Compensated Nut Layout Tool

There have been some treads about laying out a nut so I though would draw up a simple tool that I use when laying out a new nut. Just print up this PDF, make sure the scaling is off, and glue it to a piece of cardboard.

All I do is cut my nut to fit the slot leaving it about a 1/8 proud of the fretboard. Then I slide the nut up or down the scale until the outside edges of the nut line up with the two outside lines on the scale and then mark the locations. The scale is compensated to give even spacings between the strings. I used the string diameters from a set of 10's but the scale should work fine with 9's or 11's as well.

Also keep in mind that there is a bass and treble side to the scale.

Let me know what you guys think, or if there are any problems with the drawing.

Cool ..

Thanks! :grin:

Very nice. Thanks.

Nice ...... I have a bunch of scraps of paper with different layouts on them. Looks like they're all headed for the trash now.

Cool, I hoped there would be a few people who would find it helpful.

BAW4742, if you've got some compensated layouts already check them against the scale I made up and see if we're in the same ballpark.

I've also got the CAD file for this if anyone wants it.

Awsome! Thanks!

Cool, I hoped there would be a few people who would find it helpful.

BAW4742, if you've got some compensated layouts already check them against the scale I made up and see if we're in the same ballpark.

I've also got the CAD file for this if anyone wants it.

I made my drawing by slipping a piece of paper under the strings of a guitar that I'm comfortable with, butt it up against the nut and then tracing each side of the string as well as the ends of the nut.

I checked your template against one I had handy. It was taken from a Taylor 314. The high B and E on your drawing would be slightly farther from the treble edge of the fretboard than my drawing. Your center mark lines up closer to the upper edge of my layouts for those two strings. Others are dead on.

I'll certainly be using your template.

I made my drawing by slipping a piece of paper under the strings of a guitar that I'm comfortable with, butt it up against the nut and then tracing each side of the string as well as the ends of the nut.

I checked your template against one I had handy. It was taken from a Taylor 314. The high B and E on your drawing would be slightly farther from the treble edge of the fretboard than my drawing. Your center mark lines up closer to the upper edge of my layouts for those two strings. Others are dead on.

I'll certainly be using your template.

Thanks for checking that out. Good to know the drawing came out OK.

jaydawg ............. here's how it compares to the StewMac Guage. As you can see in this picture the rule is about one inch from the top of your guage. The small differences would be miniscule on a 1 5/8 in. nut.

......http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/jwells393/New%20Album/NutSlotCompare.jpg

jaydawg ............. here's how it compares to the StewMac Guage. As you can see in this picture the rule is about one inch from the top of your guage. The small differences would be miniscule on a 1 5/8 in. nut.

......http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/jwells393/New%20Album/NutSlotCompare.jpg

What happens if you turn your ruler around, Jack?

Here's how the StewMac guage works Nick. After marking the location of your two E strings, you slide the guage sideways until you find two slots (at the same level) that line up with your E string marks. The four intermediate slots then mark the location of the A thru B strings.

If I turned the guage over the slots wouldn't line up the jaydawg's E string lines at that point on his guage. There would be a point lower on his guage where I could get slots to line up with his E string lines.

Here's how the StewMac guage works Nick. After marking the location of your two E strings, you slide the guage sideways until you find two slots (at the same level) that line up with your E string marks. The four intermediate slots then mark the location of the A thru B strings.

If I turned the guage over the slots wouldn't line up the jaydawg's E string lines at that point on his guage. There would be a point lower on his guage where I could get slots to line up with his E string lines.

Gotcha, cheers mate. Would I be on the right track in thinking that Jaydawg's spacer is made for a different string gauge, and it's this that explains the differences between his and Stew's?

The space between the b and e string centers is 91.55% of the space between the E and a strings on Jaydawg's.

The chaps at Fender Esenada need to get a nut space ruler! One nut I have measures the thinnest distance between two strings being the a and the d!

Nice idea jaydawg - yer tool works fine in a pinch. But the Stew-Mac spacing ruler is the ***** and I'd be lost without it. :shock: :mrgreen:

I don't have the stew mac ruler so I'm not sure but I bet its based off a consistent increase with each step over, like .005 or .010. I made mine based off the actual string gages in a set of D'Addario 10's.

