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Permalink Reply by Dan Sleep on March 26, 2012 at 6:20am

No. You need the nut to keep the strings at the proper distance above the top of the first fret. The bridge should be adjusted to keep the strings at the proper height above the frets as you move up the fretboard towards the body. The string height should keep getting higher as you approach the body, so that the string does not touch the next fret in line and cause a buzz. Does that make sense?

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Permalink Reply by Kimberly Holland on March 26, 2012 at 7:37am

Yes it does. Thank you

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Permalink Reply by Dan Sleep on March 26, 2012 at 9:39am

I have a couple beginner videos on my page here that might help you out a bit.

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Permalink Reply by Brian Hunt on March 26, 2012 at 9:29am

For good action and intonation, you generally want the bottom of your strings to be at the same height as your frets at the nut and you want the string height to be taller at the 12th fret. String height is often measured at the 12th fret. Most factories set action at 3/32" to 7/64" on the bass E string at the 12th fret and 2/32" to 5/64" on the treble E for an acoustic guitar and a little lower for an electric. If your string height gets too high, your intonation will suffer due to over stretching the strings when you fret the notes and gets worse as you move up the neck.

 

hope this additional info helps.

 

Brian Hunt

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Permalink Reply by MichaelS Country Boy Guitars on March 26, 2012 at 10:08am

If you want a really low action the nut can be as low as the frets, its really just another fret with grooves to hold the strings, you can then lower the bridge until it buzz's when you play, them raise it up some.

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Permalink Reply by Dan Sleep on March 26, 2012 at 10:27am

I have always meant to try the whole zero fret thing. I was going to use a jumbo fret and notch it, but I was concerned that I could not get a deep enough slot to keep the string in place.

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Permalink Reply by Brian Hunt on March 26, 2012 at 11:31am

You don't slot the fret that you are using for your zero fret. Instead you make a slotted string retainer that sits in front of the zero fret to keep the strings in place before they go over the zero fret that kind of looks like a wood nut. I have done this on more than one guitar and works just fine.

 

Brian Hunt.

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Permalink Reply by Dan Sleep on March 26, 2012 at 11:45am

OK, gotcha. I will have to give that a try some time.

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Permalink Reply by The Phrygian Kid on March 26, 2012 at 11:49am

Zero fret is the key to sonic nirvana. Dunno why more of you guys don't do em. Yes you can slide with em. Use the same size as the others or it's not a zero fret is a nut from a fret. And don't slot it, put a nut a quarter inch behind it. See any of my pics

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Permalink Reply by Richard G Caudill on March 26, 2012 at 12:13pm

@Dan ,, Ms diane from chicago explained that to me ,, I bought jumbo fret wire from gitty .. set the bridge ,,

saw it and fret it ...   It will put the string at just the right height over the standard fret .. very slieght mark with ur fret saw  and tension the stings over these and it'll set em as u tighten it up .. U can brdge it then to what ever u want ,, flor slide or picking  etc ...   I just about quit making any kinda nut ,, the other is to simple and is almost fail safe ,, if not suting ya ,, take it out and replace again and u got a fresh start !!

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