roller nuts

[badcat]

what's up with the roller nut on the strat plus? does it have a big effect on the sound? or playability?

[Guildx700~]

I don't find them useful or of any worth personally.

[ShawnRT]

I don't like them at all either. They will limit the thickness of your strings as well.

[Stratorius]

Any roller of any sort will suck tone, whether it's at the bridge or the nut. The mass of each roller has its own inherent resonant frequency. One of the problems with this issue is that they will rattle at certain notes. This micro-rattle will most often clash with the fundamental, producing cancellations.

The other problem is that using them adds another interface. That is, the string to the roller and the roller to the shaft, further removing the string contact to the neck, etc. They really make no sense what so ever because a properly dressed nut works fine with a vibrato and will sound much better.

Rick

[badcat]

can they be removed and replaced with a regular nut? they look much wider.

[Stratorius]

Badcat, that's a tough question without knowing what the gap is. I would locate a good luthier/tech and go with their recommendation. To a degree, you can have a custom nut installed but there are limits, so I would yield to a pro's judgement. Especially when they can see first hand.

Good luck.

Rick

[Marcondo]

Once you have gone roller you cant go back its much wider than the stock nut width.

[brianf]

I have an American Dlx Fat Strat (Avatar) that has a roller nut. I don't think it really kills any tone. This guitar does stay in tune very well. Mind you, my son has a MIM Strat that stays in tune quite well so maybe it is a bit of a gimick.

Dan E's book has a page on them and he seems to like them though.

brianf

[Dale]

I am not sure the roller nut really kills mcuh of the tone. It can be replaced with a new version of the evantra (sp) compensated nut that uses a wide slot as well (I think).

The nut really only plays a roll with an open string. Any fretted note or chords it has no inpact on.

Dale

[Marcondo]

The earvana nut uses the same stock nut slot size. The way it works is you replace your nut with their nut no mods to the nut slot then screw the compensated nut in their blank nut with screwholes in it. It is wider than the stock nut but the way it works sitting on the top of their flush mounted special nut it works fine.

It can be removed and a stock sized nut put right back in with no trace of the Earvana there at all.

[badcat]

thanks for the information. I read about the earvana nut recently. I will have to go back and find the reivew for more information.

thanks.