

Strings too big for nut

Discussion in 'Strings [DB]' started by rick_lap, Feb 2, 2013.

  1. Hi, just a little newbie question here. I'm new to rockabilly and just put some new innovations golden slap. I had jazz strings before and they were a lot thiner. The grooves on the nut and on the bridge were designed for the (thiner) jazz strings so they seem a little small for the innovations.

    Will that affect a lot my sound? Is it that bad?

  2. Oh and what should I do with that?
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  4. it is better if they set down in the nut, or they may jump to the side when playing hard. it will also make the string height at the nut higher than normal, causing higher effort to fret the strings on the first few frets. you can get a small set of files and file the slots on the nut until they allow the strings to set down, or you could get a small piece of sandpaper and wrap it around a small section of the bass strings and use that to get the slots to the right size. just take your time, once you go too far, there's no going back.
  5. cyclopsbookworm

    cyclopsbookworm Mutant Werewolf Supporting Member

    Nov 13, 2012
    Vista, CA

    That's it right there. Though if it is anything but a brass nut, you can fill it back in with epoxy and re-file, though that takes a lot of patience and even more skill. It can be done though it's a lot easier to file it right the first time.

    My bass has a brass nut that isn't permanently attached, so if I ever had this issue, I'd probably get a nut specifically for what I'm using it for so I can switch back and forth if I had to (though I'm currently using fat beams, and they don't get a whole lot thicker than that, so I'll probably never run into this)
  6. You're in the doublebass forum, cyclops. Whole different animal.
  7. neddyrow


    Apr 21, 2011
    Cortland, NY
    I will say it was very nerve-racking when I put a set of all plain guts on my bass. I had to take a round file to my head nut and bridge to widen the grooves to make the strings fit a little better. The real scary part was when I took a beveled dremel to the holes of the tuners and tailpiece to get the plain E and A strings to fit. If your not as brave (or dumb) as I was, have your luthier do this kind of work. Like said before here, you can't go back.
  8. cyclopsbookworm

    cyclopsbookworm Mutant Werewolf Supporting Member

    Nov 13, 2012
    Vista, CA
    oh, doodadoo...I always forget to check that. I'll shut up now. Haha.
  9. Jake deVilliers

    Jake deVilliers Supporting Member

    May 24, 2006
    Crescent Beach, BC
    You need to have your luthier open up the string slots in the nut and the bridge to accommodate the strings properly. Otherwise the windings will catch in the slots and tear them off the string's core, ruining the string.
  10. Thanks everyone!

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