A special Schaller locking nut?

[1b4n3z]

Hello all,

Sorry it's not about a Jackson (my SL2H doesn't have any issues as of yet

I own an ESP M-II which sports a too narrow locking nut (R2 on a 43mm wide nut). I tried to install a Schaller R3 only to find the spare part is 2mm too high. Schaller's website lists only 10mm high locking nuts whereas the one on the ESP is 8mm. That's a genuine Schaller R2.

So, I guess ESP gets these nuts somehow, and I'd like one (8mm high) with R4 spacing, so it'd use the neck dimension fully. I don't understand the decision to put a too small nut on a rather expensive guitar. The nut isn't even exactly centered to add to the frustration.

I hope someone knows an easy solution that doesn't involve filing the nut down a few mm's, I may want to sell the guitar some day.

[plon]

For some reason, I don't know why, the Schaller R2 nuts are shorter the the R3 or R4. I had this issue with my MII. I just milled the nut shelf down to accommodate the R3. The easiest way to do it if you have the patience is to glue some 150 grit sandpaper to the bottom of the locknut, trim the excess paper flush up to the edges of the nut and sand the nut shelf side to side until you reach the desired depth. This takes some time, but unless you want to bust out the router this is the easiest way and the safest.

[Dred]

You could get a really good repairman to file down the 2mm of the board where the nut sits, and put a 10mm tall nut on there. No one would notice that it's modded, if all the nuts for the general public are the same height. However, that's not an entirely easy solution.

Just to mention, the R2 and R3 have the same spacing, only the "casing" of the nut is different. The change will only be cosmetic as far as the nut change is concerned

There's basically two options I'd think of off the top of my head that won't require any modification to the instrumet. You could:
1.Leave as is. String spacing is the same on either. It's the R4 that's the wide one.
2.Change into the R3 and adjust the bridge.

As a side note, I am certain that the mounting holes on all the nut models are located in the same location, so if one sits off center, the other one may sit off centre too (the holes in the guitar may have been drillen improperly).

I'd personally keep the R2. The guitar is fully playable, only doesnt look right.

[DonP]

Same issue here. I wasted a lot of money buying 4 R3's and R4's only to give up and keep the R2 on my M1 Custom. Plays fine, so screw it.

If I did go for the other nuts, I'd grind the metal rather than mess with the wood. It's easy to start over with another nut, but not easy to replace wood once it's gone.

[1b4n3z]

Thanks all for the input. I feel quite a nitpicker here but little things get annoying after a while

It's indeed the R4 size I'm after here, only I'd need it 8mm high to fit without filing away wood or metal. I'll ask around a little to see if such parts are in existence and if not I'll ask a local luthier to see to it.

[Dred]

See into a Gotoh R4 nut, man. Don't know about how tall they are, but it may come closer to what you're looking for!

[1b4n3z]

See into a Gotoh R4 nut, man. Don't know about how tall they are, but it may come closer to what you're looking for!

I will, I have an R3-sized Gotoh and it's the perfect replica of the Schaller R3, so it's 10mm tall as well. I sent email to Schaller earlier on, let's see if they get back to me before I lose it and start grinding the guitar

E: Actually it seems to be more like 9mm... maybe I'll try it for the sake of not having enough school work to do.

[1b4n3z]

Well well, the nut was misplaced after all, holes were drilled clearly off center. So maybe I'll have a luthier file the nut down a little while setting the holes centered.

[1b4n3z]

Another update - the 43mm Gotoh nut is exactly as tall as the R2 Schaller nut at the string lining grooves (or something), 5.7mm. Somehow the Schaller webpage tells all Rx nuts are 10mm high which doesn't seem correct. But anyway - I got the nut I needed. Still, I need to move the holes a little to center the nut. Phew, no filing.

[Dred]

Were the holes off the mark on the guitar or the nut itself? Didn't catch that,

[1b4n3z]

Ah, they're drilled a bit to the treble side on the guitar. Thus mounting a 43mm nut will overhang a bit on the other side and leaves a good gap on the other. I go see a luthier later today and have him refill and redrill

[Dred]

Aah, that's what I was suspecting. Didn't want to open my trap without being sure, first. Not only would that leave an overhang on an R3, the high E would be pretty much floating in air with an R4.

Good luck with the redrill business, dude!
Will leave the nut shelf alone?