Gibson guitars fits into the nut slot with a compensation shelf that lays over the front fingerboard edge. You may need to remove some material fron the bottom of the nut to make the shelf sit on the fingerboard.

String up, slot, tune and intonate. Much better now, isn't it?

There are other systems, but this works for me.

mdubya · Jun 27, 2019

Use a No. 2 pencil and rub the pencil lead into the nut slot for the G string. It is a very common problem.

There are additional fixes you can do, but this will allow you to play in tune.

Smoove.

high_lander · Jun 27, 2019

I was looking at the Earvana nuts. Might give it a try.

Big Al said:
Not really the nut, but the nature of every guitar with even tempered tunning. You have never owned a guitar that the G string didn't fret sharp on the first few frets. It should fret A not A# but will be a few cents north of a perfect natural A. If you check you'll find your E, A and D all play sharp at the second fret.

AAAAAARRRRRGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!:##:##:##:##

I hate this as I play lots of open chords. What can you do?

I found a solution in Earvanna compesated nuts. I use the drop shelf nuts on my Gibsons. You just remove and save old nut. I lable and bag it, keeping it in the case pocket. Remember to score along the nuts bottom edge to keep finish chipping minimised.

The new Earvanna Drop shelf compensated nut for 1 11/16 Gibson guitars fits into the nut slot with a compensation shelf that lays over the front fingerboard edge. You may need to remove some material fron the bottom of the nut to make the shelf sit on the fingerboard.

String up, slot, tune and intonate. Much better now, isn't it?

There are other systems, but this works for me.

kevinkjs · Jun 28, 2019

One thing about Les Pauls is that their factory specs for nut "action", meaning how much space is between the string bottom
to the fret top is quite high. I've filed nut slots on my LP and various Gibsons for family and friends. Check with feeler gauges
hot much space you have above the fret top. People are good at around .020". on the low E down to around .016" on the high E.
When I got my LP Standard, the strings were almost .032" above the fret. The less distance travelled will lessen the fretted
note going sharp. This may not get perfect but that's kind of the nature of the beast. Good luck.

Bad nut on a new guitar?

high_lander

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Big Al

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mdubya

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high_lander

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kevinkjs

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