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  • Asking for a friend...

    My friend has an almost new Epi LP that is displaying intonation problems.

    The neck relief etc. are all within specs. The scale length should be standard Gibson 24-3/4 inches. It's 12-3/8ths from the inside of the nut to the top of the 12th fret and the same again from their to the "middle" positions on the bridge saddles. 'It tunes just fine and intonates just fine at the 12th. But...

    Every string us sharp at the time end of the neck. No matter what he tries it stays sharp. The adjustable nut has been "decked" then raised just high enough to stop the frets touching the 1st fret, so it's not the nut height.

    I think it's because he's fitted an adjustable nut that has effectively increased the scale length by 1/8th of an inch. My friend says that's ballcocks. I think I'm right.

    To get it to intonate at the 12th, the saddles have to be pretty far back on their adjustments. Therefore the 1/8th extra betweenthe nut and theandthis being compensated for by 1/8th extra between the 12th and the saddles, effectively increasing the scale length by a full quarter inch.

    Please help us because theres a cassete tape of The Nolan Sisters Greatest Hits riding on this...
    Last edited by ThreeChordWonder; 08-08-2022, 10:22 AM.

  • #2
    The nut. The balls are about halfway across the 1/4inch width.

    Click image for larger version

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    • #3
      When it comes to intonation, 1/8" can make a significant difference.
      It seems to me that anyone designing an adjustable nut would've taken that into consideration, though.

      Was it installed according to the manufacturer's instructions, or just screwed in as is?
      Looks to me as if it should have required taking a bit off the end of the fretboard.
      .
      "You should know better by now than to introduce science into a discussion of voodoo."
      .

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      • #4
        Just plonked into the slot left by the old one. I guess I didn't give it much thought, but there's no way on earth I'm taking a saw to the fretboard!

        I've ordered a TusqXL instead.

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        • #5
          I love LSR nuts, but yeah, my guess is that the contact point is wrong for that kind of guitar.
          Administrator of the SDUGF

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          • #6
            Originally posted by eclecticsynergy View Post
            Looks to me as if it should have required taking a bit off the end of the fretboard.
            With both of my LSR nuts, I had to take a bit off the fretboard to get them to intonate correctly.

            Originally posted by Mincer View Post
            I love LSR nuts, but yeah, my guess is that the contact point is wrong for that kind of guitar.
            I am wondering why someone would put a roller nut on a non-trem guitar but it is not my axe.

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            • #7
              Brain was on vacation.

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              • #8
                Is it on backwards?

                But anyway, you are absolutely correct that the extra 1/8" at the nut will drastically affect the scale length and intonation. It will make all the fretted strings sound sharp, especially as you get closer to the saddles
                (above the 12th fret), bet just about everywhere it will sound sharp. Tell your friend that he is wrong.
                Originally Posted by IanBallard
                Rule of thumb... the more pot you have, the better your tone.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by GuitarDoc View Post
                  Is it on backwards?
                  No, it is on correct. The strings pass over the ball bearings last and clear that last little strip of the nut.

                  You can see on my guitar where the nut was moved down, and a sliver of rosewood was added to make up for the gap where the original nut was.

                  Last edited by Securb; 08-09-2022, 08:44 AM.

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Securb View Post
                    I am wondering why someone would put a roller nut on a non-trem guitar but it is not my axe.
                    Yah, that's a puzzler. Unless he had serious problems with strings binding.
                    In which case, a properly cut nut would've alleviated the problem.
                    Or... did Epi ever make a copy of the Axcess LP?

                    EDIT: Apparently they did. Perhaps that's what the OP's friend has.

                    .
                    "You should know better by now than to introduce science into a discussion of voodoo."
                    .

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Na. He's just an idiot who thought fitting adjustable nut would be quicker than filing down the plastic one.

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                      • #12
                        My friend got his TusqXL nut this afternoon, and after we filed a little off the base, tried, repeated filing, tried again...

                        the intonation is almost there. A bit more filing on the base then it'll be down to getting the individual nut files out.

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Securb View Post

                          No, it is on correct. The strings pass over the ball bearings last and clear that last little strip of the nut.

                          You can see on my guitar where the nut was moved down, and a sliver of rosewood was added to make up for the gap where the original nut was.

                          Yeah, ok, I see. It's been a long time since I had a roller nut on. I removed it shortly after putting it on due to intonation problems.
                          Originally Posted by IanBallard
                          Rule of thumb... the more pot you have, the better your tone.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by GuitarDoc View Post

                            Yeah, ok, I see. It's been a long time since I had a roller nut on. I removed it shortly after putting it on due to intonation problems.
                            Both of my LSR guitars have Babicz bridges which intonate beautifully.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Securb View Post
                              You can see on my guitar where the nut was moved down, and a sliver of rosewood was added to make up for the gap where the original nut was.

                              Now it looks like the the string breakover point is too close to the bridge. It looks like you went too far.

                              Originally Posted by IanBallard
                              Rule of thumb... the more pot you have, the better your tone.

                              Comment

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