Cutting nut slots so that strings are level with each other?

[Ryan Matzen]

What’s the best way to cut the nut slots on a lap steel guitar so that the tops of the strings are all level with each other? Thus, enabling the slide be in good contact of all strings at the same time?

Is there some kind of tip/trick on how to easily do this?

I started working by laying the bar across all of the strings near the nut. Then, I play all of the strings at once. I figure that the strings that ring clear are obviously higher. And, the lower strings buzz slightly. So, I will slowly file down the slot for each high string. Unfortunately, it seems that no matter how slow I have been going at this, I can’t seem to get all of the strings to ring clear all at the same time when the bar is just sitting on the strings near the nut. They will however ring clear with a little weight from my hand. I admit that I am a bit of a perfectionist. But, is there a time when the string heights are just “close enough”? I am beginning feel like my Dunlop bullet bar isn’t totally flat!

Thanks in advance!

[Bill Hatcher]

cut the nut slots so the larger strings sit down deeper. dont cut the slots for the small strings any deeper.

you will need a good set of needle files of different sizes to do this work. good files are not cheap.

also you need to practice on something before you try it on your best instrument. cutting nut slots is not as easy as you would think. just take your time and take very light cuts.

[Ryan Matzen]

cut the nut slots so the larger strings sit down deeper. dont cut the slots for the small strings any deeper.

you will need a good set of needle files of different sizes to do this work. good files are not cheap.

also you need to practice on something before you try it on your best instrument. cutting nut slots is not as easy as you would think. just take your time and take very light cuts.

Thanks for your input. I have a actually made a lot of nuts. I guess I should have made that clear. I’ve just never made one for a lap steel before. I had already pretty much finished the nut I was working on. I was just trying to get the tops of the strings as level with each other as possible. Using the method that I described in my original post, I believe I have now gotten as close I can. I am just wondering if there might be a better way of doing this? I can’t think of one. So, I was wondering if others approach this job any differently?

[Cody Farwell]

You will need at least some downward pressure from your hand. If you just lay the bar at the nut, strings are going to buzz, even with a properly cut nut.

(I don't know if that's what you're doing, but that's what it sounded like from your post.)

[Ryan Matzen]

You will need at least some downward pressure from your hand. If you just lay the bar at the nut, strings are going to buzz, even with a properly cut nut.

(I don't know if that's what you're doing, but that's what it sounded like from your post.)

That was what I was doing. After a bit of work, I was actually able to get to the point where I can just set the bar by itself (without touching it with my hand) on the strings and get a clear tone (without any buzzing) out of every string when plucking the strings. So, it can be done. It is just tedious work.

[Dom Franco]

It just takes time and a lot of patience... but sometimes a slight change of the string gauge can also make the difference (=/- .002 to .005)

Test the level at the 1st fret with no bar pressure and then very slight pressure... get as close as you can to no buzzing with just the weight of the bar (nothing is perfect tho') Then play some songs using the lower frets and you will know when it's good enough.

[Edward Dixon]

I have only been playing PSG 1 year so you can pretty much ignore any advice from me, but...

I ordered the wrong tone bar that was actually 1/2" longer than what I thought I had ordered. Best mistake I ever made. It's a Dunlop 921; 1" x 3.75 and weighs 11.5 oz. At 1/2 oz. shy of 3/4 of a lb. there is no need for any downward pressure. I find I have been able to get much better sound and bar control and it keeps me from taking the bar off the strings. I always use the 921 to warm up with and when I get to a song where I need to lift the bar (to play individual notes) I switch to the 7/8" dia. bar which weighs only 7.5 oz.

I used to think about ways to level the strings but it's not an issue any more.

[Ryan Matzen]

I was able to get all of the strings perfect. It just took a little time. I found it best to get the two outside strings at the correct height. Then, add and adjust each additional inside string one at a time.

[Brian Evans]

Get the outside two where you want them, then do the middle two. Then work out. Then, and this is critical, remember that you play the guitar with a bar, and you rarely play the zero fret, and you always play with a greater or lesser amount of downforce, so it doesn't actually matter. I find that as a luthier I often obsess about stuff that isn't an actual problem...

[G Strout]

I use this:

[Ryan Matzen]

I use this:

Is that sort off guitar nut depth gauge? If so, how would something like that make things any easier? Why not just use the strings and a bar (as I described earlier) to make sure the strings are level?

[Bill McCloskey]

The best way is to take it to a good guitar tech, like I am doing now with a 13 string.

[Ryan Matzen]

The best way is to take it to a good guitar tech, like I am doing now with a 13 string.

Seriously, it is not that hard to do it yourself. It just takes a little bit of time to do a great job on your own. Once I figured out a simple system (as described earlier in this post), it was quite easy to get the strings perfectly level. Also, it seems that most guitar techs (at least in my area) are not familiar with working on lap steel guitars.