String height at nut

[Teleeboy]

Hello all, what is the height of the strings from the neck at the nut? If the fretboard radius is 7.25 inches?

 

[adjason]

Not the most precise but I like to push them down at the third fret and just make sure they clear the first fret. Others will have better answers

 

[KevinB]

The fretboard radius doesn't really matter as you're dealing with one string at a time.

And adjason's response sounds about right to me.

 

[Tuxedo Poly]

Frank Ford's site has some useful info
(link removed)

 

[Chicago Matt]

Interesting thread. I am looking forward to the responses. I have a tech friend who believes the proper height is so the string barely clears the first fret. I hate them setup that way! It makes bending in the lower register a chore and ends up buzzing before long. There is an optimum height where it is high enough to ring true with no buzzing and allows the player to get under the adjacent string when bending low on the neck, but not so high that the notes go noticeably sharp when fretting on the first few frets. Maybe someone can quantify what that height is...

 

[dngrsdave]

Also, If your guitar is properly intonated at the 12th & open fret, & your guitar is sharp at the around the 2nd or 3rd fret. Your nut is too high.

 

[Iceman]

If you are really looking for a measurement instead of a feel, Chris Fleming at Fender shoots for .010 between the bottom of the string and the first fret. I find that this is a good place to start but proceed with caution from there!

 

[trev333]

Not the most precise but I like to push them down at the third fret and just make sure they clear the first fret. Others will have better answers

good enough for me.... I do it sitting in a playing position... fret @3.. look for a sliver of light/gap under the first... less is best...

I also check the first fret notes on the tuner so they aren't sharp.... if they are, I touch up the slots again until all the notes play true at fret 1....

 

[Iceman]

One thing not yet mentioned, be sure your neck relief and string height at the bridge is where you want it. The nut work should be after.

 

[Doug 54]

Yrs ago I read a tech article by John Suhr supporting the pressing down the 3rd fret, just clearing the 1st fret thang.

 

[old goat]

Yrs ago I read a tech article by John Suhr supporting the pressing down the 3rd fret, just clearing the 1st fret thang.

This is a popular method since it doesn't require a feeler gauge.
If you have a gauge-- Fender factory spec (per Dan Erlewine) is 0.02". Gibson factory is from 0.015 to 0.03 from high E to low E. Dan's spec's are 0.009 to 0.015.
but if your nut is low but there's no buzz on the open strings no need to worry.

 

[pauljo1963]

this may sound wacky, but i cut the nut so each string is perfectly in tune at the first second third fret etc,
that tells me that the height is right
nothing worse ( for me) than a "properly " set up guitar that when you play an F in the first position, it is out of tune

 

[Warren Pederson]

I like to be able to just barely pass a slip of paper between 1st and the string while fretting the 3rd

 

[Metacaster]

With the guitar otherwise setup how I would like it, I like the gap between the open string and the first fret to be the same as the gap between the string and the second fret when I'm fretting the first.

 

[Doug 54]

As said indirectly above, wounds need a touch more room bcause of its looser vibration travel

 

[charlie chitlin]

If you're happy with the way a string sounds when fretted at the 1st fret, you'll likely be happy if the open string clears the first fret by the same margin the fretted note cleared the 2nd fret.
The 3rd fret method gets similar results, but, for my money, comes in through the back door.
I think, if you're dealing with something directly involving the effective length of the string, THAT is what you want to work with...not what's going on behind it.

 

[Vizcaster]

One thing not yet mentioned, be sure your neck relief and string height at the bridge is where you want it. The nut work should be after.

I disagree with that suggested order. If the relief is completely out of whack then tackle it first (to make sure the trussrod works and you're not wasting your time doing anything else), otherwise nothing comes before nut slots in the order of a setup.

There have been links, but nobody's described the Erlewine method: use a straight edge across the frets and measure underneath with feeler gauges to find out the height of the fret crown. Add at least .010 to the fret height to arrive a the nut slot height, and then use a stack of feeler gauges set to that new number as a stop for your nut slot files. Usually you allow a little more room under the heavier strings so you can adjust the stack as you go along.

New guitars are notorious for having very high nut slots from the factory - which allows for the guitar to withstand changes in humidity and leaves room for customizing for the player. If you don't believe that then okay just use pre-slotted nuts.

 

[jefrs]

Not the most precise but I like to push them down at the third fret and just make sure they clear the first fret. Others will have better answers

Good as any. I do it by sight and feel.

What is important is the strings don't buzz the first fret. The height varies from treble to bass. Much of it is by feel and how you play but if it is too high the string will pull-sharp. All new nuts are too high because you can only cut stuff out.

Don't finish filing the nut until the rest of the set up is perfect, or they suddenly go too low on purpose just to annoy you.

 

[Ricky D.]

Mellecaster did four setups for me, and had to tweak the nut slots on all four. They all came back with open string clearance at the first fret at 0.015" - 0.018".