Angled nut slots

[tadej bratkovic]

Hi all,

lately I've seen some high-end acoustics that have the G and D nut slot cut at an angle so the strings follow the angle from the nut to the tuning post more easily. At least this is how I understand it.

Since many of you know this and probably experimented with too, tell me, is it worth it? I have gone through it thousands of times in my head and I still think that cutting straight slots might still be the best.

Let's say that the edge of our nut facing the fingerboard is the "0" (zero) point and the french-horn edge facing the headstock and tuners is our "00" point. With a straight slot the string actually binds at the 00 point only, while with the slot cut sideways, both the 0 and 00 can bind, now especially the 0 point because the strings starts to break inside the slot rather than outside. This can also lead to string binding along the whole lenght that sits inside the slot, not just at the edge where it leavea the slot, because the break is right where the open string "lives" :)

I might be completely wrong. Shed some light on this one, please :)

[Hesh Breakstone]

I don't angle my nut slots toward the string posts but I don't see anything wrong with doing so.

I'll add that to me it's much more important to have the nut slots properly spaced (Stew-Mac nut spacing rule is what I use) and properly angled. I use Frank's method of halving the head stock set back angle to determine the angle I.e. 15 degree set back angle wants an approx. 7.5 degree nut slot angle. Also avoiding a hump in the back of the slot or too shallow an angle which can result in a sitar sounding buzz is also something that I endeavor to do.

With all of this in at least my mind.... Angling the slots toward the posts doesn't seem as important as getting the basics down. But again if one can do all of the previously mentioned stuff and angle toward the posts I see no issue in doing so.

[Mark Pollock]

I've angled some, and not others. Basically, you are deciding where the string will bend sideways. It can bend right at the edge of the nut where it meets from the tuner, or at the other edge where it exits the nut. That bend will be there no matter what, creating a little sideways wear point. I guess that I prefer not angling the slots now, so that the wear point won't affect the string position relative to the guitar.