What happens if one of the nuts is too tight?

If one of the nuts is too tight...

...at the bridge the respective string can get tugged in, meaning the bridge is pulled backwards and forwards during tuning. The consequences?

  • The contact between the feet of the bridge and the instrument is lost, the tonal break-in time is significantly increased, and the pitch stability deteriorates.
  • The string cannot vibrate freely, causing the sound color to be reduced. 
  • The string winding might get damaged by the clamping effect, it may break open.


...on the saddle the respective string can get tugged in too. The grooves must also be adjusted. If the string is too tightly positioned in the nut, the string breaks up, the pitch stability is no longer guaranteed and there are cracking sounds when tuning. Static noises can occur if the nut is too wide. This sounds like rattling or clattering. Get your luthier to adjust this! 

 

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