Zero Nut on a Cheap Acoustic Guitar Review
(PRESS RELEASE): The concept of a 'zero fret' has been effectually for a long time in the guitar industry. There is, however, a good take a chance that you have never come beyond the idea before, since information technology never really caught on with the big US manufacturers and, paradoxically, tended only to be constitute either on more expensive luthier-made guitars or on some cheap instruments from the 1960s. The idea is simple - a fret is placed just later on the nut on the fretboard, the main purpose of which is to make guitars easier to gear up and to forestall potential intonation problems. The presence of zilch fret makes the need for detailed nut cut and prepare-up obsolete, equally the strings rest primarily on the cypher fret instead of the nut itself, reducing the string'south contact with the nut by up to 93%, reducing friction and giving the nut the task of string spacing only. Having said that null frets haven't found a great deal of favour, they have and exercise take their adherents and you lot will find them used on Vigiers, Gretsch, Framus and the superlative Fylde acoustic guitars, which will need no introduction to connoisseurs. Given the intonation bug that tin be notorious on certain famous models, information technology's surprising that more makers oasis't adopted the system and even more that users plagued by such troubles don't accept matters into their own hands and get one fitted by a competent repairman. In fairness, retro-plumbing fixtures a cipher fret has been a pretty large bargain, requiring a new fret slot to be cut, a new fret installed and polished to shape and the nut to exist adjusted every bit required. Until now, that is, because this is where the company Naught Glide comes into the equation, a US outfit producing an all in one solution comprising a pre-made, CNC cut, 18-carat bone nut with a nickel argent zero fret fastened that can exist dropped in place of your existing nut with no cutting or other modification of your guitar required. The company offers a series of pre-cut nuts to fit all the best known guitar types, or bare nuts if you'd rather cut your own. It likewise offers very reasonably priced custom nut product if you take something unique that requires re-creation for your guitar. Fitting the Zippo Glide nut is a elementary process of tapping out your existing nut (a surprisingly easy procedure, as you tin can run into on Nix Glide's website video) and putting the new nut in its identify, followed by dropping the zero fret into the small infinite in front end of the nut and gluing everything down. The nada fret automatically drops into identify on your fretboard and immediately imparts its marked benefits for your guitar. Nosotros were so intrigued we ordered a sample and asked GI'south 'tame' repairman/luthier, James Collins, at James Collins Guitars/12th Fret Guitar Repairs in Sussex, UK, to fit one for us. The guitar we chose turned out to be one of James' own - a Gibson Les Paul standard, an instrument that we felt might benefit from the fitment - if it worked! Co-ordinate to James, the fitting wasn't difficult, he told us: "The install was pretty piece of cake, with adept, articulate helpful instructions. In addition to the direct forrard installation, the nada glide sounded resonant and has a clarity slightly improving on the bone nut that was fitted previously. The elevation between zero fret and first fret was adjustable with 4 different nada frets allowing for some height preference which made for a nice action height over the nut to first fret. Nosotros tried all four different frets to get the height where we wanted it. Overall a dainty addition, possibly more noticeable if going from a plastic nut rather than from bone, aesthetically pleasing and retro-fittable." One of the nearly pregnant benefits of a zero fret is a marked improvement in the intonation of a guitar. On a regular guitar the strings are held above the fretboard entirely past the nut and so that they tin can vibrate freely, but the distance that the cord has to travel to the fret is often college around the first 5 frets than anywhere else on the fretboard so y'all cease upwards with a guitar that is less in tune in this region. The goose egg fret allows for a much more even string height across the length of the neck since the nut is at present merely guiding the string into the tuning pegs, with the cord actually resting on the aught fret instead as its point of contact for vibration. This allows for much more consistent intonation and tuning across the first 5 frets, compared to the rest of the guitar and the results are immediately obvious upon playing a cipher fretted guitar. Some other related benefit comes from having less friction on the strings since they are no longer touching the nut in them same way, but are resting on the goose egg fret instead of inside a nut slot. This reduces friction and allows for amend tuning stability and tuning peg response. Nix Glide quotes that the zero fret solution gives you 93% less surface surface area for friction to build up than a standard nut slot and, whether or non the figure is correct, tuning stability is nearly definitely improved with this gear up-up! A more contentious do good relates to the tone imparted to the open strings with a zero fret. Due to the fact that the string is at present resting on fret material, the open strings sound identical to fretted notes, giving more tonal consistency across the range of the instrument. Some people may be appalled at this idea since they love the open up strings to sound unlike, but what tin can't be denied is the extra sustain and brightness that the open strings gain, since frets have a far less dampening issue on the string vibration than the traditional nut would. The Nix Glide is a fantastic idea and remarkably easy to set and fit. The lack of cord contact in the nut slots themselves means that your nut should last a lot longer and, since the zero fret is a split up part, should this need replacing information technology would be a very elementary procedure to do and then with no permanent modification to your guitar. The benefits are marked and very useful with no snake oil or voodoo to speak of. All guitar players should exist able to hear the benefits of the Nada Glide nut with ease and at a cost that is very attractive, even for custom options. Am I tempted to fit this solution to my own guitars? I am - it'due south very cool indeed. Past the way, the company besides offers Zero Glide nuts for basses, acoustic guitars, banjos, ukuleles and mandolins. They offer a lot of communication and guidance equally to size and model on the website and seem very open up to discussing individual or unusual instruments that aren't catered for from the extensive set up-to-become range currently offered. So, particularly if you lot have a troublesome instrument in your collection, here's your chance to put it right with the minimum of hassle and expense! 
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Source: https://www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com/review/zeroglide-zero-fret-nut-replacement/