Warmoth Earvana nut slots?

Diminished Triad

Diminished Triad

New member
Here's an option Warmoth provides. Has anyone worked with this or have a recommendation? Thank you in advance and here's what the Warmoth website says:

Warmoth offers the Earvana nut slots. This patented technology is designed to improve the sound of your guitar by compensating each string individually for better intonation. Every nut is custom cut on a CNC to the specific neck dimensions, compensated for fret height, nut width, fingerboard radius, and Earvana tuning technology.

Installed nuts must be ordered at the same time as the neck to insure compatibility. This option is only available on straight-neck guitars; it is not available on tiltback guitars or any basses.

Black or White Corian $65.00 installed
Black or White
Graph Tech TUSQ XL $69.00 installed
Installation of the Earvana nut requires widening the nut slot from 1/8" (3mm) to 1/4" (6mm). Therefore, if you wish to change from this nut to a conventional nut, the old slot must be filled in this area. This can be cosmetically unappealing and costly so it's a good idea to be sure that you like the Earvana nut before having a neck set-up for it.


NOTE: Warmoth also offers a retrofit Earvana nut to replace an existing string nut on Fender or Gibson style guitars. Find them on our hardware page. These are not available for tiltback guitars or any basses. WE only INSTALL the Earvana-prepared Corian and Graph Tech TUSQ XL nuts on Warmoth guitar necks. YOU can INSTALL the retrofit Earvana nut or have it installed by a professional.
 
Re: Warmoth Earvana nut slots?

$60 seems fair but lots of the guys here do all/most of their own work (meaning they save lots of $$$) - and you'll see they are pretty convincing we should all learn to do our own guitar work. Save your $60 and buy a manual on what nuts work best and how to install them. :newbie:
 
Re: Warmoth Earvana nut slots?

Miget Kotla said:
$60 seems fair but lots of the guys here do all/most of their own work (meaning they save lots of $$$) - and you'll see they are pretty convincing we should all learn to do our own guitar work. Save your $60 and buy a manual on what nuts work best and how to install them. :newbie:
Click to expand...

HAHA What gave you that idea? I am sure there's plenty of lads on the forum who cant be ****ed setting up there own guitars?
 
Re: Warmoth Earvana nut slots?

K. What makes you say that? :naughty:

I already love this thread. It can only get better. ;)
 
Re: Warmoth Earvana nut slots?

Too funny...took all your advice and ordered a kit with the 5 page instruction book. Flying to Vegas (18 hour flight) this May to go through the 50 guitars to find the one I prefer. Also found lots more articles saying 7.25 radius and medium sized frets are preferred by most rhythm guitar players or those that include lots of strumming. Great to read, good to build and repair your own guitar....and maybe this explains why luthiers can't earn the living most deserve? Too many of us thinking we can be guitar techs in a year (the old on-line course heheheheheee). Seriously guy, pay a good guitar tech if you have one in your area. Many on this site are semi-retired or very busy (they are also probably very good).

I have read good things about Earvana but have not read enough. Not sure if the guys here know of that one?
 
Re: Warmoth Earvana nut slots?

Earvana is a solution to a problem that you never knew you had but are now concerned that you might have it.
Does it do what it says? Yea.
Does it matter? Probably not.
The guitar is an exercise in compromise from an intonation perspective.
If the guitar comes with an Earvana nut, leave it on. It won't hurt nothing.
But, IMO, the only people who *need* one are the folks with perfect pitch who can't stand to hear their "out of tune" open strings.
OP, you'd be better served with a well made nut that's been tweaked and setup to your playing style.
 
Re: Warmoth Earvana nut slots?

I am still stumped as to why anyone would think the Earvana nut is a good idea. They only affect open strings, and they only work in standard tuning.
 
Re: Warmoth Earvana nut slots?

Bugger that. And it's not even bone, either.

Nah, that's just TOOO boring.. if I'll want expensive intonation correction, I'd rather go with an Fujigen FGN guitar with its "CFS" (curved frets), which would actually work, unlike this!
 
Re: Warmoth Earvana nut slots?

