Nut, chambered!!

[RvChevron]

Anyone remember an article in GP magazine or Guitar Player repair guide by Dan Erlewine about a lutheir who milled little chambers under the nut slots?

I vaguely remember that he said the chambering opened up the tone/overtone etc.....for the open strings anyway.

Not the same a fluted nut btw.

Also, from an article published by Stew Mac, another guy milled little chamebers under the string grooves of the saddles in T.O.M. bridge. Said had similar tonal difference.

[darkwave]

I specifically remember that article, and have searched for it to no avail in the past. What I couldn't reconcile is that fact that cheapo folk guitar nuts were commonly hollow and it was considered an awful thing. Good luck finding it, I never did.

-Douglas C.

[RvChevron]

I specifically remember that article, and have searched for it to no avail in the past. What I couldn't reconcile is that fact that cheapo folk guitar nuts were commonly hollow and it was considered an awful thing. Good luck finding it, I never did.

-Douglas C.

Not like those cheapo nuts at all.

The guy milled like 5-6 "individual" tiny chambers, each isolated from each other, under the nut slots/inside the nut.

It looked like little caves in the nut and under the slots, as if some little cavemen were inside making the mojo!!:p

That might make a difference.

Anyone has that old issue of GP mag or is it one of the chapter in the Guitar Player Repari Guide?

[darkwave]

Yeah - I realize it isn't the same thing, but the principle of "air" underneath was always said to be bad so I found this approach curious. I can't remember if the chambers were in-between the string positions or directly underneath?

-Douglas C.

Not like those cheapo nuts at all.

The guy milled like 5-6 "individual" tiny chambers, each isolated from each other, under the nut slots/inside the nut.

It looked like little caves in the nut and under the slots, as if some little cavemen were inside making the mojo!!:p

That might make a difference.

Anyone has that old issue of GP mag or is it one of the chapter in the Guitar Player Repari Guide?

[RvChevron]

I did not see what you are talking about, but John Gilbert the legendary American classical guitar builder (a fine guy and a great engineer) did something but it was not to create chambers per se - it was to create more string transfer to the top of the guitar. I don't know if this is what you are talking about or not, but he scalopped nuts and saddles because the full piece of bone was absorbing energy, by removing this material more string vibration gets down to the bottom. Eventually he came up with the pin bridge which is superior. Very similar to why Leo Fender used 6 screws on the trem.

Some pics (although Gilbert scalloped both sides of the saddle eventually and does on all of my guitars).

http://www.schrammguitars.com/gilbertbridge.html (http://www.schrammguitars.com/gilbertbridge.html)

Maybe I should've said "scalloping" instead of " chambering" but the idea is pretty much just like you described here.

[EADGBE]

I wouldn't consider this a good idea. As it could cut sustain and cause dead spots.

[RvChevron]

I can't remember if the chambers were in-between the string positions or directly underneath?

-Douglas C.

Me neither, I can only very vaguely recall the picture in the mag.


http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y175/RvChevron/9bd5a8b7.jpg

It seemed there were little "chambers" or "scallops" with very thin wall seperating each other. But then I also seem to remember that the guy also drilled small holes thru them from the side.

Btw, it was done on Gibson or acoustic guitar style nuts, not the tiny thin Fender style.