Easy way to lower a Floyd nut shelf?
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STRATDELUXER97
Stratoblaster Tone Meister
Re: Easy way to lower a Floyd nut shelf?
If there isn't any shims under the nut,I'd sand the bottom of the nut...Go easy,as it doesn't take much sanding to get the 2mm of..Leave the neck alone and work on the nut.
If there isn't any shims under the nut,I'd sand the bottom of the nut...Go easy,as it doesn't take much sanding to get the 2mm of..Leave the neck alone and work on the nut.
trevorus
Modsterbator
Re: Easy way to lower a Floyd nut shelf?
That's what I told her!
Anyways, he's right. A nut is easy and relatively cheap to replace, and if you go too far, cutting up a feeler gauge to make shims is super easy. Even if you have to replace the whole nut, it sure is cheaper than a neck.
That's what I told her!
Anyways, he's right. A nut is easy and relatively cheap to replace, and if you go too far, cutting up a feeler gauge to make shims is super easy. Even if you have to replace the whole nut, it sure is cheaper than a neck.
David Collins
New member
Re: Easy way to lower a Floyd nut shelf?
2mm??
Surely that must be either a typo or a mis-measurement. A nut that is 0.2mm I would consider terribly high. 2mm too high would be in the realm of a hawaiian slide guitar.
When they do need to be lowered, I typically do the same as others said - sand the bottom. Of course this is one of the most precision-critical adjustments in a setup, with tolerances I like to hold more within the range of +/- .01mm, maybe .02mm at the most.
Sanding the bottom of the nut of does not mean going at it with a loose piece of sandpaper. I take off the bulk of material on a disc sander if needed, then do the final fitting on a small surface plate with affixed sandpaper, or sometimes an oil stone. It's okay if you go a bit low, as shims are more or less standard fare in setting up locking nuts.
On occasion I will choose to cut the shelf on the neck instead, usually by hand with a chisel (takes a bit of care and skill to keep it straight and square, but it can be done). Usually I sand the bottom of the nut itself, though I've never had to take off so much as 2mm.
These are the tools I use to gauge how much material to remove, by measuring the height of the nut slot above the plane of the frets.
Easy? No, but accurate.
2mm??
Surely that must be either a typo or a mis-measurement. A nut that is 0.2mm I would consider terribly high. 2mm too high would be in the realm of a hawaiian slide guitar.
When they do need to be lowered, I typically do the same as others said - sand the bottom. Of course this is one of the most precision-critical adjustments in a setup, with tolerances I like to hold more within the range of +/- .01mm, maybe .02mm at the most.
Sanding the bottom of the nut of does not mean going at it with a loose piece of sandpaper. I take off the bulk of material on a disc sander if needed, then do the final fitting on a small surface plate with affixed sandpaper, or sometimes an oil stone. It's okay if you go a bit low, as shims are more or less standard fare in setting up locking nuts.
On occasion I will choose to cut the shelf on the neck instead, usually by hand with a chisel (takes a bit of care and skill to keep it straight and square, but it can be done). Usually I sand the bottom of the nut itself, though I've never had to take off so much as 2mm.
These are the tools I use to gauge how much material to remove, by measuring the height of the nut slot above the plane of the frets.
Easy? No, but accurate.
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ericmeyer4
New member
ericmeyer4
New member
Re: Easy way to lower a Floyd nut shelf?
2 millimeter (mm) isn't that much. 2 centimeter (cm) on the other hand would be.
What guitar is it? If it is a bolt on neck you might be able to shim the neck pocket and increase the neck angle. I know it works when the bridge is a bit high. Not sure if it will work if the nut was too high.
2 millimeter (mm) isn't that much. 2 centimeter (cm) on the other hand would be.
What guitar is it? If it is a bolt on neck you might be able to shim the neck pocket and increase the neck angle. I know it works when the bridge is a bit high. Not sure if it will work if the nut was too high.
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David Collins
New member
Re: Easy way to lower a Floyd nut shelf?
2mm is huge in terms of nut height. 1mm is huge when dealing with nut height.
Your average new guitar can often be found with a nut .005"-.010" (.125-.25mm) above the fret plane, which I consider absurdly high, bordering on unplayable. A height of .0005"-.0015" (.013-.038mm) above the plane of the frets is a reasonable ideal to shoot for. Get up past .003" (.075mm) and lower fret intonation can quickly become a mess. Hit .010" (.25mm), and first position chords can become a bear to hold.
Half a the thickness of a US quarter is still in the range of .030", or .75mm. There are areas where this difference is small, but when dealing with nut height it is absolutely enormous.
To put it in perspective, if your frets were perfectly leveled, and were to capo at the first fret, your string would end up departing at around .0005"-.001" above the plane of the frets. If we're talking about the difference in the range half a quarter (the coin), this would be nearly the equivalent of stacking another fret on top of the one you are capoing on. Huge, enormous difference. Tolerances at the nut need to be tight - nearly as tight as the tolerances between one fret and the next when leveling in my opinion.
