Alun Posted October 11, 2008 Share Posted October 11, 2008 Hi all. Just looking at the Just A Nut over at the Warwick online shop and wondering if anyone has ever tried one on another bass? Cheers Alun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderhead Posted October 12, 2008 Share Posted October 12, 2008 (edited) [quote name='Alun' post='304505' date='Oct 11 2008, 06:29 PM']Hi all. Just looking at the Just A Nut over at the Warwick online shop and wondering if anyone has ever tried one on another bass?[/quote] I wouldn't bother. I've never liked these things - they don't actually give you quite fine enough adjustability (it's possible to find one setting is too high, and the next half turn lower is too low - so you end up having to file the groove slightly anyhow), they can easily turn by themselves when changing strings so you have to check the set-up every time, and I suspect they affect the tone. And you shouldn't ever need to adjust the nut height anyway, once it's right in the first place... just an overcomplicated solution in search of a problem, basically. Just put on a normal nut (brass if you like that) and cut the grooves correctly. Job done - permanently. (Just for what it's worth, when I have to set one of them up, I superglue the adjusters once I've got it right. Saves it needing setting up again when the unfortunate owner changes strings and accidentally moves them! You can always undo the glue by lightly heating the screws with a soldering iron.) Edited October 12, 2008 by Thunderhead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjb Posted October 12, 2008 Share Posted October 12, 2008 [quote name='Thunderhead' post='304702' date='Oct 12 2008, 09:32 AM']I wouldn't bother. I've never liked these things - they don't actually give you quite fine enough adjustability (it's possible to find one setting is too high, and the next half turn lower is too low[/quote] Errrr, so use a quarter turn? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderhead Posted October 12, 2008 Share Posted October 12, 2008 (edited) [quote name='rjb' post='304703' date='Oct 12 2008, 09:36 AM']Errrr, so use a quarter turn? [/quote] Ah! I see now... I thought we were talking about the old version. My mistake! That will teach me to post before having my coffee I still can't see the point, personally. Once a normal nut is fitted correctly you shouldn't have to adjust it, so why not just do that? Edited October 12, 2008 by Thunderhead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjb Posted October 12, 2008 Share Posted October 12, 2008 They are useful, the JAN IIs were crap and prone to breaking, but the JAN IIIs do the job well. You can, for example, drop lower gauge strings onto a bass and reduce the increased buzzing from lower tension without having to touch the bridge or trussrod. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr.Dave Posted October 12, 2008 Share Posted October 12, 2008 I've always been intrigued by these so interested to read other's comments. Thunderhead's experiences go a way to confirming my initial assessment that they might cause more issues than they solve but if the Mk3 has sorted that - maybe worth a look. So - in line with the thread title - has anyone any experience of fitting these to other basses? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderhead Posted October 12, 2008 Share Posted October 12, 2008 (edited) [quote name='rjb' post='304709' date='Oct 12 2008, 09:56 AM']They are useful, the JAN IIs were crap and prone to breaking, but the JAN IIIs do the job well. You can, for example, drop lower gauge strings onto a bass and reduce the increased buzzing from lower tension without having to touch the bridge or trussrod.[/quote]But that's the wrong solution. If the string tension is lowered and the neck moves backwards as a result, you NEED to adjust the truss rod, period. Anything else is addressing the wrong part of the equation. Two wrongs don't make a right - if you raise the nut instead you will possibly cause intonation issues at the first position and may still have buzzing in the lower fretted positions. There are some things that need to be adjustable on an instrument because the right setting varies with string gauge, playing style and even climate, but the nut is not one of them. There really is only one correct nut height, regardless of string gauge or playing style - just a hair higher than the first fret - and once it's set it should never need changing unless you fret dress or refret the bass. Raising the nut when the neck needs adjusting is like trying to fix a wheel alignment problem by changing the tyres... I admit this new version is better than the original brass thing with individual string screws they used to fit (which I what I mistakenly thought the thread was about - I had one on an early Warwick Dolphin, and always hated it - and I've had to fix quite a few others for customers), the only advantage I can see to this one is that it's easier to set for someone who doesn't feel confident enough to do their own nut filing - which is maybe why I haven't seen any to set up, since the nut is the major cause of factory set-ups being poor on most instruments. I'm also still not convinced it will sound as good, since the top part is still resting on two little screws not fully attached to the neck, but maybe I'm just old-fashioned . Edited October 12, 2008 by Thunderhead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjb Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 [quote name='Thunderhead' post='304731' date='Oct 12 2008, 11:35 AM']But that's the wrong solution. If the string tension is lowered and the neck moves backwards as a result, you NEED to adjust the truss rod, period. Anything else is addressing the wrong part of the equation. Two wrongs don't make a right - if you raise the nut instead you will possibly cause intonation issues at the first position and may still have buzzing in the lower fretted positions.