Do the CE24 or Custom 24 nut slots have to be filed for 11-56 gauge strings?

[seanchristopher]

Hi guys!

I just ordered my first PRS CE24. I ordered from Sweetwater and they offer a basic setup option. I normally would do the whole setup on my own but, since I am moving up the string gauge from the factory 9s or 10s to 11-56 gauge strings, I assumed the nut slots would need to be filed a bit to move up to those gauge strings. I haven't filed nut slots before, but I was just going to order some nut slot files with my guitar and do it on my own so I can do it on my guitars in the future as needed. But I wouldn't want to mess up an expensive guitar if I mess up since it'll be my first time trying to do it.

There have been major miscommunications and mix ups almost every step of the way with this order and i'm starting to get frustrated because my SW rep initially said that a setup would only add a day on before the guitar ships. He also said that the latest it would ship out was yesterday. But when I called Sweetwater yesterday for an update on the status of my order, they said the guitar hasn't even been worked on yet and that it probably won't ship til the middle or end of the week. The other rep I talked to today said that a basic setup can actually add on 4 to 6 business days and that my rep knows that so idk why he told me otherwise.

At this point, i'm trying to figure out if the CE24 (or potenentially S2 Custom 24 if exchanged for it) would even need their nut slots filed to move up to 11-56 gauge strings to begin with. If not, I'm hoping I can just have my weetwater rep cancel the setup and just have the guitar shipped out asap, in hopes that it could potentially cut off a business week from the shipping time lol. I'Sm only getting the setup because the setup package includes the luthiers filing the nut slots for new string gauges if needed and matches the nut slots with the fretboard radius or something like that.

If the guitar will most likely need the nut slots filed and it's an easy thing to do, maybe i'll cancel the setup and just order a nut slot file set from Sweetwater with my guitar.

But if the guitar will most likely need the nut slots filed but you guys wouldn't recommend I try it for my first time on an American made PRS, I totally get that and I'll probably just stick with the setup and wait patiently lol. c

In all of your experiences, will a CE24 or S2 Custom 24 need the nut slots flied when going up to 11-56 string gauge?

 

[Alessandro]

They would definitely need to be widened to take in the gauge of string you want. Patience is a virtue but never pay full price for late pizza. Widening isn’t super difficult if you had the right tools and experience, but I wouldn’t pick a prs for my first nut job either. Having said that a new nut is only like $20 for 2 from PRS so if you mess it up it won’t cost a whole lot to change it with a new one and start over.

 

[Bogner]

Anything Above 50 For The Low E Will Need To Be Widened. You Will Be Ok With The 11High E. I Threw Some 52's On And The Slot Needed Widened.

If You Are Not Experienced And With The Right Tools, Take It To A Properly Experienced And Skilled Tech For The Work. Nuts Are Responsible For A Lot Of Issues And They Need To Be Right To Prevent Those Issues.

 

[seanchristopher]

They would definitely need to be widened to take in the gauge of string you want. Patience is a virtue but never pay full price for late pizza. Widening isn’t super difficult if you had the right tools and experience, but I wouldn’t pick a prs for my first nut job either. Having said that a new nut is only like $20 for 2 from PRS so if you mess it up it won’t cost a whole lot to change it with a new one and start over.

Never, have i loved a quote that I didn't know the meaning of so much lol I'm not 100% on what "Patience is a virtue but never pay full price for late pizza" means but I think I kind of get it and I want to get it! Because it's a pretty dope saying to be honest

I was considering buying a set of the music nomad nut files and just trying to do it myself but like you were saying, I didn't feel great about trying do to it on a PRS for my first time lol. I thought it would be a positive to be able to do it to my other guitars in the future if they need it but, it'd be nice to get the new PRS ready to play in the tuning I play in and already set up for the string gauge I use. I'm hoping SW will get the setup done quick so they can ship it asap.

 

[seanchristopher]

Anything Above 50 For The Low E Will Need To Be Widened. You Will Be Ok With The 11High E. I Threw Some 52's On And The Slot Needed Widened.

If You Are Not Experienced And With The Right Tools, Take It To A Properly Experienced And Skilled Tech For The Work. Nuts Are Responsible For A Lot Of Issues And They Need To Be Right To Prevent Those Issues.

I was thinking that some of the higher strings might be okay but I was almost sure that some of the nut slots for the lower strings would need to be filed to be widened. I heard that the angle of the nut slots and the shape of the filing done is all more important for tuning stability and playability than people realize. I definitely don't want to ruin the nut on a almost $3k guitar and end up having to buy a new one and then take it to a luthier and have to drop it off and then have to wait another week or so to play it lol.

After seeing the posts on this thread, I'm thinking just letting Sweetwater do the setup would be the better choice. Even though it might add on some more time before it ships, it'll be worth the wait to have the job done right on an almost $3k guitar. And i'm seeing now that being impatient now and trying to get the guitar here a few days sooner will most likely lead to more waiting to be able to play the guitar. And having it in person and not being able to pay it would be torture lol

I can always get a set of the nut files later on, and then I can learn how to do the nut slot filing on one of my other not as expensive guitars

Thank you for your wise words!

 

[DISTORT6]

When I used a 13-56 set, the slots were definitely opened up.
I used a new nut when I went back to a 9.5-50 set.
Also, new guitar - let SW do the initial setup. If something goes wrong, it’s on them.

 

[seanchristopher]

When I used a 13-56 set, the slots were definitely opened up.
I used a new nut when I went back to a 9.5-50 set.
Also, new guitar - let SW do the initial setup. If something goes wrong, it’s on them.

Since i'm moving up to a 11-56 set, does that mean that if I end up going back down to something like a 10-52 set-would I have to change the nut again? Or would I still be able to use a 10-52 set on a nut that was cut for 11-56 gauge strings?

 

[DISTORT6]

Since i'm moving up to a 11-56 set, does that mean that if I end up going back down to something like a 10-52 set-would I have to change the nut again? Or would I still be able to use a 10-52 set on a nut that was cut for 11-56 gauge strings?

New nut. That’s what I did.
The strings wouldn’t fit the slots correctly.

 

[seanchristopher]

New nut. That’s what I did.
The strings wouldn’t fit the slots correctly.

How tight or loose do the strings have to be in the slots to be in there correctly? Is it possible to use any lower gauge string set after the nut has been filed for the 11-56 gauge set? Or if I go down even one set, will I have to replace the nut altogether?

I play mainly in D Standard and Drop C but my band plays mainly in Eb Standard and Drop C#, so i'm hoping I can still throw on some 10-52 strings every now without having to replace the nut when changing between string gauges.

If I were going from 11-56 to 9-42 or something like that I can definitely see how i'd have to replace the nut. But I thought 10-52 and 11-56 were pretty close string gauges so I honestly thought they'd be interchangeable after having the nut filed for the 11-56 set

 

[DISTORT6]

You won’t know until you try. Might be okay for you.
I didn’t replace mine because smaller strings worked in the wider nut slots.

 

[Bogner]

When I used a 13-56 set, the slots were definitely opened up.
I used a new nut when I went back to a 9.5-50 set.
Also, new guitar - let SW do the initial setup. If something goes wrong, it’s on them.

True...My Only Concern Would Be Just How Competent And Skilled Are Sweetwater's Techs? It Wouldn't Hurt To Ask And As You Said, If There Is Any Problems, It Is On Them.