The Ultimate Guide to Guitar Nut Slot Depth – How Deep Should They Be?
Guitar nuts are a vital part of maintaining a acoustic guitar or electric guitar. They provide not only stability but also protection against string breakage. So, What are you waiting for? Get to know the perfect depth for your guitar nut slot without delay.
The guitar nut should go deeper enough. There is a basic rule for the guitar nut depth. The law is that 1/3 of the guitar string will be upwards on the top of the nut. ⅔ portion of the strings will be in the nut. The actual nut slot depth adjustment will make the guitar buzz accessible.
However, As a guitarist, you must know about guitar nuts and the adjustments. This knowledge will help guitarists manage their guitars if they face complications.
Want to see the latest guitar accessories that are popular right now? Just click here!
Guitar Craft : How to Measure the Guitar Nut Slots?
Measure the height of the first two frets by placing them over a ruler. Move different combinations of feeler gauges until the fret touches the ruler.
Then you have to add 0.005″ to 0.010″ to this measurement. Collect a variety of feeler gauges equal to the overall measurement. Hold the collection against the fingerboard to the front edge of the nut.
Proper placement of the strings allows the nut to be shaped. Mark any excess material on the nut and remove it using a feeler gauge. Then, Polish the top of the nut to remove the extra depth. The nut slot depth ensures that 1/3 of the string is over the nut and 2/3 will be inside the nut.
- Note: MusicNomad Offers Three Different 6 pc. Guitar Nut File Sets and One 16 pc. Complete Nut File Set so Make Sure to Choose the Correct One for the String Sizes you Need. This is for Electric Guitar – Light Strings Nut File Set (.010”, .013”, .017”, .028”, .036”, .046”) with Industrial Strength Diamond Coating. Comes in a Compact, Lightweight and Strong Aluminum Case: 3″ x 6″ x 1.4″
- Innovative Round “String-Shape” Blade Design that won’t Bend, Resulting in Smooth, Precision Cuts
- Laser Engraved Size on Each Blade Plus Ergonomic Handle and Convenient Workbench Hang Hole
- Perfect for Cutting and Polishing at the Same Time for New or Existing Nut Slots
- Great for All the Most Common Nut Materials such as Nylon, Bone, Graphite & TUSQ. They Even Work Amazing on Saddles
How Do You Adjust the Depth of a Nut Slot?
Are you worrying about adjusting the depth of the nut slot? Then a piece of fantastic news is waiting for you. Wanna know that? The great news is that adjusting the nut slots height is not so hard, even though a new guitarist can change it.
Therefore, you must know the proper guidelines for adjusting guitar nut slots depth. The guidelines are:
- The first step is to loosen the strings of your guitar. Not necessary to remove the strings. You have to ease the strings so you can work efficiently.
- The next step is to loosen the nut bolts. You must take a wrench or alley key to loosen the nut bolts. After losing the nut bolts, it would be best to use your finger to move the nuts up or down.
- Moving the nuts up and down, you will be able to find out the perfect height. Then you have to tighten the nut bolts. Be careful when you tighten the bolts; sometimes, you may strip the thread.
- Finally, you can adjust the depth of the nut slot. You may fail the first time when you do. But you will surely be successful when you practice it more and more.
We suggest a video to help you adjust the nut slot’s depth:
What Are The Types of Guitar Nuts?
Do you have any idea about the nuts of the guitar? If you are a guitarist, then your mandatory work is to know about guitar nuts. When adjusting the nut’s depth, the knowledge of nuts is a must. [Source]
Let’s get started to learn about guitar nuts. There are many types of guitar nuts. But among all classes, five are the most common. The nuts are in different sizes and shapes. Such as-
Standard Nut
The standard nut is very familiar to all guitarists. This nut is used in most guitars. The company uses high-tech plastics such as TUSQ and Corian to make standard nuts. These plastics are used for their quality. These plastics don’t affect on tone of the guitar.
The advantages of standard nuts are-
- The replacement is cheap.
- The setup is easy.
