Adding a Floyd nut to a Gibson-style angled neck

clarkefan

Looking for some advice, I'm thinking of adding a Floyd to a guitar with a Gibson scale, it's what I'm comfortable with.

What's holding me up is the nut.  The standard Floyd nut would easily overshoot the fretboard and I assume some sort of fill would be required.  

Is this even possible? Or perhaps I'd be better off just getting a neck made for my Wolfgang?

Any advice appreciated, thanks  

ICBM

You could use a Kahler-type behind-the-nut clamp, with the stock nut.

clarkefan

Thanks ICBM, I'll look into it

Funkfingers

ICBM said:

You could use a Kahler-type behind-the-nut clamp, with the stock nut.

As used by Robert Fripp.

NOTE: This modification will require the nut to be changed. The strings need to run in a straight path over the nut and through the clamp.

The other alternative is locking machineheads.

Alvin

Locking tuners are not effective in replacing a locking nut .   They should really only be thought of as a way of quick string changes or allowing fewer wraps around the post , they can add to tuning stability but really that is if you don't wind your strings on the tuners properly to begin with  .  You can of course use a floyd without the locking nut but ideally you do want the straight string pull and Les Paul types do have tuning issues because of the string angles as we know . You can  use floyds without the strings clamped if you have the straight string pull also , it just depends on the guitar i do this quite often and they sound and play fine for me .Others will disagree but as i said ,it depends on the guitar , if you don't have straight string pull the strings will want to work there way up the (v shaped ) slots so then it isn't ideal.

   Your first idea is very possible and i have just done this , you could just extend the nut shelf with a piece of maple , you will only be able to tell from the sides depending on how you blend it in (if you even do this) .   It is surprising how small a piece of wood you will need to do this , i just bought a couple of maple drumsticks and got i piece close to shape , glued it on , blended the shape in and then just levelled the shelf .  The screws that go through the nut  will only be going through the thinnest part so the new piece is really just a ledge for the nut to sit on and will barely be holding the screws. 

ICBM

Funkfingers said:

NOTE: This modification will require the nut to be changed. The strings need to run in a straight path over the nut and through the clamp.

No, it doesn't. You can just flare out the grooves while keeping the same notch in the front face.

I fitted quite a few of these in the 80s . Never changed a nut, that I can remember...