How high should strings be at the nut?
The top of the nut is shaped to follow the radius of the fretboard, and the string slots also follow this curve. To allow the strings to clear the top of the first fret, the bottoms of the slots should be . 030″ higher than the fret height.
Is my nut too high?
To check nut-slot height, hold the string down at the third fret, and see how much it moves over the first fret. This is similar to checking neck relief, but the string should move much less. If the string doesn’t move at all, chances are the slot is too low.
How Should guitar strings sit in a nut?
Nut Slots: Depth Big deep slots and a quarter-inch of nut above the strings just looks a bit rubbish. Ideally, your wound strings should have about half to two-thirds of their diameter in their slots and the unwound strings should sit just below the surface.
How do I know if my string action is too high?
If your guitar’s intonation is out or the guitar feels awkward to play compared to other guitars, the action may be too high. High action can throw off your guitar’s intonation because you need to push the string further to reach the fret. The distance you push the string causes the note to bend out-of-tune.
How do you know if a nut is close to the string?
If the string is touching the 1st fret and you can play the guitar with no buzzing at the first fret, then you’re there. If the string is above the first fret you file down the nut slot until the string is touching or almost touching the first fret.
How close to the fret height can you take the nut?
For acoustic guitars with highish action you can get right down to fret height and maybe a tad below it with no problem. For a short scale electric guitar with a low action at the 12th fret (say.070″) you are flirting with fret buzz if you take the nut all the way down to fret height.
What is a good string height at the 12th fret?
For electric guitars, in our opinion, a good default string height at the 12th fret is typically about 6/64th of an inch (2.38mm) on the bass side and 4/64th of an inch (1.59mm) on the treble side. For acoustic guitars, we’ll want to go just a bit higher than this:
How high should I Raise my Strings on my guitar?
Those who play more forcefully or aggressively may want to raise their strings by a 64th or two whereas those who are able to get away with much lower string heights without producing unwanted fret buzz may find that the lower settings are more comfortable for them. There are two main ways that the action on a guitar is typically adjusted.