Js1000 nut problems

SilverSurfer2 · #1 04-24-2003, 06:45 AM

I'm having problems with the nut on my Js1000. It has a shim underneath and i notice that when i pull back on the whammy bar, the tuning goes sharp, and when i depress, it goes flat. I am noticing that the nut is rocking back and forth as i pull up and/or depress the bar. I took the the nut off several times to make sure the nut was butt up againts the fret board and flat on the floor of the cavity, but for some reason when i screw the nut in place.....i always seem to see a hair of space between the nut wall and the edge of fretboard.......i even tried to put a thin shim to stop it from rocking toward the edge of the fretboard, but that didn't help. It still rocked both ways.......just enough to bring the strings out of tune.

I'm suspecting that the shim or the floor of the nut cavity is not level causing the edge of the nut to not fit flush with the edge of the fretboard......

Any advice on how to go about fixing this??

Rich · #2 04-24-2003, 06:58 AM

Don't take offense, but if the nut is tight I think you're imagining it's moving. I believe you'll find the problem in the trem pivot. Either the set screws in the studs aren't tight, the anchors are loose, or your knives are binding in the studs. Go through the full checklist.

http://www.ibanezrules.com/tech.htm#Stability

SilverSurfer2 · #3 04-24-2003, 07:15 AM

the set screws and the anchor were the first things that i checked.....and they were both tight and not moving. The hairline crack that i see b/n the nut and the fretboard leads me to see and believe that the nut is rocking. When i pull up on the bar.....the nut rocks back toward the fretboard and then the hairline crack goes away and appears to be right up againts the edge of the fretboard....like the way it should be. THe other nuts on my guitars are seated against the fretboard, and they do not show that crack in b/n......the tuning on those guitars are great. And i cannot see the nuts on those rocking back and forth the way i'm seeing it on the js1000. When i depress it past neutral......the crack reappears and the tuning goes flat. I can actually see the nut rock back and forth. I made sure the nut screws were tight.

SilverSurfer2 · #4 04-24-2003, 07:17 AM

I forgot to add that i stretched the strings out and then tuned to pitch....

eydylhands · #5 04-24-2003, 08:28 AM

If you've ever had the nut off the shim could have gotten a little 'crooked'
before it was tightened back down and have slipped a cornrer between the edge of the fretboard and the front of the nut.
Just enough to act as a fulcrum or piviot pointand drive you NUTS....no pun intended.

Just a thought.
jim

6828 · #6 04-24-2003, 10:36 AM

This is a wild guess.

Perhaps the nut locking screws have worn an elipse in the wood of the neck ? The wood is polished enough to slip under force of movement from the trem pitch change. The nut is moving within the elipse enough to alter pitch.

One other possibility ?

Tony

Rich · #7 04-24-2003, 02:53 PM

That little gap you see at the top edge of the board is normally seen. It has to do with the angle of the face of the nut that's butting up against it. But I still think you're imagining it moving. If it IS moving, then it isn't tight [don't crack your neck overtightening!!] or you've got a crack behind the nut anyway and the whole headstock is moving.

frankfalbo · #8 04-24-2003, 10:44 PM

Does it happen when your lock blocks are loose? Because if it doesn't, and you can clearly see a difference when you tighten them, then you aren't imagining it. If it does, though, you might be. The JS needs a lock nut that has a groove in it, so maybe your shim is getting in the way of that clearance, and even though you have it tight, it's actually tight against the truss rod nut and it's rocking on there.

Guess what?
I just went and grabbed my JS necked Radius, and it did the same thing. I saw daylight in there between the nut and the fretboard for crying out loud. It obviously didn't do it when the blocks were loose. Then I checked it, and it wasn't tight. So I tightened it and it was fine. It still could be your shim against the truss rod nut though disallowing an even footing.

Rich · #9 04-24-2003, 11:03 PM

JS1000 shims have the arch pressed right into them. Just remember to keep the solid edge at the headstock edge under the nut.

SilverSurfer2 · #10 04-24-2003, 11:16 PM

When i took the nut off.....the shim that was under it was cut in a way to avoid going over the truss nut/rod.....

When i loosen the blocks and try it.....i can still see it rocking. I'm looking at the gap....and the gap gets thinner as i pull up on the bar.....and gets wider when i dive the bar.

I'm going to try taking the shim out and see if it rocks......

SilverSurfer2 · #11 04-27-2003, 10:50 PM

I just thought: would an incorrectly intonated trem/guitar cause an extral pull /push when the whammy bar is pulled or depressed, that would cause the nut to move back and forth just enough to bring it out of tune??

When i depress the whammy bar all the way the G string is the most loose......the string is actually so loose that it bends and lifts off the fretboard and when you strum it, it doesnt even ring out a note because it is so loose....all the other strings are not even that close to being loose like the G string is. but when you strum them, they still ring out notes. Is this normal?

Rich · #12 04-27-2003, 10:58 PM

Intonation would have no effect.

When you dump the bar the wound strings are the floppiest, the low E being the loosest of them all.

Rich · #13 04-28-2003, 02:43 AM

Edit double post

Rich · #14 04-28-2003, 02:46 AM

Correcting myself, the G will go slacker than the D and usually A. because the string Inside the D is much smaller diameter. It's pretty close to the A string but the A a little tighter. Sometimes I need a guitar in my hands to think clearly

SilverSurfer2 · #15 04-28-2003, 07:03 AM

that's what i thought.....my G string is the slackest. I actually tried putting on a neck from a "stay in tune" guitar onto the one i'm having problems with....and it actually did the same thing. The nut on the good neck was doing the same thing.......and it didn't do that when it was on the good guitar. So it's probably not a nut problem......