Gibson Firebird with strings binding in the nut - at my wit's end.. - FRETS.NET2024-03-28T10:23:27Zhttps://fretsnet.ning.com/forum/topics/gibson-firebird-with-strings-binding-in-the-nut-at-my-wit-s-end?commentId=2177249%3AComment%3A178453&x=1&feed=yes&xn_auth=noWell, here is a quick update.…tag:fretsnet.ning.com,2018-05-18:2177249:Comment:1784532018-05-18T14:49:20.419ZDanhttps://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/Dan307
<p>Well, here is a quick update..</p>
<p>I had to wait a while because I had some other bits and pieces that needed taking care of. I got round to replacing the nut this morning and following the guide on Lutherie.net I slotted the nut. All the plain strings do not bind in the nut, nor does the wound E string.. but the A and the D are being a nuisance. I don't know what I've done wrong with those two slots, I did all of them under magnification and was extremely careful while doing the work.…</p>
<p>Well, here is a quick update..</p>
<p>I had to wait a while because I had some other bits and pieces that needed taking care of. I got round to replacing the nut this morning and following the guide on Lutherie.net I slotted the nut. All the plain strings do not bind in the nut, nor does the wound E string.. but the A and the D are being a nuisance. I don't know what I've done wrong with those two slots, I did all of them under magnification and was extremely careful while doing the work. The only thing that I can think is that the A and D string sit a little deeper in the slot compared to the E, probably about 3/4 of the string is in the slot.. but I wouldn't think that would make a huge difference, or maybe it does? </p> The result from the lastest u…tag:fretsnet.ning.com,2018-04-28:2177249:Comment:1783142018-04-28T09:45:38.659ZRoger Häggströmhttps://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/RogerHaeggstroem
<p>The result from the lastest use of the straight edge. It's very easy to stray from the marking when shaping the cut, but done right the string will bend one time and not two.<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2167765376?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="700" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2167765376?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" class="align-full" width="700"/></a></p>
<p>The result from the lastest use of the straight edge. It's very easy to stray from the marking when shaping the cut, but done right the string will bend one time and not two.<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2167765376?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="700" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2167765376?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" class="align-full" width="700"/></a></p> Lots to catch up on here! Sor…tag:fretsnet.ning.com,2018-04-26:2177249:Comment:1783072018-04-26T11:32:45.980ZDanhttps://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/Dan307
<p>Lots to catch up on here! Sorry.. work gets in the way sometimes, had a very busy week so far.</p>
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<p>Ok.. Roger - that is an ingenious way to cut your nut slots! I love it!</p>
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<p>Russell - thanks for the message and it's great to talk to someone with experience of Firebirds. I removed the last bone nut I cut for it and measured it with calipers and it is indeed 3/16.. or 4.7mm. I have a Graph Tech TusqXL blank on the way to me in the post.. I'm fairly confident I can cut…</p>
<p>Lots to catch up on here! Sorry.. work gets in the way sometimes, had a very busy week so far.</p>
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<p>Ok.. Roger - that is an ingenious way to cut your nut slots! I love it!</p>
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<p>Russell - thanks for the message and it's great to talk to someone with experience of Firebirds. I removed the last bone nut I cut for it and measured it with calipers and it is indeed 3/16.. or 4.7mm. I have a Graph Tech TusqXL blank on the way to me in the post.. I'm fairly confident I can cut some good slots for it - besides that, I use heavy gauge strings (11-54 - I tune a half step down in my band) so I'd need to mess with the pre-slotted GT nut anyway. I've been looking at photographs of Gibson nuts and it seems that the general consensus reached here - that the nut should be sloped off at the back to provide a small surface area for the string - is what Gibson are doing with their nuts from the factory. The other thing I have to take in to consideration is the way the strings leave the back of the nut - with the vintage style banjo tuners in my Firebird, all the strings break off at a slight angle towards the tuners - so I'll account for that. Any other tips you can throw my way would be greatly appreciated.</p> Hey Mark.. funnily enough, lu…tag:fretsnet.ning.com,2018-04-26:2177249:Comment:1781112018-04-26T11:21:10.756ZDanhttps://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/Dan307
<p>Hey Mark.. funnily enough, lutherie.net is where I found this forum. I've absorbed everything I can from that site.. excellent resource!</p>
<p>Hey Mark.. funnily enough, lutherie.net is where I found this forum. I've absorbed everything I can from that site.. excellent resource!</p> Hi Dan,
lotsa advice been giv…tag:fretsnet.ning.com,2018-04-26:2177249:Comment:1783912018-04-26T11:09:37.729ZRussell Vancehttps://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/RussellVance
<p>Hi Dan,</p>
<p>lotsa advice been given here. Firstly, I’ve worked with vintage firebirds (which don’t </p>
