A Question about Silver Sky Nuts

[PeteM]

I recently discovered that my nut is well below spec causing some buzz when I pluck harder on some of the open strings. I have some ideas why but won't go into that here. I'm wondering if an owner or two would do me a favour and measure your gap at the first fret, low and high E, and let me know the distances. Spec is 1.5/64 or about .023" on the low E, and 1/64 or just under .016" on the high E. I would check a store locally if any had one in stock, but they don't.

PRS sells replacement nuts in packs of two. I'm wondering if anyone has one to spare? Thanks.

 

[docteurseb]

"I recently discovered that my nut is well below spec causing some buzz when I pluck harder on some of the open strings. I have some ideas why but won't go into that here."

Actually we should go into that anyways because the nut may not be the problem, it could just be relief (or lack thereof) or too low of an action.

When you press the buzzing string right past the 2nd fret, is that string touching the first fret ?
If so the nut slot of that string is indeed cut too low.
If not and and if it's high enough the nut isn't your problem.

The values below, courtesy of GraphTech, are just safe guidelines but of course:
- if you pluck hard enough eventually most strings (bass wound ones especially) will buzz.
- if you play softer a nut slot that's just a hair above the height of a 'zero fret' will also work (and I've had a few PS closer to that without any issue):

 

[docteurseb]

Note: the above requires neck relief is properly set (or that there is at least some amount of neck relief), otherwise even a correctly cut nut could buzz easily if there is sufficient back bow.
Checking the action of strings is irrelevant to your stated problem until the nut is confirmed not to be the root cause.

 

[PeteM]

Thanks for responding. The nut slots are definitely too low. The A to high E strings are touching the first fret when I depress the third. Same for the method you suggested above. Only the G has a very light buzz when open, with relief at about .008" so I never thought to check string height at the first given it was advertised like new when I bought it in April. Either it came with a low nut or the tech I took it to locally for a setup didn't notice it, or he cut it too low to compensate for string height up the neck. It plays well, like 8/10, but of course a newish guitar should be a 10!

The low E and A buzz a bit with medium to hard pick, which isn't that unusual. There's some noticeable fret buzz around the 7/8th when relief is low, at about .008. If I set relief to about .014-15, no problems but I don't like that much relief. I'll be taking it to another tech and having a nw nut installed, and another look at theneck. There's more to the story, but those are the main points.

 

[DogPhishHead]

I prefer Blue Diamond Smokehouse Almonds myself.

 

[docteurseb]

or the tech I took it to locally for a setup didn't notice it, or he cut it too low to compensate for string height up the neck.

If so, and in both cases, he’s not a tech.
You don’t adjust the nut to compensate for string height; it’a either cut right (and that is different obviously for slide versus normal playing) or it’s not. Relief first, cut the nut, then saddles /bridge.

A high first fret is always possible, it’s wood and it moves after leaving the factory (had that on a Taylor recently); but the nut does seem likely indeed.

Either way an easy fix (for a competent tech). The PRS bone nut sold as OEM doesn’t appear terribly special, it just speeds up the installation since it’s pre-shaped and pre-slotted (I.e tech should charge a lot less).

 

[PeteM]

This guitar has been a challenge. I found another tech that I'll take the guitar to once I get the nuts.