MojoMonster said:
Earvana is a solution to a problem that you never knew you had but are now concerned that you might have it.
Does it do what it says? Yea.
Does it matter? Probably not.
The guitar is an exercise in compromise from an intonation perspective.
If the guitar comes with an Earvana nut, leave it on. It won't hurt nothing.
But, IMO, the only people who *need* one are the folks with perfect pitch who can't stand to hear their "out of tune" open strings.
OP, you'd be better served with a well made nut that's been tweaked and setup to your playing style.
Click to expand...
I can't stand out of tune open strings but very interested in suggestion of well made nut..........if one more preferred to Earvana what could that or those be???
 
Re: Warmoth Earvana nut slots?

Diminished Triad said:
I can't stand out of tune open strings but very interested in suggestion of well made nut..........if one more preferred to Earvana what could that or those be???
Click to expand...
You can use whatever material suits you.
Bone, Tusq, Corian, graphite, Micarta, brass, fossil ivory, fossil bone, etc.

Just get a luthier to cut it/tweak it for you.
 
Re: Warmoth Earvana nut slots?

ratherdashing said:
I am still stumped as to why anyone would think the Earvana nut is a good idea. They only affect open strings, and they only work in standard tuning.
Click to expand...

Actually that is not correct. A compensated nut (Earvana or otherwise) affects the intonation point at the bridge. This in turn affects intonation up and down the entire neck. I started using Earvana nuts about 7 years ago, and have been using my own design (slightly different from Earvana) in aged bone for over 5 years now. The MAIN purpose of the compensated nut is NOT to get perfect intonation of open strings (you can do that with any nut), but to improve intonation throughout the neck while KEEPING the tuning of open strings spot on.

It is still a compromise, not perfect, but works much better than a straight nut. The true temperament neck is perhaps the most accurate, but I understand that they are pretty pricey.
 
Re: Warmoth Earvana nut slots?

GuitarDoc said:
Actually that is not correct. A compensated nut (Earvana or otherwise) affects the intonation point at the bridge. This in turn affects intonation up and down the entire neck. I started using Earvana nuts about 7 years ago, and have been using my own design (slightly different from Earvana) in aged bone for over 5 years now. The MAIN purpose of the compensated nut is NOT to get perfect intonation of open strings (you can do that with any nut), but to improve intonation throughout the neck while KEEPING the tuning of open strings spot on.

It is still a compromise, not perfect, but works much better than a straight nut. The true temperament neck is perhaps the most accurate, but I understand that they are pretty pricey.
Click to expand...

You're going to have to explain to me how a nut affects intonation of the entire instrument, because I am really confused as to how that's possible.
 
Re: Warmoth Earvana nut slots?

ratherdashing said:
You're going to have to explain to me how a nut affects intonation of the entire instrument, because I am really confused as to how that's possible.
Click to expand...

For example...the "G" string is the most notorious for tuning problems. Looking at the Earvana nut design you can see that the nut slot for the "G" string is extended quite a bit down the fretboard (about an 1/8th of an inch). In order to get the twelfth fret harmonic correct, the bridge saddle has to be adjusted toward the head/nut so that the 12th fret will still be in the center of the string length. This different saddle position affects the relative string length at all fret positions up and down the fretboard changing the tune at each fret.

Just try taking your guitar (assuming you have it tuned as good as possible), and check the tone at the 5th fret on any string relative to the next higher open string (except of course the "G" string, in which case you would use the 4th fret relative to the open "B" string). Now adjust the saddle one way or the other an 1/8th inch or so and retune the open string. Now check it again at the 5th fret. It's off. It's not intonated properly anymore. That's how the compensated nut works...it also requires a saddle adjustment.

Back in the late 60's, before I even knew about such a thing as a compensated nut, I used to put a piece of a toothpick or piece of plastic under the "G" string just in front of the nut to "compensate" for its tuning inaccuracies. Of course I also had to adjust the saddle to get it intonated again. This helped keep the open "G" in tune as well as the fretted string and is what led me to start experimenting with compensated nut designs. Try it and see for yourself, such a little thing makes a big difference.

