Nut too close to edge of neck?

[OneChordTrick]

Here’s a picture of the nut on my new, to me, mandolin.



The E string is only 2mm from the edge of the neck. Is this closer than “normal”?

It’s predecessor, a $100 or so Hora had a 4mm gap albeit on a slightly narrower (by about 1mm) neck. I sometimes find my fingers falling of the edge.

Should I just play more and get used to it or is it worth considering a hew nut with closer spacing?

[Hendrik Ahrend]

It should be just fine. My strings are even closer. For me it would be the string chores being too close themselves.

[Paul Busman]

If it were mine, I'd keep playing it for a while to see if I got used to it.

[OneChordTrick]

Thanks, I’m getting more used to it as I play but I’m new to all this...

[colorado_al]

It looks reasonable to me, but if you don't like it, get a new nut made

[EdHanrahan]

Keep in mind that, at the first few frets, the strings can't be pushed very far sideways. Going up the neck, it can be easy(er) to push a string off the edge, at worst hooking a fret-end. But that geometry is also determined by the right-to-left (meaning low-string-to-high-string) placement of the bridge, as well as the straightness of the neck set.

On archtops with "floating" bridge, held on by string pressure only, bridge placement is easily adjusted to ensure that the strings are fairly centered on the neck. Neck-set itself is NOT easily adjusted but it's usually pretty good and, hey, even Gibson's infamous Loar-signed F5s are known to be a bit asymmetrical in that regard.

[MikeZito]

Nut Too Close To Edge Of Neck!

Sounds like the name of a really bad horror movie.


Sorry - I'll go away now . . . .

[OneChordTrick]

Nut Too Close To Edge Of Neck!

Sounds like the name of a really bad horror movie.


Sorry - I'll go away now . . . .

So you’ve heard me play then

[Ray(T)]

If your fingers fall off the edge, the problem is with your fingers. If the outermost E string slips over the edge of a fret whilst you're playing, you need to get a new nut - it's not that big a job for someone who knows what they're doing.

If the price of the job is more than the mandolin's worth, you could try knocking the nut off and re-gluing it a millimetre north of its current position. (Nuts shouldn't be "totally" glued in and a sharp sideways tap with a hammer and wooden drift should remove it. A single spot of superglue should hold it back in position - the strings will hold it in place.)

I found a similar "slipping off the edge" problem on a Taylor guitar at a guitar show several years ago. Surprisingly the rep. wasn't at all interested!

[Bill Kammerzell]

I had a new build like this. Ended up having the nut replaced.

[colorado_al]

If you have a new nut made, bring your old mandolin so they can measure the nut on it.

[Tavy]

That looks standard to me - but personal preference will play a big part.

[OneChordTrick]

That looks standard to me - but personal preference will play a big part.

Thanks, that seems to be the consensus so I’ll persevere. I’ve not been playing long enough to build a strong preference Andy I’m wary of using my starter mandolin, this instrument’s predecessor as a baseline.

[Ivan Kelsall]

It looks fine to me. The "E" strings on my Ellis are a tad closer than that,but they pose no problem. It's a matter of getting used to the string positions on any mandolin. Only if the strings do slide over the edge of the fingerboard while you're playing would it become a problem,& even then i'd check my left hand fingering before condemning the mandolin,
Ivan

[Johnny60]

One of my guitars had the same problem - every time you did a pull-off on the top E string it'd "fall" off the edge of the fretboard. A very easy fix - when I took it in for a set-up, my luthier replaced the nut.

[Paul Busman]

Nut Too Close To Edge Of Neck!

Sounds like the name of a really bad horror movie.


Sorry - I'll go away now . . . .

Or a really rare physical deformity

[Tom Haywood]

I can't tell much from the photo, because the ruler is not on the nut and string spacing at the nut is part of what we are discussing. The strings appear to have "normal" spacing and the frets appear to have "normal" ends, so I would suggest that you are pulling the string over the edge. As suggested already, play it for a while and see if the problem improves. If not, try sliding the bridge slightly toward the bass strings side. If it's still a problem, have a new nut made that accommodates the way you play. You certainly could try moving the nut over slightly, but you will likely leave a little bit of wood exposed in the slot and that edge could get damaged.

FYI, nuts for my new mandolins usually are slotted to leave approximately 1.5 mm from the edge of the neck at the nut end of the fret board to the middle of the first string on each side.

There are luthiers who just eyeball the slot distances, because it is ultimately a preference and not rocket science. Here is a Cafe discussion from several years ago by some of the great builders who frequent this site, showing their measurements. http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...String-spacing

[ajh]

Another problem I ran into when strings are that close to the edge was a tendency for the side of my finger to hit and damp the outer string when making ring and pinky finger reaches.

[OneChordTrick]

I can't tell much from the photo, because the ruler is not on the nut and string spacing at the nut is part of what we are discussing. The strings appear to have "normal" spacing and the frets appear to have "normal" ends, so I would suggest that you are pulling the string over the edge. As suggested already, play it for a while and see if the problem improves. If not, try sliding the bridge slightly toward the bass strings side. If it's still a problem, have a new nut made that accommodates the way you play. You certainly could try moving the nut over slightly, but you will likely leave a little bit of wood exposed in the slot and that edge could get damaged.

FYI, nuts for my new mandolins usually are slotted to leave approximately 1.5 mm from the edge of the neck at the nut end of the fret board to the middle of the first string on each side.

There are luthiers who just eyeball the slot distances, because it is ultimately a preference and not rocket science. Here is a Cafe discussion from several years ago by some of the great builders who frequent this site, showing their measurements. http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...String-spacing

I’ve got about 2mm from the edge so I’m in the ball park I think.

[Ivan Kelsall]

OCT - That's fine. The strings on the mandolin are under enough tension to make it very hard to pull 'em off the edge of the f/board.
All finger pressure should be downwards anyway,unlike playing a guitar (elec.especially), where pushing / pulling the strings to bend 'em are part of the playing technique. I think that you'll be 100% ok - enjoy it,
Ivan

[colorado_al]

OCT - That's fine. The strings on the mandolin are under enough tension to make it very hard to pull 'em off the edge of the f/board.
All finger pressure should be downwards anyway,unlike playing a guitar (elec.especially), where pushing / pulling the strings to bend 'em are part of the playing technique. I think that you'll be 100% ok - enjoy it,
Ivan

Bending strings is not part of mandolin technique? Since when?

[OneChordTrick]

Don't think that's what Ivan is saying, in fact the second paragraph says "All finger pressure should be downwards anyway"!

[colorado_al]

Don't think that's what Ivan is saying, in fact the second paragraph says "All finger pressure should be downwards anyway"!

Sounds to me like he's saying bending notes is not done on mandolin. That simply isn't true.

[Ivan Kelsall]

That's not what i was saying or even implying. I should have qualified my remark by saying that it's not done 'as much' on mandolin,in fact personally,i've never done it in the 13 years that i've been playing,whereas on elec.guitar,i do it all the time. I use 'slides' & the occasional 'pull off' far more often. On elec.guitar,i bend the string(s) inwards always - never pull,
Ivan

[colorado_al]

That's not what i was saying or even implying. I should have qualified my remark by saying that it's not done 'as much' on mandolin,in fact personally,i've never done it in the 13 years that i've been playing,whereas on elec.guitar,i do it all the time. I use 'slides' & the occasional 'pull off' far more often. On elec.guitar,i bend the string(s) inwards always - never pull,
Ivan

No offense meant, nor taken. Just saying there are many ways to play the same instrument. And to the OP's question, you should have your instrument setup the way you like it, not the way convention dictates.