Roller Nut
The Roller nut contains miniature ball bearings that help move the guitar strings. It uses the tremolo system. So, The roller nut helps to reduce the friction of the strings. The roller nut is used most in Fender.
The advantages of roller nuts are-
- You don’t need a wrench to adjust the nut.
- You don’t have to lubricate the nut for the tremolo system.
Locking Nut
Locking nut is very familiar with the Floyd Rose tremolo system. It has rare settings from all nuts. Locking nuts have clamps to lock them. To adjust the clamps of the nut, you have to use the Allen key.
The advantages of locking nuts are-
- Very stable.
- Do the actual work.
Compensate Nut
Are you looking for a standard nut? Then the compensation nut is better for you. The compensated nut is known as a staggered nut. It adjusts the distance between the first fret and the nut. Compensate nut work like bridge saddles.
The advantages of compensating nuts are-
- Improve intonation
- Better tuning stability
Zero Fret
Zero fret nuts are unnecessary. It helps to space the strings of the guitar. Zero fret nut doesn’t affect the tone and action of the guitar. This nut is not available nowadays.
The advantages of zero fret are-
- Reduce the pressure from nut material.
- Help to change string gauges without cutting.
Related Questions
What Width Is Perfect for a Guitar Nut Slot?
When choosing a guitar nut, you have to consider one thing. You must be careful about the string width of your guitar, as it matches the actual nut width.
Suppose the string width of your guitar is .019,” or nineteen thousand inches. Then, your guitar slots has to be precisely nineteen thousand inches.
Is Glue Necessary for the Nut on My Guitar?
No. Glue is not mandatory for your guitar nut. The pressure of the strings between the neck and the nut holds the nut in the exact place. However, If you want, add a few drops of wooden glue. This glue will help to prevent the guitar nut from falling off.
Does the Nut of the Guitar Affect Playability?
Why not? The guitar nut brings a change in the playability of the guitar. The spacing of strings, action, and tuning ability change playability. But you can improve the features if you use a quality nut. Besides, it will help you to define the problems in playability.
Why Is It Important to Know the Guitar Nut Height?
Do you know the perfect nut slot height for your guitar? Knowing the nut slot height of your guitar is very necessary. Your guitar nut slot height should be perfect, not too high or not too low. You can hear a buzz from the first fret if the slot is too low. Besides, you will not get better playability for the too-high slot.
How do I know if my nut slot is too low?
Check the nut slots against a fretboard radius gauge. If you find that the slot is lower than the curvature of your desired fretboard radius, then it likely means that your nut slot is too low and will need to be adjusted. Additionally, test tuning stability by playing notes on different strings and see if there are any signs of string buzzing. If so, then your nut slots may also be too low and should be adjusted accordingly.
How do I know if my nut slot is too high?
To know if your nut slot is too high, try playing an open string and then pressing down on the first fret. If the open string still sounds, then your nut slot is too high. You should also check to make sure that the strings do not buzz against the first fret when pressed down. If they do, this could be a sign of a high nut slots as well.
How far should string sit in a nut?
Strings should be seated firmly in the nut, but not so far down that they touch the fretboard. The groove of each string should have a minimum depth of 0.008” for steel strings and 0.010” for nylon strings, but no more than 0.025” deep at any point between the nut and bridge. Properly slotting a nut will ensure that each string has enough room to move freely without buzzing on other frets or chords when being played at higher volumes.
How do you fix a nut slot that is too deep?
To fix a nut slot depths that is too deep, you will need to first check the area around it for any rough spots using a file. Then, sand down the nut and surrounding surfaces with fine-grit sandpaper as needed. Finally, place some wood glue into the slot and press in a new nut so that it’s level with the surface of the guitar neck. Let it dry completely before stringing your instrument up again.
Final Thoughts
In short, guitar nut slots play a crucial role in guitar. To set up the strings height guitar nut is necessary. Guitar nuts have a close connection with guitar strings. You must adjust the guitar nuts when moving your strings up and down.
However, the depth of the guitar nut has an impact on the guitar tone. When facing any string problem, you must set up your guitar nuts. You will get better playability when you can adequately adjust or fix the situation.
