Advice on 'nuts'

[richard1855]

Hi, I have had a Custom 22 for about 10 years or so, never had an issue with it, until I took it for a setup and fret leveling. The guy did a good job, got rid of the annoying noises created by uneven frets and it plays like a dream again, but I soon noticed a new noise predominantly on the 3rd string although also a bit on the 2nd and 4th. As I now just play for pleasure at home I use amp sims such as Bias Fx and Amplitube and the noise I am getting has been described as similar to digital clipping but it still occurs with the input vol right down and with nothing in the signal path going anywhere near the red. It also happens on an old amp I have. The only thing I could think of, as it didnt do it before the setup, was the fact that the guy filed the nut down. Previously the nut had the strings sitting well inside it with a good bit of nut material protruding above the string, in fact just like every photo of a PRS nut I found and every PRS guitar in my local guitar store. Now the strings protrude slightly above the nut. How this could cause the noise I am getting I have no idea but it is the only thing that is different now than before. Anyway the guy has agreed to replace the nut with a new one but commented that all PRS nuts are massed produced and filed down when sold or just prior to selling. So my question is, is he correct? are the nuts filed down on a PRS before a sale or just left as is, mine is the only one I have seen close up post sale so I really dont know but my guess is they are just left alone. I know this may seem a daft question but its really bugging me now.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

I think that PRS core nuts are great. They may be mass produced, however they contain a compound that is “self-lubricating”.

The pair I bought had the notches pre-cut. Yes it may need adjusting on a used instrument. Mine went on a new build and I have had zero issues.

Maybe your luthier has “nut envy”!

 

[WEDGE]

I actually said out loud ‘deeez’ when I read this thread title.......

 

[Wakester]

I may be waaaay off base on this, but.....The "noise" you are describing sounds more like a capacitor on the volume or tone pot is failing. I noted the same thing on my Custom 24 and cut out the volume cap. Noise went away.

I'm replacing the entire wiring harness this weekend with a custom setup from Jackson Electronic Luthier.

 

[Boogie]

I actually said out loud ‘deeez’ when I read this thread title.......

Bwahahaha! Me too.

 

[danktat]

I bought a carbon nut from John Mann (it actually came in a two pack) to replace a nut that was worn on the low E. Once installed it was as good as new. Inexpensive and perfect.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

I bought a carbon nut from John Mann (it actually came in a two pack) to replace a nut that was worn on the low E. Once installed it was as good as new. Inexpensive and perfect.

Yep the core nuts are great, they make a metallic ring, so it’s fair to say that they transmit a decent amount of string energy into the guitar!

 

[richard1855]

I think that PRS core nuts are great. They may be mass produced, however they contain a compound that is “self-lubricating”.

The pair I bought had the notches pre-cut. Yes it may need adjusting on a used instrument. Mine went on a new build and I have had zero issues.

Maybe your luthier has “nut envy”!

Dont think I explained myself clearly. The notches were already cut when I purchased the guitar, also it was new not a used a guitar. What I mean is that when I bought it the notches were cut deep into the nut so that there was a good amount of nut material rising above the top surface of the string, now every photo I found of a PRS and every PRS I have seen in a shop have the nuts exactly as mine was when I purchased the guitar, i.e the strings effectively sit deep into the nut. What the guy did was file down the nut so that all this material rising above the strings was removed so that the top surface of the string is slightly higher than the surrounding nut and therefore the strings do not sit deep into the nut anymore, to be clear the actual notches were not changed just the effective depth of the notch was reduced. What he is saying is that when a new PRS is sold the nut is always filed down so that the strings sit more on the nut with a very shallow notch rather than sit deep into the nut as mine did before, so effectively he is saying that the shop that sold it to me did not do what they were meant to do, that is file down the nut. So let me rephrase the question, do the people on the forum have PRS guitars where the strings sit deep into the nut or has the nut been filed down so that the strings sit more on the nut with a shallow notch which he is claiming should be the case if the shop that sold the guitar did their job properly, in other words was he correct in filing down the nut or should he have just left it alone. I did want to attach some photos to illustrate what I am talking about but unless I have missed something I can find no way of doing so.

 

[bodia]

Deep into the nut. All of the 30+ I have ever owned.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

^what he said, only I haven’t owned 30 guitars^

 

[Black Plaid]

your guy is making up ... alternative facts

 

[Andrew Paul]

Yep the core nuts are great, they make a metallic ring, so it’s fair to say that they transmit a decent amount of string energy into the guitar!

What I’m trying to figure out is why the bone nuts on some models now?

 

[richard1855]

I may be waaaay off base on this, but.....The "noise" you are describing sounds more like a capacitor on the volume or tone pot is failing. I noted the same thing on my Custom 24 and cut out the volume cap. Noise went away.

I'm replacing the entire wiring harness this weekend with a custom setup from Jackson Electronic Luthier.

This only happens on the 3rd string with a bit on the 2nd and 4th wouldn't it affect all strings if it was the capacitor.

 

[richard1855]

I actually said out loud ‘deeez’ when I read this thread title.......

Yeah, I thought twice about it.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

What I’m trying to figure out is why the bone nuts on some models now?

It is a very good conductor of vibration, hence why it is used on upper level guitars.

 

[Bowtiefanatc]

It is a very good conductor of vibration, hence why it is used on upper level guitars.

that and I think have been using bone now on the more vintage voiced models to keep with the whole feel.

the only core ones with bone nuts outside of the McCarty line & Silver Sky are the PG and DGT. Likely to artist spec.

 

[RickP]

Deep into the nut. All of the 30+ I have ever owned.

^^^^ What he said, minus 24

 

[richard1855]

I may be waaaay off base on this, but.....The "noise" you are describing sounds more like a capacitor on the volume or tone pot is failing. I noted the same thing on my Custom 24 and cut out the volume cap. Noise went away.

I'm replacing the entire wiring harness this weekend with a custom setup from Jackson Electronic Luthier.

By volume cap I assume you mean the one going across the volume pot and not from the volume pot to the tone pot? The one that is about 80pF.

 

[richard1855]

Deep into the nut. All of the 30+ I have ever owned.

Yup thats what I thought, thanks.

 

[Wakester]

By volume cap I assume you mean the one going across the volume pot and not from the volume pot to the tone pot? The one that is about 80pF.

Yes, that is the one i cut first. It did solve the sound issue, but i lost the treble bleed aspect of this particular set up.