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Topic: String spacing on converted acoustic- equal or proportional? |
Hans Henrik Rasmussen
From:
Denmark, Copenhagen
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Posted 4 Feb 2010 3:21 pm |
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Hi all,
I'm having a new nut made to convert my Gibson J-60 to lap slide and I've gotten a little confused as to how I should have the string spacing made. Should it be made proportional like a regular acoustic (meaning spacing the strings slightly further apart as you go from treble to bass) or should it just be equal as in equal distance between all strings when measuring from the end of one string to the beginning of the other?
I really appreciate your help so I can quit trying to wrap my brain around this 
Thanks,
Hans |
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Jason Hull
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Posted 5 Feb 2010 3:47 am string spacing
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Last edited by Jason Hull on 4 May 2012 2:12 am; edited 1 time in total |
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John Burton
From:
Manassas, Va
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Posted 5 Feb 2010 8:37 am
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My 2 cents:
I have lap steels that are both ways, some proportional, some equal spacings, Personally, I prefer the equal spacing, though IMO, it's not really a big difference. Equal Spacing, however, makes bar slants a teensy bit easier, especially at fret positions closer to the nut.
Also, one COULD argue that tuning temperament is better on equal spacing up and down the neck.
As for converting an acoustic, why not just buy a nut riser (or "Hawaiian nut")? The kind that just slip over the existing nut and raise the stings? I've used them on a few guitars pretty successfully. Super easy to do and undo. Plus, the ones I have used had wider string spacings anyway. |
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Hans Henrik Rasmussen
From:
Denmark, Copenhagen
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Posted 6 Feb 2010 9:13 am
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So that's 1-1 Does anyone else have any advice on this?
Thanks,
Hans |
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Stephan Miller
From:
Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
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Posted 6 Feb 2010 10:38 am
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Greetings Hans, and thanks for the vote! I'd take the wider parallel spacing, not the "proportional". Easier slants...
You might consider, though, that on a neck made for tapered string spacing, a change-over to wider parallel spacing may result in your first string "hanging out into space" from the player's point of view. In low light especially, it can be difficult to see that string at all sometimes. This bothers some people more than others....might be something to try and visualize when designing the nut.
I'm used to the wider spacing and find it easier to play, even when not using bar slants.
Good luck-- I bet that Gibson will sound great! |
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Hans Henrik Rasmussen
From:
Denmark, Copenhagen
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Posted 6 Feb 2010 10:55 am
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| Stephan Miller wrote: |
Greetings Hans, and thanks for the vote! I'd take the wider parallel spacing, not the "proportional". Easier slants...
You might consider, though, that on a neck made for tapered string spacing, a change-over to wider parallel spacing may result in your first string "hanging out into space" from the player's point of view. In low light especially, it can be difficult to see that string at all sometimes. This bothers some people more than others....might be something to try and visualize when designing the nut.
I'm used to the wider spacing and find it easier to play, even when not using bar slants.
Good luck-- I bet that Gibson will sound great! |
Hi Stephan,
Actually, the string spread is going to be the same no matter how the space between the strings is, so it really wouldn't be wider just distributed differently.
Thanks,
Hans |
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Stephan Miller
From:
Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
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Posted 6 Feb 2010 11:53 am
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D'oh! I see how I misunderstood your question...wrong axis...skipped over the "treble to bass" part. 
FWIW, that's a worthwhile mod I, uh, thought I was voting for...  I don't think there's much difference in your 2 options in terms of "slantability", though. To me the "proportional" spacing does look better. |
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basilh
From:
United Kingdom
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Posted 7 Feb 2010 1:44 pm
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| Proportional spacing and tapered from the bridge to the nut imparts less strain on your left hand, believe me I know..I was that soldier.. |
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