Author Topic: Trouble with the brass nut. (Read 272 times)

eugene · « **on:** March 17, 2008, 02:53:18 PM »

Hello everybody. I'm back with my beautiful 6 string Elan. The luthier found out that there's something weird with the nut. As you can see in the pictures, it's a left handed bass but the previous owner played it stringed upside down (just like Jimmy Haslip), so he needed to make some adjustment in order to make the bass playable. We found out that he (previous owner) did something even on the nut changing the inclination of the place where strings lie. Now that the nut is placed in its original position, strings lie in an anomalous way becouse of the works made on the nut. Looking at the pictures, what do you think about this issue? And if I need to replace the nut, how can I get one? In the Alembic online shop there's nothing like that available. Thanks.

Bradley Young · « **Reply #1 on:** March 17, 2008, 06:34:55 PM »

Alembic can certainly make you a new nut, or send you a blank (and you can have a luthier of choice cut the nut for you).

I'd hate to be the guy that filed your existing nut-- that chrome would be hard going until you got through it.

Bradley

keurosix · « **Reply #2 on:** March 17, 2008, 06:47:13 PM »

Your Luthier can file the taper out of the nut slots so you can use the nut in the standard stringing, but you will have to raise the nut to get the strings off the edge of the fingerboard. I would try it to see if you have enough nut material and adjustability left before replacing the nut blank. And of course you should already know by now that you will need to reverse the bridge saddles to follow the strings, but you already did that, right?
Good luck with the mod!
Kris

keurosix · « **Reply #3 on:** March 17, 2008, 06:52:07 PM »

That's a non-standard screw in the middle of the nut. You should try to get a replacement set-screw from Alembic: it's an american thread - mght be hard to find in Italy. If you need to replace the nut blank, it will come with the screws too.
Kris

adriaan · « **Reply #4 on:** March 18, 2008, 02:28:40 AM »

Hm - reverse Buzz Feiten?

eugene · « **Reply #5 on:** March 18, 2008, 04:21:08 AM »

Thanks everybody for answering.
I agree that the best thing to do should be a nut replacement, and I think I'll write to Alembic asking for it.
I could raise the actual nut and work on it in order to adjust it, but I don't like the idea of having an Alembic bass with some sort of imperfection.
About the bridge saddles, I already did what keurosix said.
I even played the Elan for a while, but there was something strange on it.
Now I understand why.
The screw in the middle ain't original since the previous owner took if off in order to revers the nut.
Mica shipped one of that screw twice, I hope to get one at least some day.

I'll keep you updated about the nut issue.

Have a nice day.

eugene · « **Reply #6 on:** March 20, 2008, 11:01:05 AM »

Today I received the screw from Mica (even the envelopes from Alembic looks great!) but I got no news about the nut.

I hope I receive an answer soon becouse I can't wait no longer for my bass!

Happy Easter.

elwoodblue · « **Reply #7 on:** March 20, 2008, 09:39:24 PM »

adriaan- Fuzz bitin' ...mmhh

(:

(Message edited by elwoodblue on March 20, 2008)

eugene · « **Reply #8 on:** March 21, 2008, 12:48:12 AM »

Sorry, but I don't understand what you mean with buzz feiten and fuzz bitin'.

adriaan · « **Reply #9 on:** March 21, 2008, 04:10:01 AM »

The patented Buzz Feiten tuning system is supposed to improve intonation on the lower frets (which are usually a little off - you notice especially if you're in a band with keyboards). The main trick with this system is that they move the nut something like 0.1 closer to the first fret.

Looking at the slots on your nut, it might be a perspective thing, but it looks like the strings are resting on just the back end of the slot, nearest to the tuners, which would be the same as moving the nut back towards the tuners (BF reversed) - at least for the vertical component of the string vibrations.

(Message edited by adriaan on March 21, 2008)

keurosix · « **Reply #10 on:** March 21, 2008, 04:18:16 AM »

Buzz Feiten is a compensated tuning system that is supposed to make all open strings and fretted notes balanced. It takes a special stepped nut that adjusts the length of each string to it's own exact length, and then you need a special tuner to correctly tune the guitar. Each string is adjusted slightly from standard pitch to correct and balance the overall tuning. I think the comments about this related to your nut are meant to be taken light hearted as a joke. Your reversed nut really isn't working as a proper nut or a buzz feiten compensated one. Fuzz bitin is just a play on words - a pun. Just a silly little ditty!
Kris

elwoodblue · « **Reply #11 on:** March 22, 2008, 06:45:46 PM »

Kris, thanks for helping clear any wake of confusion I might have left,

kris

elwoodblue · « **Reply #12 on:** March 22, 2008, 06:50:50 PM »

'funkynut' is another shelved nut product that addresses this, playing lightly until I hear someone complain sounds good to me.

...best wishes to a perfect solution for your bass Eugene.

eugene · « **Reply #13 on:** March 25, 2008, 01:02:59 AM »

Thanks Elwoodblue.

I received an answer from Mica and she said I can get a new blank nut.
I guess it's the best solution.

The only problem is for my luthier since he's non sure he can cut the new nut in the right way.

I'll let you know about it.

Thanks.