This is something I don't see posts on very much, but is very important when it comes to playability, especialy when using lighter guage strings (like 9's for example).

I'm gonna start by asking a couple of questions...

Do you find it harder to play bar chords barring the first fret?

When you play first position chords, do they sound slightly out of tune on certain strings even though the intonation is correct?

If your answer is yes, then chances are your nut action is too high. Barring chords in the first position should be as easy as any other position, and first position chords should ring just as true as any other position. High nut action causes you to have to squeez harder to bar at the first position, and pull the strings out of tune when playing first position chords, and if you get your nut action right, you would not believe how much of a differance it can make.

There are 2 ways that I know of to check your nut action...

1. Put a capo between the 2nd and 3rd fret, and check the space between the bottom of the strings and the top of the first fret. The strings should be just about touching the fret. You should actually have to push the string at the first fret to be able to see that there is a space there, that is how close it should be.

2. Capo at the first fret, and check the space between bottom of the strings and the top of the second fret. Now take the capo off and check the space between the bottom of the open strings and the top of the first fret. It should be the same as the previous space.

If your nut action is too high and you don't want to attemp to adjust it yourself, you can take it to a good tech and have it adjusted for you at a pretty cheap price, but make sure it's a good tech or luthier.

You can also do it yourself but you have to be carefull that you don't make it too low, or the strings will buzz when played open.

The way I do it is... I buy a precut nut (I use the Graphtech ones), and take the original nut out. I don't touch the original, so that way if I screw it up, I can always put the original back in, and would not have to worry about rendering my guitar unplayable.

The precut nuts are good in that, they are made to follow the fret radious, so I can fit the nut by sanding only the bottom of the nut. The slots are percision cut to the right depth and break angle, and should not be cut any deeper, because only a certain percentage of the string should be in the slot. I think with the wound string only 30 or 40 percent of the string should be in the slot, and the unwound strings 60 or 70% of the string sould be in the slot. Precut nuts look (to me) to be cut for the right depth.

The way I do it is... I take a flexable emery board and set the nut on it. I pich the nut and the emory board between thumbs and fingers. I push my thumbes back and forth moving the emory board accross the bottom of the nut with equal pressure.

I do a little at a time, put the nut on and tune the strings to pitch and check the nut action. I take notice if any strings ave more space than others, and put mure pressure on the part of the nut under those string the next time. I keep doing this a little bit at a time, putting the nut back on, and tuning to pitch to check until all the string have the correct nut action.

If you do this or have it done by a good tech or luthier, it will make a huge difference when barring in the first position and playing first position chords.

I just wanted to put this out there to help other folks in making their guitars play like butter..., and if anyone has something to add... please feel free to post it here. I'm no expert, and this is just something that works for me.

Hi bcalvanese,

Nice post! When cutting and installing a new nut, I use a pencil under the strings behind the first fret, to hold them up while the nut is out. Very easy to install/remove the nut that way. The only thing that I would add, is to presume that the rest of the guitar is setup correctly first, neck bow, saddle height, etc.

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