2mm is huge in terms of nut height. 1mm is huge when dealing with nut height.
Your average new guitar can often be found with a nut .005"-.010" (.125-.25mm) above the fret plane, which I consider absurdly high, bordering on unplayable. A height of .0005"-.0015" (.013-.038mm) above the plane of the frets is a reasonable ideal to shoot for. Get up past .003" (.075mm) and lower fret intonation can quickly become a mess. Hit .010" (.25mm), and first position chords can become a bear to hold.
Half a the thickness of a US quarter is still in the range of .030", or .75mm. There are areas where this difference is small, but when dealing with nut height it is absolutely enormous.
To put it in perspective, if your frets were perfectly leveled, and were to capo at the first fret, your string would end up departing at around .0005"-.001" above the plane of the frets. If we're talking about the difference in the range half a quarter (the coin), this would be nearly the equivalent of stacking another fret on top of the one you are capoing on. Huge, enormous difference. Tolerances at the nut need to be tight - nearly as tight as the tolerances between one fret and the next when leveling in my opinion.
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jmh151
Active member
Re: Easy way to lower a Floyd nut shelf?
Wait everybody. Maybe I'm missing something- you're all telling him to sand a Floyd nut?
Sand a Hardened Steel Floyd Nut?
I think they mean to sand the shelf- the neck route. Sanding a traditional nut- live Fender, Gibson, no problem, but I tried grinding away a German, Schaller made Floyd nut, it was so hard to ruined my dremel bits.
Take the nut off, see if there's any shims, remove them. If there's new buzz, get a set of Floyd Shims, and raise the nut until you have no more buzz.
If the nut is still too high after you remove the shims, take some sandpaper and sand away the shelf to yoru required depth. You can always shim it if you go too deep
Wait everybody. Maybe I'm missing something- you're all telling him to sand a Floyd nut?
Sand a Hardened Steel Floyd Nut?
I think they mean to sand the shelf- the neck route. Sanding a traditional nut- live Fender, Gibson, no problem, but I tried grinding away a German, Schaller made Floyd nut, it was so hard to ruined my dremel bits.
Take the nut off, see if there's any shims, remove them. If there's new buzz, get a set of Floyd Shims, and raise the nut until you have no more buzz.
If the nut is still too high after you remove the shims, take some sandpaper and sand away the shelf to yoru required depth. You can always shim it if you go too deep
David Collins
New member
Re: Easy way to lower a Floyd nut shelf?
Yup. It's not really that difficult at all - unless you wanted to remove 1-2mm, in which case it would take a few minutes with a grinder or disc sander to take it down that far.
Yup. It's not really that difficult at all - unless you wanted to remove 1-2mm, in which case it would take a few minutes with a grinder or disc sander to take it down that far.
ericmeyer4
New member
Re: Easy way to lower a Floyd nut shelf?
You learn something new everyday. Thanks for that.
You learn something new everyday. Thanks for that.
Re: Easy way to lower a Floyd nut shelf?
1. +1 to Ianballard, you might have a shim under the nut.
2. You have the wrong nut size for the guitar. There are a variety of Nuts made by Floyd from R1 to R8, all different sizes and heights inbetween. You'd be much better buying a new nut than screwing up any of the wood.
3. The frets wore down and have been leveled much lower. Perhaps its time for new frets.
The guitar was already built and setup with a Floyd nut I'm assuming. 9/10 times they're pretty good coming from the factory. Its gotta be one of those 3.
1. +1 to Ianballard, you might have a shim under the nut.
2. You have the wrong nut size for the guitar. There are a variety of Nuts made by Floyd from R1 to R8, all different sizes and heights inbetween. You'd be much better buying a new nut than screwing up any of the wood.
3. The frets wore down and have been leveled much lower. Perhaps its time for new frets.
The guitar was already built and setup with a Floyd nut I'm assuming. 9/10 times they're pretty good coming from the factory. Its gotta be one of those 3.
Re: Easy way to lower a Floyd nut shelf?
2. You have the wrong nut size for the guitar. There are a variety of Nuts made by Floyd from R1 to R8, all different sizes and heights inbetween. You'd be much better buying a new nut than screwing up any of the wood.
There is a height difference for Floyd nuts made for Strat, and other ones, IE Jacskon, ESP, etc.
http://www.floydrose.com/technical-information.php
2. You have the wrong nut size for the guitar. There are a variety of Nuts made by Floyd from R1 to R8, all different sizes and heights inbetween. You'd be much better buying a new nut than screwing up any of the wood.
There is a height difference for Floyd nuts made for Strat, and other ones, IE Jacskon, ESP, etc.
http://www.floydrose.com/technical-information.php