I just ordered my first electric guitar

[lfm]

Now we're getting into filing nuts.

Did you dare do the test?

That is the final step to as perfect as equal temperament goes.
- so lovely when intonation is there anywhere on fretboard
- all fretted notes, or mix fretted and open etc

When all else is setup and done with. Just do the test.
- but fret usuall pressure, you can get sharp as you want to

This was general tip to anybody, not only OP for his guitar.
- I wish I figured that out much earlier in life with shitty intonation
- saddles and 12th perfect and yet not intonating

As I refretted a hollowbody I felt I almost emptied Stewmac warehouse on stuff, so got these files too. But a guitarshop should have a guy that knows how to.

[lfm]

Saddle height, intonation and the truss rod.

I might add nut slots height, as well. Check with a 0.1 cent tuner if fretting first fret is anything off at all.
- that might be a job at a shop if not having slot files

Besides requiring specialized files, it's also not easily reversible if you file too much.

True, do you think I've been there?
- sure have

Sanding off a bone nut for some material and superglue, works pretty well. Best to fill slot and then file down again.

[ThoughtExperiment]

To reassure the OP, it's highly unlikely that a PRS will have a poor quality nut - even the SE version. I bought an SE-24 myself a few years ago and it played nicely right out of the box, and so did the other 3 or 4 that I tried out while I decided on a colour. I got a free setup thrown in so the shop's resident tech restrung it with 10s instead of the factory-fitted 9s, and tweaked the setup to suit. Nothing I couldn't do myself, but it was free so...

Anyway it still plays nicely and it's very low maintenance. I think it's only the second brand-new guitar I ever bought, and I've never considered trading it in. And I've traded a ton of guitars over 50years so that's saying something. Enjoy your new plank

[Uncle E]

My post about Indonesia‘s humidity levels being the same as the US was sarcasm. When I go to Thailand to train Muay Thai, I sweat more than Arizona’s entire annual precipitation.

[jamcat]

In all fairness, that's mostly due to the curry.

[Uncle E]

That's true. Arizona is famous for their curry.

[lfm]

To reassure the OP, it's highly unlikely that a PRS will have a poor quality nut - even the SE version.

If referring to nut slots, it's just that slot heights are not optimized from factory.
- not that nut is bad quality

It's the very last thing you might do, once strings guage and action are decided.
- so better that too high from factory, and create sharp note on fret 1.
- just file down as needed

I bought a neck for a Tele from Fender, and explicitly said slots are rough cut.

I've seen YT vids from experienced luthiers that go by mm so and so over first fret.
- I'd say that is rough
- final test is when guitar is set up and with a tuner
- fractions of a mm makes a difference

Just for those that feel guitar too often does not intonate well in certain situations.
- 10+ years ago tuners with 0.1 cent accuracy were not that common
- easy to check what status is

When guitar is fully tuned, ever did low E 3rd fret and hit open G, and not on pitch?
- do that interval up the neck too

Such a bliss when all is clean sounding.

[Cuauhtli]

Meh. Guitars are inherently out of tune with themselves. Unless it's egregious, I wouldn't bother messing with the nut if you are a newb.

Also, the replies assume the original poster is a newb. Maybe he bought his previous guitars locally.

[tapper mike]

Meh. Guitars are inherently out of tune with themselves. Unless it's egregious, I wouldn't bother messing with the nut if you are a newb.

Also, the replies assume the original poster is a newb. Maybe he bought his previous guitars locally.

True Temperament guitar necks try very hard to correct this


I used to play midi guitar and regardless of how well tuned my guitar when it went through that hex pup it was far from truth in temperament. I'd avoid piano and organ sounds due to the tuning instability.

Nonetheless sometimes that out of tune "flair" of a guitar gives it a unique character. The 50's telecaster with three "bullet" saddles would never intonate correctly. That didn't stop them from being "go to" guitars in the 60's and 70's over other models or later versions of the Telecaster. Part of Van Halen's sound that sold a lot of records was due to him tuning the B string down 12 cents from the others.

All that being said If the nut and or string slot isn't at the correct height then it should be corrected after the fact.

[Hetfieldinn]

Tom Schulz of Boston had a doohickey on his les Paul to try and fix the intonation problem with th G string.

[jamcat]

Every time I listen to Eddie Van Halen, Jimi Hendrix, or BB King, all I can think is, "damn shame about that intonation!"

[lfm]

Every time I listen to Eddie Van Halen, Jimi Hendrix, or BB King, all I can think is, "damn shame about that intonation!"

A few times there been some live recordings of Hendrix where a string i seriously out of tune, that disturbs a little, but not the whole.

EVH and BBK I never listened to, so no idea.

I followed Tom Bukovac a bit and he told about sessions in certain keys, if it was C-major, that he hated since almost impossible to get it intonate properly.
- and he is 30+ yr session player

I just think it's a bliss when E-shape, C-shape and A-shape intonate well where ever on fretboard.

[mystran]

I just think it's a bliss when E-shape, C-shape and A-shape intonate well where ever on fretboard.

Open C (major or minor) kinda sounds out of tune 'cos the just 5th should be wider than the ET 5th, but you can't microbend it 'cos it's an open string. If (when) the lowest frets tend to further go a bit sharp relative to ET, that makes the issues even worse. The 3rd is usually not so critical, but a poor fifth makes for a poor chord.

Solution is to never use any open chords so that you're free to microbend everything.

[lfm]

I just think it's a bliss when E-shape, C-shape and A-shape intonate well where ever on fretboard.

Open C (major or minor) kinda sounds out of tune 'cos the just 5th should be wider than the ET 5th, but you can't microbend it 'cos it's an open string. If (when) the lowest frets tend to further go a bit sharp relative to ET, that makes the issues even worse. The 3rd is usually not so critical, but a poor fifth makes for a poor chord.

Solution is to never use any open chords so that you're free to microbend everything.

I've always had the most problem with 3rds on DPs, and left Yamaha because of it and went Kawai where I can pick a stretch tuning that do less harmonic beatings.

But sure you are right about open C on guitar, Bukovac did 5th on low E and if he muted open G too, don't rmember.