Because the string size doesn't increase proportionally the nut spacing will not be a proportional. That means just adding .010 ever time you move to the next slot (like the stew mac ruler does) will not give you a perfect layout.

A good test would be to take a micrometer and check the spacing between string on a nut made with the stew mac ruler.

I don't think we know what the StewMac guage is based on. As far as we know jaydawg's guage may be more accurate. Regardless, on a typical nut, the differences are quite small.

Jack, if you get a minute take your micrometer and check out your stewmac rule. You've got me curious now.

Sorry jaydawg ............ I don't own a micrometer. I tried measuring with my dial caliper. Even using the widest marking on the rule, I couldn't tell enough difference between two adjacent marks to consider my measurements to be accurate.

Using widest marking on the rule, I get the following E-A: 0.483 in. B-E: 0.467 in. If I set the caliper for the E-A spacing and move it to the A-D spacing I see no difference.

I don't think we know what the StewMac guage is based on. As far as we know jaydawg's guage may be more accurate. Regardless, on a typical nut, the differences are quite small.

It's based on a steadily increasing 0.10mm measurement. I'm pretty sure when it first appeared in the Stew-Mac catalog they gave credit to Kevin Ryan:

http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Luthier/Tools/NutRule/nutrule.html

ryan

Well..............in the article you linked to above, Frank Ford makes his own guage and according to him ...........

My choice of a 0.10 mm increment was strictly arbitrary.

Jaydog, Have you thoght about doing a layout tool for bass?? I have this er... uh.....friend of mine that needs one. :wink:

When I saw the thread, I thought about the Earvana nut.

But curiosity got to me. This is good work. If I can ever break the habit of using precut nuts of graphtech and tusq (just installed 5 more yesterday) this will be a very important tool, indeed.

I admit using precisely the same string array, whether the neck is 1.63 or 1.70 at the nut does seem strange. Perhaps that will change now.

Jaydog, Have you thoght about doing a layout tool for bass?? I have this er... uh.....friend of mine that needs one. :wink:
Sure I'll make one up for ya. What guage strings do you use?

This is great. I just saw it and IMHO it deserves a bump!

OK...I've got the Stew-Mac ruler and really like it, but....don't the markings get progressively closer together as you move along the ruler?
The error would be very slight, but wouldn't it be less than exact because the markings get progressively closer?
It's not like I'm going to stop using it or anything...it's kind of a godsend...just curious.

Thanks. Cool idea.

I've been using this layout in my shop since I created it and it does work nicely. The only thing it doesn't do is maintain an 1/8" between the high/low E's and the outside of the nut. I'm updating the layout tool right now so that it will maintain that 1/8" on the outsides. I'll post it later this afternoon.

OK...I've got the Stew-Mac ruler and really like it, but....don't the markings get progressively closer together as you move along the ruler?
The error would be very slight, but wouldn't it be less than exact because the markings get progressively closer?
It's not like I'm going to stop using it or anything...it's kind of a godsend...just curious.

They do get progressively closer but at an even rate on the Stew-Mac ruler. But the strings on a guitar do not get smaller at an even rate. That means you will never have a truly equally spaced layout. Remember we are talking small differences here, none of this life or death stuff. This chart was mainly for my own desire for a simple way to create an evenly spaced layout. I just though some other might find it helpful as well.

Here is an updated version of the nut spacing tool. This one maintains an even 1/8" on outside of each E string. So once you cut your nut to width just slide it up or down the scale until the outside of the nut lines up with the two outside lines. Then mark your string slot centers and cut away.

thanks jaydawg...i found this thread a while back and forgot to print it off. I came back to print it bc i'm making my nut today. good timing on the update, huh?

This is driving me nuts.......Great Job!

No problem. I should be giving back more. This place has taught me a lot.

If I were to adapt this cool tool to making my own nut for a 12 string electric, what spacing between the individual strings in each pair of 6 would ya'll recommend?

Much obliged.

Thanks Jaydawg!

I've used this twice now and it's worked great. Thanks Jaydawg.

If I were to adapt this cool tool to making my own nut for a 12 string electric, what spacing between the individual strings in each pair of 6 would ya'll recommend?

