Christopher Caruana
New member
The floyd nut on my wolfgang have developed tiny little grooves in the E and B slots. What is the best way to smooth them out and remove them? Sandpaper? steel wool?
-CC
-CC
Smoothing grooves out of floyd nut
- Thread starter Christopher Caruana
- Start date
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Little Pigbacon
Guest
Re: Smoothing grooves out of floyd nut
I've used a Dremel tool with some success. Results seem to depend on the exact abrasive tip you use, the speed setting, and how you angle the tip against the work.
I've used a Dremel tool with some success. Results seem to depend on the exact abrasive tip you use, the speed setting, and how you angle the tip against the work.
CTN
The Drama Dude
Christopher Caruana
New member
Re: Smoothing grooves out of floyd nut
....and if I didn't have a dremel tool?
....and if I didn't have a dremel tool?
CTN
The Drama Dude
Re: Smoothing grooves out of floyd nut
get some cheap jeweller's files, fine cut. preferably smaller sized.
find a file that has a rounded filing edge that can match up with the curve that's supposed to be on the nut where the strings sit. File away the groove.
be gentle. check progress often. try to keep the front edge (where the 1st fret is) as the high point of the area you are filing down. Keep the area nice and flat so the string has something to lie down on, otherwise you could cut your string with the edge of the nut if it's too pointy/sharp.
get some cheap jeweller's files, fine cut. preferably smaller sized.
find a file that has a rounded filing edge that can match up with the curve that's supposed to be on the nut where the strings sit. File away the groove.
be gentle. check progress often. try to keep the front edge (where the 1st fret is) as the high point of the area you are filing down. Keep the area nice and flat so the string has something to lie down on, otherwise you could cut your string with the edge of the nut if it's too pointy/sharp.
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Christopher Caruana
New member
Re: Smoothing grooves out of floyd nut
The groove is on the flat part of the nut, where the strings gets clamped down at. Surely I don't need a drill for that??
The groove is on the flat part of the nut, where the strings gets clamped down at. Surely I don't need a drill for that??
Re: Smoothing grooves out of floyd nut
for how long do you have the guitar? My ancient floyd rose II Kramer 210 (since 1991) *never* had a problem with the nut. However, my newer Schaller and Gotoh nuts *all* of them suffered from muffled tone in some slot or more. So if your guitar is new, you might have had the problem from the start, but didnt notice it before. Using jeweler files might do the job, but bear in mind that you might lower the nut string action as well. I think you should treat the problem gradually :
- start with the least intrusive way by doing frudua's trick : http://www.frudua.com/floyd_rose_locking_nut.htm
- if that doesn't work, go for the next least intrusive way doing my trick : https://forum.seymourduncan.com/sho...re-cause-of-the-problem&p=3735077#post3735077
- if that doesn't work for some reason, or you don't like the slightly higher nut action (which is negligible but anyways) you might try Little Pigbacon, or CTN's methods, you might want to practice on some cheaper nut.
for how long do you have the guitar? My ancient floyd rose II Kramer 210 (since 1991) *never* had a problem with the nut. However, my newer Schaller and Gotoh nuts *all* of them suffered from muffled tone in some slot or more. So if your guitar is new, you might have had the problem from the start, but didnt notice it before. Using jeweler files might do the job, but bear in mind that you might lower the nut string action as well. I think you should treat the problem gradually :
- start with the least intrusive way by doing frudua's trick : http://www.frudua.com/floyd_rose_locking_nut.htm
- if that doesn't work, go for the next least intrusive way doing my trick : https://forum.seymourduncan.com/sho...re-cause-of-the-problem&p=3735077#post3735077
- if that doesn't work for some reason, or you don't like the slightly higher nut action (which is negligible but anyways) you might try Little Pigbacon, or CTN's methods, you might want to practice on some cheaper nut.
Re: Smoothing grooves out of floyd nut
Usually when open notes sound like muffled or like sitar, it is the same regardless of the pads being there or not.
Usually when open notes sound like muffled or like sitar, it is the same regardless of the pads being there or not.
Christopher Caruana
New member
Re: Smoothing grooves out of floyd nut
Ya I'm pretty sure it is from over tightening, but they were there when I got the guitar. The sitar effect does happen on the B and E strings and only happens when they are played open. Ive tried everything to fix it and have countless google searches, but I still can't fix it. Im just exploring my options....
Ya I'm pretty sure it is from over tightening, but they were there when I got the guitar. The sitar effect does happen on the B and E strings and only happens when they are played open. Ive tried everything to fix it and have countless google searches, but I still can't fix it. Im just exploring my options....
