Earvanna Nut

[ibanez_crazy]

The website says the nut will work with any radius, fret size and string guage, built for fender and gibson guitars. It dosent specify about any custom scale lengths or custom sizes. Emailed them repeatedly, and still no answer. Has anyone used this system on say, a barritone guitar, and what kind of results did you get?

[SwedishLuthier]

I haven’t used it on a baritone guitar, but on a few other scales. The intonation on the first frets improved but not to the point of being perfect. My guess is that the intonation on a baritone will improve some (or much), but not as much as on a “standard” scale. On my guitars I have moved the nut about 1/3 of the travel on a 24 ¼” scale guitar, slightly more on a 25” scale guitar and a little bit more that 2/3 on a 25 1/2 “ guitar. What scale length are you having/planning on? If it is only slightly longer than 25 ½” it might work. If much longer you will have to extend the holes a bit. NEVERTHELESS an Earvana nut will improve the intonation on the first few frets. ALL systems that shorten the distance between the nut and the first fret (not applicable on 0-fret guitars) will improve your intonation. This is most noticeable on guitars with high nuts, like a guitar set up for combined slide/standard playing. With a higher nut you will need to compensate (move the nut) more.

What Earvana also says is that their intonation system will remove ALL intonation problem when playing open cords. That is simply not true. I have noticed a better intonation on open F G and C, but slightly worse on D (standard tuning). Over all I am nevertheless much more satisfied with the Earvana guitars, than the standard ones.

Remember that all intonation issues, and our complete scale system developed originally by Pythagoras like 2000 years ago, is all approximations.

[ibanez_crazy]

Because of the body design, Im limited to 26.5 scale. Any longer, and my bridge would be off the body. I'm building it to be tuned lower than standard, and thats the closest I can get to a "barritone scale" Because the guitar will be used more for recording than anything, Im designing it to minimize any problems with tuning, and a vast array of pickup configurations through coil tapping and such. Thats why Ive become so interested in installing a compensated nut. Figured it cant hurt if nothing else.

[SwedishLuthier]

26 1/1” in’t that much longer then 25 ½ so it's definitely worth a shot. Compared to the Buzz Feiten system, this is reversible. I think that it might work. You may have to extend the adjustment holes a bit to create some extra movement. At worst you just substitute it with a standard nut

A quick tip:

Shorten the adjustment screws a bit, or drill small holes for the screws into the nut seat (is it called that?). Some of the screws I got have been a bit tall

[ibanez_crazy]

Thanks Pete

[javacody]

I think the results with the Earvana nut can vary based on the string gauges used. It will never be perfect. Also, I notice a much larger difference on 25.5" scale guitars. I don't use Earvana nuts on my 24.68" scale guitars and I don't really miss it. However, it made a world of difference on my strats and tele, I do play with pretty high action though.