Nut placement

[Pat.Hawkins]

Hi Folks,
Just about to measure and mark up my neck.

The instructional video shows the fret0 line to be right on the join between the straight length of the neck and the angled peg head....
But that means the nut will be placed on the angled peg head and require a channel to be cut out to square it back up.

Wouldn't it be easier to crib a bit off the straight section (nut width) and place the nut on the flat and butting up to the fingerboard? (Avoiding having to cut a channel for the nut) and simply move the 14th fret mark further away?

Hope this makes sense

Cheers

[kiwigeo]

Something doesnt sound right. My (guitar) nuts always sit on the fretboard rather than headstock. When I position fretboard I leave about 5mm between end of same and the headstock/neck break.

You could move fretboard 5mm towards the bridge I guess but then 14th fret wont be at neck/body join.....purely an asthetic thing but it's something that I would notice.

[Allen]

My nut ALWAYS sits on the peg head with the bottom of the nut slanted to match the angle of the peg head. The head plate end that matches up to the nut also gets the same angle cut onto it BEFORE it's glued to the peg head.

To make sure parts fall into the correct place I use a couple of brads that locate the fret board onto the neck black. Drilled through the 1st and 12th fret slots. Then use the actual nut I will use on this instrument as a spacer to bump up against the fret board and finally glue the head plate in place. Remove fret board and nut and clean up any glue squeeze out after clamps are on the head plate. Allow to dry.

Later those same holes I drilled to line up the fret board are used again to line it up when I'm actually glueing it in place without worrying about it squirming about on me. Then the nut that I had used in the first place will fit every time without any work, or at the very most just the tinniest skim on the faces with fine sandpaper.

As you can see just from two replies. Lot's of ways to go about this. You just need to find one that suits the way you want to build.

[johnparchem]

I am with Allen, my zero fret is right at the break and I slant the bottom of the nut.

[rocket]

I think it comes down to personal taste really,, i'm in Martins camp, i sit my nut on the flat of the neck, my first couple of builds had the nut sitting on the bevel of the headstock but i found it easier just to move it down the neck the thickness of the nut.
Rod.

[tippie53]

they can be both ways depending on who and how the neck was made. Trust the fretboard.

[Nick]

they can be both ways depending on who and how the neck was made. Trust the fretboard.

I'm with Allen and John. Your fretboard is what sets the placement up, it is your yard stick and everything else should fit around it. If the bridge is in the correct place on the body, your fretboard/neck joins at the twelfth or fourteenth then the nut goes at the other end of the fretboard. If it sits on the headstock then angle the bottom face accordingly. If you prefer to have it on the same plane as the fretboard-to-neck join then factor in when marking & cutting out the neck blank (as Martin commented the break should occur the thickness of the nut after the fretboard end). Either way is OK, it's just a personal choice thing really. If you are planning on binding headstock and fingerboard, personally, I think the look of the headstock mounted nut looks and 'flows' better (I'm not even sure why! It just sits better with my sense of aesthetics).

[Trevor Gore]

There's lots of ways of doing this, all with pros and cons and different looks. I usually put the nut ON the fretboard, on a ledge cut for it, with the channel closed by the head stock overlay.

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