Much obliged.
I'm not sure Boris. I've never done a 12 string. Sorry.:sad:

I've used this twice now and it's worked great. Thanks Jaydawg.

Thanks Brendan. Good to know it's helped.

It's definitely a handy tool if you cutting your own nuts (that just don't sound right).

Jaydawg,
Im' reading your thread only now, with a 1yr+ delay... Your ruler turns out very useful right now that I'm making a new bone nut for my National. I had a similar ruler, yet non-compensated for string size... I only hope that your ruler works for a .013-.056 set.
--Carlo

It will work with a set of 13's as well.

Hi Jaydawg,

Thanks a lot for your pdf. I know this thread is a little older now but I've only just found it. It seemed right to thank you for helping us out.

:0)

Any good tips for calculating the height of a new nut? I have ordered guaged nut files and a few other bits but not every tool in the book. Feeler gauges? A good eye?

Cheers

Alan

...

Any good tips for calculating the height of a new nut? I have ordered guaged nut files and a few other bits but not every tool in the book. Feeler gauges? A good eye?

Cheers

Alan

just start off with a blank, size to fit the board/neck slot, use a half pencil to calculate board radius on the nut (if need be), use it again to layout the string slot height on the blank ...

nutz (http://frettech.com/nutz/index.html)

This is great :)

Thanx a lot.

If I have a 1 5/8" width nut will this layout tool work for just about any size stings I want to use? I'm currently planning on using Ernie Ball Regular Slinky's (.10 .13 .17 .26 .36 .46). Do you think this layout tool work well for me?

HI, just found this tool looking for advice to cut slots for a bone nut I made for a 12 string. The guitar came to me in rough shape and the plastic nut on it (clearly a poor replacement) hung over the sides of the neck so I couldn't just copy the spacing from that. I don't have another 12 string around here, so was quite pleased to find this chart. Thanks for creating it, and if you can give me a heads up for the one you did for bass guitars that would be great also.
Anyway, what I have done to use this chart for a 12 string was to layout the low E string and the high E string with the plain mate string set up with a spacing of 3/32 (measurement from another forum). Then instead of running the outside edges of the nut up the chart I follow the strings, marking the strings then measuring each othe the mate strings over 3/32 from the primary strings. (probably a term for the second set of strings but I don't know it) After making my marks I can line the secondary strings up against the chart and everything looks hunky-dory. I'm going to cut this and mount it and see what its like, but so far it looks like it will work this way for a 12 string to me!

OK...I've got the Stew-Mac ruler and really like it, but....don't the markings get progressively closer together as you move along the ruler?
The error would be very slight, but wouldn't it be less than exact because the markings get progressively closer?
It's not like I'm going to stop using it or anything...it's kind of a godsend...just curious.

They are supposed to. The idea of the progressive spacing is to give you
a spacing where the space between strings is the same. In other words,
the gap between the side of one string and the side of the next will be the
same from string to string.
This is opposed to having the strings on equally spaced centers, where the
distance from the center of each string to the center of the next is the same.

Many feel that it looks better and plays better with equal gap size between
strings. I like it for guitar, no preference on a bass.

Old thread, but for my 2¢ -

There's equally spaced on center, then there's equal spaces between. I prefer somewhere in the middle of these extremes, leaning a bit toward the side of center spacing. When the old Schatten design nut spacing rules were sold by StewMac, they leaned toward the equal open space formula if I recall correctly, and I never much cared for them. In both aesthetics and feel, I find even open spaces pack the strings a bit too tight up toward the treble side for my taste. I always used to set my spacing by eye, sometimes with the aid of calipers, incrementally increasing open space toward the treble side.

When StewMac came out with their current rule, I found it lined up pretty accurately to the way I naturally preferred my spacing, and have used it as a convenient and well-serving crutch for many years since then. I do tend to fudge the slots just a tidge toward the treble side on the center strings from the rule's spacing, but I believe it still leans slightly more toward the center-to-center than edge-to-edge approach.

David,

I'll bet the reason you like this is that it falls closer to following formula.

Make the following equal:

Inside of big E to inside of D,
Inside of A to inside of G,
Inside of D to inside of B,
Inside of G to inside of little E.

This actually allows the same clearance above and below for a finger fretting the string in the middle.

