I recently (about a month ago) replaced the nut on my jay turser telecaster; I'd taken it in to fix the groove for the low E string (new strings, slightly higher gauge), and it turned out the nut was cracked underneath the strings (it was plastic). It broke upon adjustment. Now I'm working with a bone nut, and the guy did a nice job on it, but the intonation on the first few frets is wayyy off, and the middle frets aren't so hot either. I know it can be better, because it used to be - back when I had the stock plastic nut.
I want to sand down the grooves a bit; I'm thinking it will help the intonation, since I think (I think!) that the grooves in the plastic nut were a little deeper than what I have now. Any suggestions on how to do this, or reasons not to do it, or alternatives to dealing with the intonation problem? My ears seriously can't take it...it's a major pain in the parts.
I don't want to screw anything up and have to shell out more money for yet another nut. Not to say I'm not happy with the new one - I just have to get the right sound out of it!
-lunchmeat
I thought general wisdom said adjusting the saddle is the way to intonation.
No...not quite.
The intonation is fine at the 12th fret - I can make 12 match the natural harmonic there, no problem. But after I've done that the rest of the fretboard is off.
-lunchmeat
The nut needs to be filed such that the strings are held slightly but do not bind. The key measurement is to check the height of the string off the fretboard at the nut, it should be just high enough to clear the first fret wire properly.
After that, adjustments for intonation needs to happen at the bridge.
At least in my experience.
"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side." -- HST
Sanding the nut or bridge saddle will not directly impact the "intonation". It can however effect the "tuning" when you fret a string by stretching the string out of tune if it is too high. So, checking the string height at the nut and the bridge may solve the problem. There is a guide on my site (linked below) on basic setup that you can use to determine if string height at the nut or bridge is off.
