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Post subject: Re: EJ Strat addition plus thoughts...
Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2016 12:50 pm
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nikininja wrote:
Well here's a tip.
get some feeler gauges. Take the thinnest feeler. Put it on the fretboard next to the nut. Then use an emery board to clean the front edge of the nut.

I use my trem loads too. I mean, loads. And not just little wobbles, I'm aggressive with it.
Looking on my CS and Hotrod Strats. Both have been lacquered after the nut and frets were put in. The CS is rosewood. Which obviously hasn't been sprayed. The sides of the nut are stained by the clearcoat though. On the Hotrod is maple, the sides are stained too. I presume the tops of the frets were also. However that came off with play. The sides of the frets are clearly sealed by clearcoat.
It's a bad show if they've left a load of lacquer up the front edge of the nut.
I still can't see how it would drag into the slots though. To do so would mean that your strings are cutting into the corian


I ended up replacing the nut. (Bone, of course)
This solved the major issue.

Image

I couldn't get the lacquer off the nut without jeopardizing the fretboard health.
I believe since you angle the nut slot, you are notching the lacquer, too. Therefore, the lacquer is what your string sits in on the way to the bridge. Doesn't take much to get back in the slot, even with lube, and make the string stick and ping, throwing it out of tune.

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Post subject: Re: EJ Strat addition plus thoughts...
Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2016 11:57 pm
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Are there any grooves in that nut?

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Post subject: Re: EJ Strat addition plus thoughts...
Posted: Sun Aug 28, 2016 6:05 am
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I think it's that the top has been ground down John. Looking at the first fret, in that picture. The strings don't look high enough to have not been cut in.

Gotta say, I do like a bit more surrounding my strings just to stop me wrenching them out of the slots. I can understand why the OP would want little surround to potentially avoid the strings snagging

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Post subject: Re: EJ Strat addition plus thoughts...
Posted: Sun Aug 28, 2016 7:06 am
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This image will help. From 6th string to first: .022-.018" from the first fret. I like it low. .020-.015 is my minimum, so I'll play it for a while and get the strings seated in a bit.

Image

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Post subject: Re: EJ Strat addition plus thoughts...
Posted: Sun Aug 28, 2016 2:48 pm
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To my eye that looks just about optimum. I don't think you'll have any further issues.

Nice job!

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: EJ Strat addition plus thoughts...
Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2017 5:04 pm
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I figured I would update this thread after bonding with my EJ Strat for awhile. I replaced the nut as shown, and widened the slots a couple of thousandths. I've got the tremolo balanced per CV, mounting screws proper, and evidently have everything in order. No more problems. Funny how after owning Strats for years, you can miss something if you're not paying attention to the details. I actually went back to the stock tremolo, because I think it sounds better, including the Bill C. (It now resides on my '50s Classic) It slides up and down the mounting screws a bit, but tuning is stable.
This is the only Strat that has stayed stock for me. I'm loving it!

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