MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch
sitting at 10-46 on my strat just now, but I want to go up to 11-54 I think. though I may change back down to 10-52.
was 9-42 that can with the guitar, so the 10-46 fitted fine.
You reckon I'll be fine just to change up, or will I need to get a nut file? The 46 is looking pretty tight in there.
If it was me I'd try it and see how it fits but wouldn't file the nut out to make it fit, I'd just drop down to the largest string size that did sit in the nut OK.
You may also need to adjust the neck tension to compensate for the heavier gauge.
yes I can do the adjustments, I've messed abiut with every aspect of my guitar barring the nut, it's the only thing I've a wee bit of trepidation about.
central, aye, kinda really want to go up though, string are starting to feel like elastic bands, so I need a bit more meat on them.
Fit a rollernut. That is a bit less sensitive to string gauge.
If you need to do it, be careful and use the correct size file. I've seen loads of nuts that have been butchered by people being heavy handed/using the wrong tool.
I'm sticking with my Super Slinky's 😀
Unlikely to need a nut file, but a possibility....54 is a big string. It'll definitely need a full setup as truss rod will need a tweak, intonation could well need tweaking etc.
I play 11-54's on my two main guitars, but then all of my gigs are John Mayer, SRV type stuff.
I've got a set of nut files and they aren't the most accurately made tools I've got, and variable along their length so it's very much a question of having a good eye for what you're doing.. The other issue is that you want to make the slot wider but not deeper.
For fine adjustments I use very fine wet and dry paper over an old, blunt kitchen knife and very carefully widen the slot without making it deeper.
What do you play in, Drop B? 😉
Edit: angle the knife/file down slightly towards the tuners as per the original slot.
cool. cheers for the thoughts, I'll give it a go anyhow before I think about filing.
ed, 😆 drop d is as far as I go, I'm just playing the guitar that much these days that the strength in my fingers is out growing the strings, need a bit more resistance!
First person I've ever heard give that as a reason for changing strings!!!
I play in standard tuning.....you're just not going to get that sound that I'm after with thin strings!
I use 10-52's on my PRS for more technical playing.....use that guitar for teaching usually too.
Or... Get a new nut and some needle files, cut a new nut and fit it. If gauge is too high you can change back
Changing nuts can complicated. Getting a nut out of a varnished maple neck without damage takes a lot of patience and often means sacrificing the nut rather than damaging the neck. The odds of being able to put it back are low.
Cut after fitting (having first sanded the bottom of the nut to nearly the right height) so that when you hold down on the second fret there's just a bit of light between the string and the first fret. This means you follow the neck radius. Some people do it with a feeler gauge but I just aim at the same gap as on a guitar that plays particularly well by eye - a Warmouth neck with factory fitted and adjusted nut.