Of course, this doesn't neccesarily fall into the nice logarithm that the Stew Mac scale must use. Maybe it does... have to play with numbers.

the stew-mac graduated spacing tool is a must-have item in my shop. it won't do coursed pair strings (mando, 12, etc) without some fudging, and it won't do really narrow guitar nuts (under 1.62"), but it does do the bread 'n' butter work just fine. when in doubt, layout the spacing on card stock, string up with a non-slotted nut blank and line up the strings to the card stock - adjust as the eye and hand dictates. ymmv.

Thanks ALOT for this - it`s a great help!

Thanks ALOT for this - it`s a great help!

Glad it helped. :grin:

Thanks for this .pdf diagram, very helpful, I've just used it.

would you mind making one for a bass nut? 105, 80, 75, 50. Thanks in advance!

Nice idea jaydawg - yer tool works fine in a pinch. But the Stew-Mac spacing ruler is the ***** and I'd be lost without it. :shock: :mrgreen:
This is a great resource but to make it more versatile for used guitars that might have over-beveled fret ends, different string gauges or other issues that require modified spacing, I use the following method taught to me by Reed from Rainbow Guitars in Tucson. It's also more accurate than the stew mac equal spacing template as that template is based on a fixed diminution of string gauge. What follows is a complicated explanation but it works perfectly. With experience you will create perfectly spaced nut slots in about 10-20 minutes, for any fretted, stringed instrument with any string set. Further, since you are tracing the string in place, you will get the proper cant if you are slotting for a headstock that does not have straight string pull behind the nut.

1. Create a blank that is the right size, correct radius and a perfect fit. The "right size" is the depth of the nut slot+the average height of your first and second fret+ 0.010" clearance+ 0.040" (string depth). Add about 0.020" if this is your first attempt with this method.

If the peak of the radius has a different nut slot depth than the outsides, make the blank fit into the slot and trace the radius on the blank. If your slot is radiused to that of the fingerboard, simply tape some sand paper over the fingerboard between nut slot and the first fret, sand the bottom of your blank, using the fingerboard as a sanding caul until the scratches go from edge to edge. Remove the bulk of the blank with a power tool then use a correct radius sanding block to connect the outside and inside marks. Then sand the blank laterally with 220 or 320 grit (so that your front to back pencil lines will be clear).

2. Slot the E strings at the factory spec or as close to the edge of the fingerboard as desired. File the E strings as deep as you are going to go. If the strings are not at full depth, the radius or the final width and all calculations may be compromised. I use a 0.010" xacto saw then follow with the proper nut file or sequence of files.

3. Measure the distance between the inside edges of the strings, call that measurement "D" .

4. Measure and add the sum of the diameters of the interior 4 strings and call that measurment "S"
(D-S)/5 = G
"G" represents the gap between the strings.

5. Set your micrometer to "G," then lock the span with the caliper (use a small spring clamp if you have a caliper with no span locking screw)

6. Rest the ID jaws your micrometer on the inside edge of the low E, space the 5th string by placing it against the opposite jaw(at front edge of nut). Mark the outsides of the A string with a sharp pencil. If your marks don't perfectly center the string, note the bias and correct it with the string out of the way.

7. Saw the slot to depth (0.010" higher than the fret height above the fingerboard). Mark the bottom of the saw kerf with pencil and then widen the slot with appropriate nut files, avoid removal of the pencil mark as you nudge the slot right to left as necessary. You must make this exact, (measured with your micrometer as a feeler gauge). I use a tapered diamond file rather than a nut file to cut most of the way down to save wear on the nut files and to avoid play in the measurement (possibly caused by oversized nut slotting file). I would only go to about 0.10" of my goal depth to leave a little room for fine tuning and final slot sanding with 800 grit.

8. Repeat for the D,G and B strings. You can space the B in from the E and the G in from the B to avoid compounding inaccuracy of your cuts.

This is a great resource but to make it more versatile for used guitars that might have over-beveled fret ends, different string gauges or other issues that require modified spacing, I use the following method taught to me by Reed from Rainbow Guitars in Tucson. It's also more accurate than the stew mac equal spacing template as that template is based on a fixed diminution of string gauge. What follows is a complicated explanation but it works perfectly. With experience you will create perfectly spaced nut slots in about 10-20 minutes, for any fretted, stringed instrument with any string set. Further, since you are tracing the string in place, you will get the proper cant if you are slotting for a headstock that does not have straight string pull behind the nut.