[/quote] It isn't cut and dried. It all depends on how the bass is set up. When changing to lighter strings the bass neck has of course flattened slightly when I've removed them, but in some cases I've opted to raise the nut very slightly and leave the action as it is at the other end. There's not [b]always[/b] a need to further raise the right-hand playing action to fix buzzing that it happening further towards the headstock. Lets be clear, I'm not saying an adjustable nut is a replacement bridge, but it [b]can[/b] be useful to make tiny tweaks. Works for me without any problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderhead Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 (edited) [quote name='rjb' post='305571' date='Oct 13 2008, 03:41 PM']It isn't cut and dried. It all depends on how the bass is set up. When changing to lighter strings the bass neck has of course flattened slightly when I've removed them, but in some cases I've opted to raise the nut very slightly and leave the action as it is at the other end. There's not [b]always[/b] a need to further raise the right-hand playing action to fix buzzing that it happening further towards the headstock. Lets be clear, I'm not saying an adjustable nut is a replacement bridge, but it [b]can[/b] be useful to make tiny tweaks. Works for me without any problems. [/quote]It's nothing to do with the bridge either! If the neck moves backwards when you change string gauge and causes buzzing, you need to adjust the NECK, not the nut, and not the bridge! The three adjustments don't do the same things, and you can't really use one to compensate for not setting one of the others correctly. I would say that at least three-quarters of the instruments I get for a set up have the nut too high, the neck wrongly adjusted and the bridge either too low (to try to get the action more comfortable) or too high (to try to cure the resulting buzzing), largely because people are afraid to touch the truss rod and usually don't have the tools or the experience to do the nut. But if you don't get the nut right, the neck right and THEN the bridge right - in that order - you'll never get it playing as well as it can. In my opinion, of course... The good news is that once the nut is right, it's right - it's the one you don't need to change again - and the other two adjustments certainly are user-doable... if you can play it you have enough manual dexterity to tweak it! (And yes, I do get paid for doing it so maybe I shouldn't say that .) Edited October 13, 2008 by Thunderhead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alun Posted October 13, 2008 Author Share Posted October 13, 2008 Interesting stuff. I guess I'm just lazy and would like a tweakable nut rather han replacing a worn one So, any ideas on fitting one to a non Warwick? Cheers Alun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutToPlayJazz Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 I've just adjusted mine on a newly traded Corvette $$. I did the neck first, then dropped the action for the lower strings. Then had a play with the nut adjustment to see what it did, as my old $$ was always too proud on the 1st fret gap. Adjusted it so it's just above grounding point. Easy to tell when it's in the right place. Pluck the string before you turn the allen key. I don't have one on any other basses, but I can see the point of it. A great idea, but as others on here have said, get the fundamentals like the neck & the action right first. Rich. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjb Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 (edited) [quote name='Thunderhead' post='305722' date='Oct 13 2008, 07:14 PM']It's nothing to do with the bridge either! If the neck moves backwards when you change string gauge and causes buzzing, you need to adjust the NECK, not the nut, and not the bridge! The three adjustments don't do the same things, and you can't really use one to compensate for not setting one of the others correctly.[/quote] I used the nut to solve a problem with a lighter G string buzzing very slighty towards the top of the neck when played open. I opted to give the nut a quarter turn upwards. I was happy with slightly less neck relief as it worked very well for the other strings. I fully understand how to set up a bass, so telling me I can't do something that I have done to good effect isn't really helping this topic..... Edited October 14, 2008 by rjb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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