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Measuring nut width correctly
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Blind Dog
Posts: 37
Joined: Jul. 7 2020
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 RE: Measuring nut width correctly (in reply to Ricardo)
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OK, that's interesting. So, is it unusual that the strings on both my guitars are not spaced consistently? For example, this Huipe I'm selling is consistent at 7.7 - 7.9mm except between the 3rd and 4th strings, it's 8.8mm, a full mm wider. So, I looked at my Navarro and they are also not consistent. Starting at 6th and 5th strings, I get 7.4, 8.3, 7.9, 8.0, 8.4. I never noticed that on either one, but the ones that are most off you can see with your eye pretty easily. The Navarro is their student model and the Huipe would be the same based on the price. How much play would be considered ok? I just bought a set of digital calipers and measured everything 2-3 times to make sure I was getting it right. ??
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Date Aug. 23 2020 18:38:21
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RobF
Posts: 1565
Joined: Aug. 24 2017
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RE: Measuring nut width correctly (in reply to Blind Dog)
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Basically, I think what mt1007 is saying is pretty well dead on.
I looked at the picture of the nut in question when it was posted in an earlier thread and what I saw was just a poor set-up, overall spacing had nothing to do with it. If anything, it needed more space on the treble side (so, less overall).
To me, 42.5mm would be fairly standard for a 52mm nut on a classical guitar, but for a flamenco guitar, due to its lower action, it can go a little wider. I think every maker has their own preferences so, of course, widths can vary slightly, but it will depend on a number of factors related to how they build their guitars, not just some catch-all dimension. It isn’t cookie cutter and there’s no one right answer, even with different guitars from the same maker. That’s why I cautioned against including that measurement in your ad.
Also, having the neck width bang on to a standard dimension shouldn’t be considered a reliable indicator of quality, either. Guitars are made out of an organic material that is subject to movement under varying climatic conditions and they are also subject to constant adjustment by the maker during their construction, so expecting an instrument to adhere to micron-level dimensional standards is simply unreasonable. It denies the instrument its soul.
Finally, it very well could be that the makers of some student guitars err on the side of caution by giving a little more edge clearance to their spacing than a higher end maker might allow. I would expect this is because the target level of player might be more prone to pushing or pulling the outer strings off the frets, as mt1007 has already suggested. The factory might be trying to avoid returns by people who blame their instruments for their own shortcomings, or maybe the dealers they sell to request it, for the same reason. I don’t think it’s because anyone’s trying to up-sell new nuts, the dealers don’t need that level of hassle, and most of the people buying student guitars will be perfectly happy to make-do with whatever they get.
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Date Aug. 24 2020 21:59:17
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RobF
Posts: 1565
Joined: Aug. 24 2017
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RE: Measuring nut width correctly (in reply to Ricardo)
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Thanks for posting the measurements, Ricardo, it helps to actually see the numbers.
One thing that occurs to me is we might be comparing apples to oranges. A maker will often talk about dimensions such as this in terms of centers, as that’s how the nuts will be marked to start the cuts. A player, on the other hand, is more likely going to refer to the spacing based on edge to edge measurements.
Assuming you’re measuring edge to edge, your Conde has 7.5mm of total edge clearance, which likely translates to 4mm of clearance on the treble side and 3.5mm on the bass. At 4mm, the treble clearance is pretty well the same clearance that mt1007 says he likes, so maybe there’s no disagreement at all. Also, the 44mm +/- 0.5mm spacing I mentioned earlier was based on a centre to centre measurement, which ends up being roughly 45mm edge to edge, so it doesn’t look like there’s much disagreement there, either.
But even if the numbers didn’t line up, I’m not sure the topic can be framed in such a manner that implies one person’s preference is more valid than another’s. There’s not really anything to disagree with. You like it wide, it works for you, so wide for you is better. If somebody else comes along and says it’s too wide for them, who’s to say they’re wrong?
Just an aside...why not get a new nut made for your Hermanos Sanchís Lopez that brings it more into line with what you prefer? It’ll be like getting a new guitar 
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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date Aug. 25 2020 18:54:52
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