But like I said, it's not perfect, it's just a bit better. Even True Temperament designs are dependant upon the keys you generally play in and the feeling (or "color") of the tone you want to get in those keys. There are some good explanations on the True Temperament website about the different fret designs and what each of them accomplishes in this respect. They don't use a compensated nut in their designs because they don't have to...all of their compensation is in the frets themselves. But if you're not about to spend the money for new necks on all of your guitars (at about $800 a pop), a compensated nut with the necessary adjustment to the saddles is a pretty good compromise.
 
Re: Warmoth Earvana nut slots?

ratherdashing said:
I am still stumped as to why anyone would think the Earvana nut is a good idea. They only affect open strings, and they only work in standard tuning.
Click to expand...

really?
HaHa...LOL
dude think about it...if say, you make the string length shorter...it requires less tension to tune to a note....which means that
all the fretted notes that were always a little sharp are now in tune..because the string isnt as taught.....
 
Re: Warmoth Earvana nut slots?

GuitarDoc said:
For example...the "G" string is the most notorious for tuning problems. Looking at the Earvana nut design you can see that the nut slot for the "G" string is extended quite a bit down the fretboard (about an 1/8th of an inch). In order to get the twelfth fret harmonic correct, the bridge saddle has to be adjusted toward the head/nut so that the 12th fret will still be in the center of the string length. This different saddle position affects the relative string length at all fret positions up and down the fretboard changing the tune at each fret.

Just try taking your guitar (assuming you have it tuned as good as possible), and check the tone at the 5th fret on any string relative to the next higher open string (except of course the "G" string, in which case you would use the 4th fret relative to the open "B" string). Now adjust the saddle one way or the other an 1/8th inch or so and retune the open string. Now check it again at the 5th fret. It's off. It's not intonated properly anymore. That's how the compensated nut works...it also requires a saddle adjustment.

Back in the late 60's, before I even knew about such a thing as a compensated nut, I used to put a piece of a toothpick or piece of plastic under the "G" string just in front of the nut to "compensate" for its tuning inaccuracies. Of course I also had to adjust the saddle to get it intonated again. This helped keep the open "G" in tune as well as the fretted string and is what led me to start experimenting with compensated nut designs. Try it and see for yourself, such a little thing makes a big difference.

But like I said, it's not perfect, it's just a bit better. Even True Temperament designs are dependant upon the keys you generally play in and the feeling (or "color") of the tone you want to get in those keys. There are some good explanations on the True Temperament website about the different fret designs and what each of them accomplishes in this respect. They don't use a compensated nut in their designs because they don't have to...all of their compensation is in the frets themselves. But if you're not about to spend the money for new necks on all of your guitars (at about $800 a pop), a compensated nut with the necessary adjustment to the saddles is a pretty good compromise.
Click to expand...

Ok, so if I understand correctly, you're saying that the compensated nut improves the intonation of a string relative to the other strings.

I guess the part I still don't understand is: why can't this be accomplished by setting the string length at the saddle? And what effect does the compensated nut have on non-open strings?

Sorry if I seem dense, but in my mind, once I fret a note the nut is out of the equation (as far as intonation is concerned, at least).
 
Re: Warmoth Earvana nut slots?

dazzlindino said:
really?
HaHa...LOL
dude think about it...if say, you make the string length shorter...it requires less tension to tune to a note....which means that
all the fretted notes that were always a little sharp are now in tune..because the string isnt as taught.....
Click to expand...

Take note of how GuitarDoc replied to me without being a total dick. Use this as a learning experience.
 
Re: Warmoth Earvana nut slots?

ratherdashing said:
Take note of how GuitarDoc replied to me without being a total dick. Use this as a learning experience.
Click to expand...

Hey,Totaly BIG Dick here.....again its amazing that you cannot comprehend that the string changes tension, so therefore it cahanges the pitch of all notes that follow....
try it on your guitar...lower the pitch...and geuss what all the other notes are lowered as well......
Thanks for the compliment on my Totaly BIG Dick.....didnt think you cared.....
 
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