Problem on the first 4 frets....HELP

[ZzZzZiggy]

Hello everyone,

I started a topic about a month ago i think about a problem i had with my acoustic guitar. The issue was ( and is ) that although the open strings are tuned the notes at frets 1-4 are sharper than they should be...and i mean sharp by 5-10 cent (the rest of the fretted notes are fine )...I've tried A LOT of things but none managed to correct the problem. Recently, i read somewhere that it was very important that the string comes at an angle from the headstock to the nut. I did that by winding the string more times around the pegs ( so that the strings 'climb' to the nut ) and it seemed to work for a few hours but now the problem's back...

The nut slots are ok i think, the nut doesn't move, the action at the nut is good...I think the string angle is the solution i'm looking for but i also know that it's not good to wind the strings too many times around the pegs.

So you can understand my predicament...Please please if you have any ideas let me know because i really need some expert help here

P.S. : A big thank you to all those that replied to my previous post...but alas, nothing worked then...Hope someone has an idea or two this time too!

[Greg Mirken]

If you lift the string out of the nut slot, there should be a distinct mark from it right at the front edge of the nut. It doesn't matter what angle the string approaches the nut if it isn't making contact right on that front edge. That's what defines the first fret space. Contact further back in the nut will cause the intonation propblem you describe. If the nut is OK I'd say that first fret space is too long and the nut is too far back. If you bought the guitar new that would certainly be a warranty issue.

[Nick Anthony]

if what greg said didnt work ...or make sense...take it to a pro..we hate nothing more than an instrument screwed up from amature work....i actually charge double to fix a customers diy screw ups...not really but i should

[Ron Frazier]

It is very hard to tell if the string is resting on the front of the nut,the side of the fingerboard but here is a couple of ideas. with the strings tuned up wiggle the string back and forth on the fingerboard side and watch where the string moves in the nut. It should not move any where in the nut! If it moves remove the string from the slot and use a lead pencil and mark the bottom of the grove and with your fret files steepen the angle and watch how much pencil mark and where it is left.

Ron

[mathieu thomas-guy]

If the scale is right (spacing between each fret) you should have intonation problem on all frets, (merging from worse to about OK up the neck) so maybe check it with a scale ruler. Tune it with a capo at the first fret (nut would have nothing to do then) and check how it works, if the problem still exist I would suspect a badly cut fret spacing, maybe (I might say its really not often we see this, but on handmade guitars). Also check the harmonics at the 12th fret, and play that darn guitar! Hope that help, good luck,

[Bob Gaddis]

What kind of guitar is it?