<p>have a 1/4” nut - so this is a epiphone spec gibson, standard gibson nut is 3/16.). No voodoo here, and a graph tech slippery black xl nut will fix the probleM IF THE NUT IS THE PROBLEM. In particular, a factory slotted GT nut set up with the right string clearance will eliminate the nut as the source of the problem. A string tree will not make yr tuning stability noticeably…</p>
<p>Hi Dan,</p>
<p>lotsa advice been given here. Firstly, I’ve worked with vintage firebirds (which don’t </p>
<p>have a 1/4” nut - so this is a epiphone spec gibson, standard gibson nut is 3/16.). No voodoo here, and a graph tech slippery black xl nut will fix the probleM IF THE NUT IS THE PROBLEM. In particular, a factory slotted GT nut set up with the right string clearance will eliminate the nut as the source of the problem. A string tree will not make yr tuning stability noticeably better or worse wth this headstock configuration which is similar to many other guitars which do what they do OK. So, first thing: Replace the nut with a pristine GT item that is untouched by human hands. Change yr strings to a new set of Standard (10_46) strings, stretch the strings as per usual for stage use, run the strings up and down with the tuners a few times to get the nut slippery and then bring the guitar up to tune. If you still have a problem get back to us and we’ll take it from there, Rusty.</p> Hey Mark - thanks for the lin…tag:fretsnet.ning.com,2018-04-26:2177249:Comment:1783062018-04-26T05:03:05.797ZMark McLeanhttps://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/MarkMcLean
<p>Hey Mark - thanks for the link back to Paul Hostetter's pages. There is some great stuff there, beautifully presented with wisdom and whimsy. I haven't been there for a while and it was great to revisit (and thanks to you, Paul H, if you happen to be visiting this corner of the internet). </p>
<p>Hey Mark - thanks for the link back to Paul Hostetter's pages. There is some great stuff there, beautifully presented with wisdom and whimsy. I haven't been there for a while and it was great to revisit (and thanks to you, Paul H, if you happen to be visiting this corner of the internet). </p> I have started to do this to…tag:fretsnet.ning.com,2018-04-25:2177249:Comment:1781082018-04-25T05:21:35.652ZRoger Häggströmhttps://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/RogerHaeggstroem
<p>I have started to do this to mark the cuts in the nut. I use a straight edge between the mark for the cut and the stringpin hole in the bridge. That way I get an ever so slightly "fan" cut in the nut. Besides, it's faster than using a square!…<br></br><br></br><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2167765604?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2167765604?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="700"></img></a></p>
<p>I have started to do this to mark the cuts in the nut. I use a straight edge between the mark for the cut and the stringpin hole in the bridge. That way I get an ever so slightly "fan" cut in the nut. Besides, it's faster than using a square!<br/><br/><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2167765604?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="700" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2167765604?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" class="align-full" width="700"/></a></p> You mean you don't wear your…tag:fretsnet.ning.com,2018-04-25:2177249:Comment:1783862018-04-25T03:14:35.387ZAllan Baconhttps://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/AllanBacon40
<p>You mean you don't wear your magnifier headgear all the time? I have to be reminded to take mine off...</p>
<p>You mean you don't wear your magnifier headgear all the time? I have to be reminded to take mine off...</p> Good summary! It doesn't men…tag:fretsnet.ning.com,2018-04-24:2177249:Comment:1783022018-04-24T22:21:30.384ZLARRY KLOSEhttps://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/LARRYKLOSE
<p>Good summary! It doesn't mention one thing I've encountered is on a mandolin of mine. The A strings (it's always the A strings!) were binding and "pinging." on close examination, the builder had cut the slots so they faced in the direction of the tuners at the rear, but the slot was a little too narrow at the back of the nut. The strings were binding against the sides of the slots, forming a perfect little S curve between the front and back and hanging up the strings. Once I found this,…</p>
<p>Good summary! It doesn't mention one thing I've encountered is on a mandolin of mine. The A strings (it's always the A strings!) were binding and "pinging." on close examination, the builder had cut the slots so they faced in the direction of the tuners at the rear, but the slot was a little too narrow at the back of the nut. The strings were binding against the sides of the slots, forming a perfect little S curve between the front and back and hanging up the strings. Once I found this, a few strokes with the file were all it needed. This can be hard to see--I had to use a magnifier to figure it out because the slot was almost OK--but not quite.</p>
<p>Larry</p> Dan, here is all the info you…tag:fretsnet.ning.com,2018-04-24:2177249:Comment:1782062018-04-24T22:00:07.611ZMark A. Kanehttps://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/MarkAKane
<p>Dan, here is all the info you need to correct your issue. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.lutherie.net/nuts.html" target="_blank">http://www.lutherie.net/nuts.html</a></p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
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<p>Dan, here is all the info you need to correct your issue. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.lutherie.net/nuts.html" target="_blank">http://www.lutherie.net/nuts.html</a></p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
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