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Just wondering if someone can tell me what is the best way to adjust the sting hight at the nut. After stringing my bass up today it is obvious the hight is too high (almost double what I like it too be). Now is it better to file the grooves deeper or remove the nut and take the excess from the bottom?
Wasn't really planning on replacing the nut itself yet but need to fix this so I can work on getting the rest set up.
Also if I wanted to use tru oil over wudtone on the headstock of my other build should I use the wudtone top coat first or just the tru oil instead as the finish? Just that I have used tru oil on the back of the neck but wanted the Wudtone colour on the headstock face but an even finish.
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StewMac taught me how to do this! They have a very fancy tool that basically uses a feeler gauge to prevent you from filing too deep, but more importantly to get the nut slot depth perfect!
So for proper string nut slot depths, use a feeler gauge.
Here are the steps involved:
1. Measure the height of the first two frets by laying a straight edge across them and sliding different combinations of feeler gauge blades under it until they touch the straight edge. Record this measurement (let's say 1.0mm fret height).
2. Add 0.15mm to 0.25mm (or the figure you come up with after experimenting) to this measurement. New total: 1.15mm or 1.25mm (the 1mm frets, plus 0.15 or 0.25).
3. Stack a combination of feeler gauges equaling the total measurement (I'm going to stick with 1.25mm as the example), and hold the stack down against the fretboard and up against the front edge of the nut. Now continue filing away at the nut until your file makes contact with the gauges.
Once the slots are properly spaced and filed, the nut can be shaped and finished with some confidence. Always good to sand down the top of the nut to eliminate any excess slot depth. The slots should be only deep enough so 1/3 of the string is above the top of the nut and 2/3 in the nut.
Hope this helps!
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Sweet that's great thanks. Now just have to remember where I put my feeler gauges lol.
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Cool. Thanks Gavmeister. I have wondered about the best way to do nut height too. Funny how some things are so damn obvious as soon as they're pointed out to you. Another procedure for fine tuning. Hurrah!
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I struggled for ages myself, figured there had to be a better way than trial and error, especially when error meant start again!
When in doubt, check out StewMac! But as DB will confirm they have some great tools and some gimmicky ones...most you can adapt yourself with a little ingenuity!
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If you use a mismatched string gauge youll have to set the height for the bass strings a little higher. I use a 52 low e and a 10 high e, and with a uniform distance from fretboard to nut slot bottom, the low e buzzes cos its just way to fat. So I like to knock off the nut and sand from the bottom and experiment to feel what height I like it at. Just my personal way, cos Im not a fan of deepening nut slots unnecessarily as this can cause extra grippage to the wound strings and I like a floating trem so any reduction is grippage is useful. If you like hard tails, deepening the nut slot is probably the way to go though, cos this extra grippage could help hold your tuning a little better given that you dont bend to high hell. Either method works, though Gav's is more precise and probably best for matched string gauges and a hardtail trem.
