Nut slots

[JD01]

How do you work out how deep your nut slots need to be?
Do you just get one of the E strings to a place you think feels right and then just eye the rest in from there?

[muttley]

Wound strings about half to two thirds the depth of the string. UNwound just showing above the slot. My preference is for the low E to be about 2mm from the fretboard edge and the top E about 3mm then make sure the gaps between each string are equal. Any closer to the edge than 2mm and you start to feel the string pull off the board.

[JD01]

Wound strings about half to two thirds the depth of the string. UNwound just showing above the slot. My preference is for the low E to be about 2mm from the fretboard edge and the top E about 3mm then make sure the gaps between each string are equal. Any closer to the edge than 2mm and you start to feel the string pull off the board.

I mean depth, not spacing. I already have slots, but the action at the nut is a little high.

[muttley]

Wound strings about half to two thirds the depth of the string. UNwound just showing above the slot. My preference is for the low E to be about 2mm from the fretboard edge and the top E about 3mm then make sure the gaps between each string are equal. Any closer to the edge than 2mm and you start to feel the string pull off the board.

I mean depth, not spacing. I already have slots, but the action at the nut is a little high.

Then wound strings half to two thirds the depth of the string and unwound just about showing above the top of the nut. Normally I would cut the nut and sink the string to just above the height of the first fret then file the top of the nut until the strings are at the correct depth. The slot should be very slightly wider than the string to avoid binding and contact should be across the full width of the nut so it breaks at the front and back of the nut. All of which helps avoid binding and buzzing. Very often it's a feel thing but if you think about it logically the depth of the slot only needs to anchor the string and they can be as low as the frets if the neck is true. I shoot for a very slight clearance of the string above the first and second string which also helps with intonation.

[JD01]

Cheers.