Low nut slot?

StanleyAccrington

My Tele has a gash sounding top e string. Tinny/plinky with poor sustain. My basic feelers gauge and steel rule suggests around 0.25mm relief and 12th fret action on top e as 1.75mm. Pretty normal for me....however the clearance at first fret (measured whilst depressing third fret) is between 0.05mm and 0.10mm. 0.05mm feelergauge fits in easily but the 0.10mm feeler drags a little on bottom of string......no noticeable deflection of string. Might the string be too low? The string is new on cos I thought problem might be an old string issue.

crunchman

Is it doing it on fretted notes, or just on the open E?

If it's doing it on fretted notes then it won't be the nut.  If you can fit a feeler gauge of any kind in with the string fretted at the third fret, I wouldn't have thought it is the nut.

Might be worth checking the saddle.  If it's rough there, or there is wear there that has formed a groove that the string doesn't sit in nicely, that can cause problems.

paulnb57

I'd stake your pension on it not being the depth of the nut slot......neck relief is about what I use....have look at the saddle condition as suggested above, perhaps lower the pickups a bit on the treble side?.....perhaps a high fret?

StanleyAccrington

Thanks for the suggestions.....I had better check out the dusty end of the guitar. 

RandallFlagg

Do you have brass barrel bridge saddles?

tralfamadan

Not to derail the thread, but what would be the symptoms of a low nut slot?

Whistler

tralfamadan said:

Not to derail the thread, but what would be the symptoms of a low nut slot?

The main symptom of a low nut slot is buzzing when playing that string unfretted or a chord with that string unfretted in it. Also, as a way of confirming it is a low cut nut, the buzzing does not occur once you start fretting the string.

StanleyAccrington

RandallFlagg said: 

Do you have brass barrel bridge saddles?

No......the guitar in question is a Squier Affinity with those individual string saddles. They look like steel.