Re: Smoothing grooves out of floyd nut
PS
I saw your guitar is from 2013, right? It is not possible for the string to dig the slot's shelf that deep in just one year of ownership.
Did you noitice any decrease in nut action height @1st fret in B,E? If not then it is nothing related to what you describe. IMHO even supposing that overtighting had any effect it would be towards the opposite result : making the string sit tighter in its position thus eliminating unwanted contact with the sides of the hole. In almost all times I had this problem the hole was just too wide by the factory. I have been exactly where you are now. See the second link I posted above. All i gotta say is that for the first time I enjoy full tone from open notes on this particular guitar.
PS
I saw your guitar is from 2013, right? It is not possible for the string to dig the slot's shelf that deep in just one year of ownership.
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Christopher Caruana
New member
Re: Smoothing grooves out of floyd nut
hmmm, so glue foil or paper in the V slot of the nut? Might need to try that. Ive tried the trick in the first link you posted and it didn't help
hmmm, so glue foil or paper in the V slot of the nut? Might need to try that. Ive tried the trick in the first link you posted and it didn't help
Re: Smoothing grooves out of floyd nut
Foil didn't work right, didn't like the result. It turned out that common A4 printer paper does the job just fine. Just try to use some needle/thin prong of the size of the string or slightly larger and press the paper down to give the wanted shape. Another option is just glue down the paper, and immediately put the string, tune in pitch, wait some seconds for the glue to work, play with the trem a little bit so that the string does not stick to the paper and lock down. This will create a groove in the paper just on the diameter of the string. By the time the glue will harden the paper which already has the size of the string, creating a permanent slot for your string, ringing out loud just like a perfectly cut bone nut!
Foil didn't work right, didn't like the result. It turned out that common A4 printer paper does the job just fine. Just try to use some needle/thin prong of the size of the string or slightly larger and press the paper down to give the wanted shape. Another option is just glue down the paper, and immediately put the string, tune in pitch, wait some seconds for the glue to work, play with the trem a little bit so that the string does not stick to the paper and lock down. This will create a groove in the paper just on the diameter of the string. By the time the glue will harden the paper which already has the size of the string, creating a permanent slot for your string, ringing out loud just like a perfectly cut bone nut!
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Re: Smoothing grooves out of floyd nut
It is easy for Christopher to indentify this, just the raise the action and neck relief pretty high and listen the open notes. My experience says that the sitar sound will not go away that easily.
It is easy for Christopher to indentify this, just the raise the action and neck relief pretty high and listen the open notes. My experience says that the sitar sound will not go away that easily.
Christopher Caruana
New member
Re: Smoothing grooves out of floyd nut
I have clearance over the 1st fret when I fret at the 3rd fret and check. Im pretty sure the sitar ring is from the string not sitting correct in the nut slot and its making a funny vibrating sound
I have clearance over the 1st fret when I fret at the 3rd fret and check. Im pretty sure the sitar ring is from the string not sitting correct in the nut slot and its making a funny vibrating sound
XSSIVE
OCDologist
Re: Smoothing grooves out of floyd nut
Even new Floyd nuts will sometimes do that due to texture in the casting. Just hit it with some sandpaper, since you just want to smooth the area and not drastically change the nut shape or height no need for power tools. Loosen the string and lift it out of the slot, fold the sandpaper like a U and run it in the slot to smooth the area, put the string back in and tune it up and see if it stops, if it doesn't....guess what...sand it a bit more haha.
Even new Floyd nuts will sometimes do that due to texture in the casting. Just hit it with some sandpaper, since you just want to smooth the area and not drastically change the nut shape or height no need for power tools. Loosen the string and lift it out of the slot, fold the sandpaper like a U and run it in the slot to smooth the area, put the string back in and tune it up and see if it stops, if it doesn't....guess what...sand it a bit more haha.
Christopher Caruana
New member
Re: Smoothing grooves out of floyd nut
Im gonna try the paper thing first. just set some paper under the string in the slot and if that helps, if it does, then ill glue it.....if it doesn't......Ill pull out the sand paper haha
Im gonna try the paper thing first. just set some paper under the string in the slot and if that helps, if it does, then ill glue it.....if it doesn't......Ill pull out the sand paper haha
XSSIVE
OCDologist
Re: Smoothing grooves out of floyd nut
NO don't glue crap in the nut slot, that's not fixing things, that's half assing them. I'm talking about sanding the rough area of metal on the nut that's causing the sitar sound with the sandpaper, not gluing the sandpaper paper into the nut.
NO don't glue crap in the nut slot, that's not fixing things, that's half assing them. I'm talking about sanding the rough area of metal on the nut that's causing the sitar sound with the sandpaper, not gluing the sandpaper paper into the nut.
