Nut adjustment?

[Baker69]

I've spent a while searching the web for information on adjusting the height of the strings at the nut, but apart from a video clip on You Tube showing how to do this on a Fender I haven't been able to find anything on Rics and even Joey doesn't seem to detail this in his tutorials (unless I've missed it by mistake?)

I've set up my new 4003 generally in accordance with the tolerances that Joey has specified in his tutorials, I just need to get the string height correct at the nut as it looks too high. The distance from the top of the 1st fret to the bottom of the E string is1.5mm which doesn't sound a lot but is definitely higher than on the 4001 I had. The string height otherwise is bang-on it just doesn't play as well as it should on the first few frets as the strings seem too high there.

Is there a recommended height for the strings at the 1st fret, or does anyone know where there is more information to be found?

[jdogric12]

I think many people prefer ALAPWOB

as low as possible without buzzing!

[vulcan_creedler]

I adjust mine with gut feeling, probably all wrong. basically, you want the height of the string on the first fret, to be equal o the height on the second fret, whilst holding down on the first fret. Treat the nut as a "zero" fret.

you may find that the entire nut is too high, and it mat be easier to take the nut out, and file the entire bottom of the nut.

That said, of my 3 ric basses, I've never had to file the nut slots! On Fenduffs and other cheap basses - every time!

[aceonbass]

Filing the bottom of the nut so that it remains square, is difficult, and not doing so will result in it not sitting tight and flush one reinstalled. This job is best performed with a set of correctly gauged nut files, one sting at a time, and little bit at a time. I try to get mine just a hair higher than the first fret to avoid fret buzz on the first fret.

[vulcan_creedler]

Filing the bottom of the nut so that it remains square, is difficult, and not doing so will result in it not sitting tight and flush one reinstalled. This job is best performed with a set of correctly gauged nut files, one sting at a time, and little bit at a time. I try to get mine just a hair higher than the first fret to avoid fret buzz on the first fret.

Well - that's me told!!!

(Luckily I've never had to risk this surgery on my rics!)

[Baker69]

I adjust mine with gut feeling, probably all wrong. basically, you want the height of the string on the first fret, to be equal o the height on the second fret, whilst holding down on the first fret. Treat the nut as a "zero" fret.

you may find that the entire nut is too high, and it mat be easier to take the nut out, and file the entire bottom of the nut.

That said, of my 3 ric basses, I've never had to file the nut slots! On Fenduffs and other cheap basses - every time!

Is the nut easy to remove or is it glued in?

[aceonbass]

It's glued on, but you should leave it on while filling it.

[johnallg]

What Dane said. Get nut files or take it to someone who has them. You will like having them lower than they are.

[antonius]

You can't go too far wrong if you take things slowly, filing a tiny amount off from each slot at a time and seeing how it plays. If you play the open strings really hard (much harder than you would normally play) with a pick you'll see when you are getting near to open string fret buzz. So you'll know when to stop. But even if you do go too far you can re-fill the slot a little. My nut slots were filled slightly after re-fretting and everything is fine...

[geddeeee]

It's not hard to get a perfectly flat bottom of the nut at all.

The trick is to use sandpaper taped to a really flat surface... i.e.: a mirror...

Try not to push down too hard. Just hold the nut and run it on the sandpaper a few times. Keep checking until you are happy.
It's easier to correct a nut that is too low this way. Just use some flat shims if necessary.

A lot easier than fiddling around trying to fill the nut slots with glue etc....

[aceonbass]

Sanding the bottom of the nut is NOT the proper way to set the action for each string. In most cases as much as 1/16" needs to be removed from each of the slots, and depending on string gauge, will vary from string to string. The nut and strings need to be on the bass, in tune, and with the neck adjusted flat. Each string need to be pulled out of it's slot, and a little material removed at a time, then checked and rechecked as you go. If a guitar tech says he doesn't want to take the time to do the job the right way with the right tools, then find another tech.

[Baker69]

Thanks for the replies guys.

I think I'm going to try and source a cheap set of needle files, a specific gauge of nut files is going to be too expensive for what will probably be a 'once only'' operation for me and I don't envisage using them ever again. On my 4001 the strings were quite low at the nut and I really liked it that way so I sort of know what I'm aiming for.

On the Fender nut adjustment video on You Tube the guy was saying that when you file the frets you should angle the 'cut' towards the headstock and not to file it level, makes sense I suppose but it is something I hadn't thought of before. Must vary from bass to bass depending on how steep the angle is from the nut to the winding post on the tuner.

I already filed the nut at the 'D' string slightly a few weeks ago, as for some reason it seemed to have been cut at the factory slightly too narrow and it was kind of pinching the string which wasn't permitting it to vibrate correctly on open string notes.

Will report back once I've done it, along with some 'before and after' pics!

[aceonbass]

I think RIC has these nuts cut with a laser, so I don't know how they could be too narrow. The D string slot is .055, and many after market strings are heavier (the D in my Rotosound Jazz bass set is .065). Yes, you do need to angle your cut slightly downward toward the headastock, but needle files aren't really the right type either since they don't have vertical flat sides that self center in the nut slot. Since you feel you'd never use them again, why don't you just take it to a guitar tech? Doing this job the for the first time, and with the wrong tools could be problematic.

[johnallg]

....
On the Fender nut adjustment video on You Tube the guy was saying that when you file the frets you should angle the 'cut' towards the headstock and not to file it level, makes sense I suppose but it is something I hadn't thought of before. Must vary from bass to bass depending on how steep the angle is from the nut to the winding post on the tuner.

That angle would be to insure there is one point the string rests and that all 4 strings are on a point as close to the fretboard as possible. Make sense?

[RickyBubba]

I would echo the thought of taking it into somebody. My 3000 had the nut all fubar from all kinds of filling, even with what appeared to be diamond shaped files. Thankfully replacing the whole nut was within my confort zone, and it made all the difference. A+ to Pick of the Ricks for the new Ric 4003 nut I used.