1. Create a blank that is the right size, correct radius and a perfect fit. The "right size" is the depth of the nut slot+the average height of your first and second fret+ 0.010" clearance+ 0.040" (string depth). Add about 0.020" if this is your first attempt with this method.

If the peak of the radius has a different nut slot depth than the outsides, make the blank fit into the slot and trace the radius on the blank. If your slot is radiused to that of the fingerboard, simply tape some sand paper over the fingerboard between nut slot and the first fret, sand the bottom of your blank, using the fingerboard as a sanding caul until the scratches go from edge to edge. Remove the bulk of the blank with a power tool then use a correct radius sanding block to connect the outside and inside marks. Then sand the blank laterally with 220 or 320 grit (so that your front to back pencil lines will be clear).

2. Slot the E strings at the factory spec or as close to the edge of the fingerboard as desired. File the E strings as deep as you are going to go. If the strings are not at full depth, the radius or the final width and all calculations may be compromised. I use a 0.010" xacto saw then follow with the proper nut file or sequence of files.

3. Measure the distance between the inside edges of the strings, call that measurement "D" .

4. Measure and add the sum of the diameters of the interior 4 strings and call that measurment "S"
(D-S)/5 = G
"G" represents the gap between the strings.

5. Set your micrometer to "G," then lock the span with the caliper (use a small spring clamp if you have a caliper with no span locking screw)

6. Rest the ID jaws your micrometer on the inside edge of the low E, space the 5th string by placing it against the opposite jaw(at front edge of nut). Mark the outsides of the A string with a sharp pencil. If your marks don't perfectly center the string, note the bias and correct it with the string out of the way.

7. Saw the slot to depth (0.010" higher than the fret height above the fingerboard). Mark the bottom of the saw kerf with pencil and then widen the slot with appropriate nut files, avoid removal of the pencil mark as you nudge the slot right to left as necessary. You must make this exact, (measured with your micrometer as a feeler gauge). I use a tapered diamond file rather than a nut file to cut most of the way down to save wear on the nut files and to avoid play in the measurement (possibly caused by oversized nut slotting file). I would only go to about 0.10" of my goal depth to leave a little room for fine tuning and final slot sanding with 800 grit.

8. Repeat for the D,G and B strings. You can space the B in from the E and the G in from the B to avoid compounding inaccuracy of your cuts.

that, too, works fine, but takes far too much time and time is money. all i need to do is place the radiused and height tweaked nut blank into the nut slot, lay out the E strings where i want them to go with relationship to the fret ends (or fret end bevels), mark the nut blank top with a fine point pencil at both of those E locations, use the stew-mac slot spacing gauge to lay down the other 4 string slots. done in less than a minute. time is money .... ymmv.

I've got the StewMac string slot gauge and, to quote a TV pitchman, it "really, really works!".

that, too, works fine, but takes far too much time and time is money. ..
Not if you have an excel spreadsheet that does all the math and has common string sets already calculated. All I do is add the E-E spacing and fly through the process. If you can do a more accurate job in less time hats off to you, especially with a Gibson ES 335 with a wound G. The method I use is more profitable than 90% of the repairs I do. I charge $55 for a nut and can complete the job,polished to 4000 grit with 3m flexible papers in 10 minutes, 30 max.

Not if you have an excel spreadsheet that does all the math and has common string sets already calculated. All I do is add the E-E spacing and fly through the process. If you can do a more accurate job in less time hats off to you, especially with a Gibson ES 335 with a wound G. The method I use is more profitable than 90% of the repairs I do. I charge $55 for a nut and can complete the job,polished to 4000 grit with 3m flexible papers in 10 minutes, 30 max.


and i can complete a nut job in less than 5 minutes and i polish to 12000 micromesh grit. :cool:

and i can complete a nut job in less than 5 minutes and i polish to 12000 micromesh grit. :cool:

Video, or it didn't happen. :wink:

Video, or it didn't happen. :wink:

jason375's vid first. :twisted: :roll:

I just downloaded, very helpfull ,thank you jaydawg.:grin: