MorrisrownSal Posted November 30, 2018 Share Posted November 30, 2018 Hey guys. Minor problem. On the J45 Mahogany I bought (used - not a warranty issue), the fret ends are tapered, which make for a comfy neck for sure. However the high E string is a tad too close to the edge. Looks fine when you look at the neck. Certainly doesn't look out of the ordinary. But perhaps with the taper, the string slides sometimes off the neck more than I would like. Is the solution just to have a new black nut made? Slightly shifting to the bass side? A job for the pros, no? Any thoughts please share, and thank you. Love the guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted November 30, 2018 Share Posted November 30, 2018 Be less sloppy with your left hand fingers And when you get a new nut - get a white one lad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorrisrownSal Posted November 30, 2018 Author Share Posted November 30, 2018 Be less sloppy with your left hand fingers And when you get a new nut - get a white one lad I like the black nut! I dont know if i would be able to hear a diff between a bone nut and this tusq one. Besides, I am having a black Batwing in Matte finish made... may get black plastic pins too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
62burst Posted November 30, 2018 Share Posted November 30, 2018 'Just looked at my nuts just now- the older ones are actually closer to the edge. Go figure. But I've been experiencing that "high e occasionally getting rolled off of the edge of the fretboard" thing at times also. . . on the 12 fret J-45 and 12 fret AJ, which are 2017 and 2015, resp., and I don't think it's any small coincidence that they both came from Bozeman with fairly low action heights. The (ridiculously) tall saddle from the WM was put on the J-45, and the problem went away. Hmm. Just thought it might be a good idea to take a look at your action height, too. Also- aren't you getting your setup jobs done by Russo? Chatting w/ Strunkie from Bros Music at the guit show a couple weeks back, he'd mentioned they were looking to be a bit more selective on the type of work they're taking in; less big projects like the conversion of 1960's Braz Martin 12's to six stringers/old Braz classicals to steel guitars. 'Not sure if that means less setup work, as well. I do know if you give them a heads up beforehand, they've offered to carve a nut for one I was considering (whose nut slots looked way too deep) if it was brought along to the guitar show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorrisrownSal Posted January 20, 2019 Author Share Posted January 20, 2019 Circling back... I had dropped off the guitar at Russo’s before Christmas. They thought new frets with less taper were the ticket. Anyways, it was expensive, and I had recently been having second thoughts. I picked it up this morning ... they hadn’t started work yet... and restrung it with elixir HDs... which have a heavier high E string. It seems fine. I may spend the money on a new nut down the road... but I’m glad they had not started the work. I definitely was having second thoughts... about how it would turn out, as well as the expense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonard McCoy Posted January 20, 2019 Share Posted January 20, 2019 The string spacing at the nut doesn't seem horrendous, but then again the photo's been taken at an angle so it's hard to tell. Sometimes you can get away with ever so slightly moving the misaligned string over at the saddle towards the center of the fretboard. Refretting perfectly fine (plekked) frets just for this seems ludicrous to me. It's also hard to believe the fret ends have been tapered off to much. It's better to sort out the string spacing at the nut if that's where the issue lies. Head-on photos of the nut, saddle, tapered frets, and/or neck would help identify the best solution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorrisrownSal Posted January 20, 2019 Author Share Posted January 20, 2019 First picture is my J45-Mahogany. The second picture is my J50 for comparison. Seems that a new nut is a better solution. A subtle shift inwards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave F Posted January 20, 2019 Share Posted January 20, 2019 I just had the same issue with a super 400. If the high E was being strummed open, it was buzzing against my palm. I was constantly pulling it off the fret board. I filled in 4 of the 6 slots and recut them. Works great. When I get a chance I’ll get a new nut made. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
62burst Posted January 20, 2019 Share Posted January 20, 2019 Dave's comments point you in the right direction. But the nice photos you've put up illustrate what's up with those rolled fretboard edges- the metal fret ends being rolled off allow the e string to roll off as well. If you're ok with a tad higher action, that might further lessen the coming-off-the-fretboard situation as well. EDIT: good for you, for sticking with the all-mahogany J-45, and getting it down to where it will work best for you- they are a special flavor of the J-45. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 The high E is diffinetly too close to the fret tapers. New nut with high E adjusted towards the fretboard center and the string spacings adjusted accordingly. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FemmeParallell Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 I have this issue with a LP traditional, i havent done anything to it yet, i took it to a repair person and he told me that nothing was wrong with it, but the low E string keeps slipping off since its too close to the edge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorrisrownSal Posted January 21, 2019 Author Share Posted January 21, 2019 Using a heavier high E string is a good short term work around. I will get a new nut made. I have nut files... I should do it myself, but I am afraid I will screw something up getting the old nut out. I dont mind paying for a nut made/fitting. I just hate keep paying the Wall Street Special rate,. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave F Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 Using a heavier high E string is a good short term work around. I will get a new nut made. I have nut files... I should do it myself, but I am afraid I will screw something up getting the old nut out. I dont mind paying for a nut made/fitting. I just hate keep paying the Wall Street Special rate,. Plus the spacing on nuts is not even. They gradually spread toward the bass side. They make a special scale for spacing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorrisrownSal Posted January 22, 2019 Author Share Posted January 22, 2019 Does anyone know which exact nuts will fit a Gibson 2018ish J45? (or any modern one)? Links would be helpful. I think would like to buy an unbleached slotted bone, as well as a Black Tusq blank and a black Tusq slotted... I do have nut files to play with the blank. When I search online I see many options, but most seem to be geared towards Gibson electrics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 Does anyone know which exact nuts will fit a Gibson 2018ish J45? (or any modern one)? Links would be helpful. I think would like to buy an unbleached slotted bone, as well as a Black Tusq blank and a black Tusq slotted... I do have nut files to play with the blank. When I search online I see many options, but most seem to be geared towards Gibson electrics. Bob Colosi will make one for you. About $30-35. Colosi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonard McCoy Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 I think the issue is a combination of both—the string spacing being spaciously fanned out at the nut (which isn't a problem per se—a good many players like it that way) and the fret ends which have been rounded off at a too low angle leaving little wiggle room for the string to seat on upon fretting. Having the luthier make a new nut (either graphite or dyed bone if you want a black replacement) with slightly more narrow string spacing is the cost efficient way to go. In actuality, the frets shouldn't have been rounded off like that; it looks a little weird too. If you like to do it yourself, get the tools and Erlewine's guitar repair book to get going, if you haven't already. Getting the nut out is the easy part, though (you just need a wooden block to give the nut a good ). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorrisrownSal Posted January 30, 2019 Author Share Posted January 30, 2019 I got a new nut made. I am glad I didnt go the refret route. No sliding off the neck now. And the string spacing is narrower, but almost imperceptibly so its comfortable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuestionMark Posted January 30, 2019 Share Posted January 30, 2019 Good to know this solves/solved the problem. QM aka “Jazzman” Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted January 31, 2019 Share Posted January 31, 2019 Looks perfect to me. Your guy/shop did you well Sal. Good for you. B) . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted January 31, 2019 Share Posted January 31, 2019 I like Sal's personalized TRC, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorrisrownSal Posted January 31, 2019 Author Share Posted January 31, 2019 Ha Thanks gents. Its weird... I see a ton of this model for sale used. I wonder if the fret bevel machine was set incorrectly during the run of this guitar... Maybe many people bought the model, but the "enhanced playability" made them scratch their heads and sell it. So anyways the new nut makes this very very close (a tiny bit narrower) than my 1 11/16 Martin, but still very comfortable to this thumb wrapper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorrisrownSal Posted January 31, 2019 Author Share Posted January 31, 2019 I also want to talk a little bit about my history with this guitar (short so far). I bought it off of reverb from Chicago Music Exchange (who I think owns reverb). I initially made an offer on the guitar that was rejected, and lo and behold a few months later they dropped the price, I offered again, and I bought it. I love the tone of the guitar - a little darker than a Standard. After a week or do I noticed my fingers rolling the high and low E strings off the neck too often. I posted about it here. I took it to Russo's, who told me it should be refret, with a new nut too, and got a pricey estimate. I decided to proceed. This was before Christmas. Russo's also showed me that there must have been a problem with the bridge lifting, and whoever sold it to me probably re-glued it. I also wrote an email to CME, letting them know that the guitar needed work, and although I bought it used, it was a bummer... Without blinking, CME came back to me and told me they would credit $400 to my card. I was shocked. I have never had a retailer behave in such an eager to please way. After almost four weeks, I had second thoughts about the refret and drove down to Russo's and picked up the guitar. They hadnt even started work yet, and I was starting to hear stories about too many people whose refrets came out pretty poor (not at Russo's). I then took it to a closer place in Scotch Plains NJ, and this repair guy said he thought he could fix it with just a new nut. I picked it up yesterday. I also emailed CME and told them the amount they credited me was too much, as I wasnt going the refret route, and asked them to charge me back the excess over the repair. They refused. So bottom line I have a guitar whose tone I like, all Gibson, dark, at a great cost, with a good feeling about the repair place I used, and the behavior of CME. CME is a pretty damn good retailer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted January 31, 2019 Share Posted January 31, 2019 I love a happy ending Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
62burst Posted January 31, 2019 Share Posted January 31, 2019 Very good to hear that about Chicago Music Exchange. ‘Will remember that if I’m ever up for guitar safari again. But also good on you for getting back with them with the update that the amount of compensation/adjustment they voluntarily credited you with was unnecessarily excessive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted January 31, 2019 Share Posted January 31, 2019 . But also good on you for getting back with them with the update that the amount of compensation/adjustment they voluntarily credited you with was unnecessarily excessive. Yeah !! What’s all that about Sal !! Yer a gent Can I have your D18? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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