Widening the nut on a 94 K10

[PTC Bernie]

Hi all!

I have a gorgeous K10 Custom that I love the look and sound of, there's only one problem.  I'm finding that I'm having trouble playing guitars with 1 11/16" nut widths.  They feel cramped and I don't seem to be able to maneuver the way I can on my guitars with 1 3/4" nuts.  I'm at the point where I'm seriously considering selling the guitar.

A very reputable local shop suggested cutting a custom nut with 1 3/4" spacing.  It seems that Taylor finished frets at a much steeper angle back then than they do now.  Another way of looking at it is that there's more area on top of the fret because the ends aren't ramped as much as they are now.  The new spacing would only be 1/16" wider, or about 1.5mm. 

My obvious concern is rolling off the side of the fretboard.  lt's worth trying.  If it doesn't work I can still sell the guitar with the extra nut as a bonus.

Has anyone actually tried this on a K10 or similar from this time period?

$

[BobSol]

Hi
   I had similar problems with my T5 Koa C2. It has the same nut width i.e. 1 11/16th as my 210 dreadnought but the string spacing with different so I had a terrific guitar tech make a new nut and I can now get my fat fingers on one string at a time. Get it done, the worst that can happen is you get a spare nut.

[PTC Bernie]

Hi Bob.

I have every confidence in the fella making the nut, I'm just concerned that the fingerboard may not be wide enough that I don't slide off the sides with the 1st and 6th strings.  We'll see in a week or so.

[Edward]

if the guy's workmanship that you're working with has established your trust, then yes, it is absolutely worth trying.  If you don't like the results, he simply recuts you a new nut and back she goes.  IMHO, experiments like this are always worth the effort when all else about the guitar is worth keeping.

Edward

[PTC Bernie]

Thanks for the input folks.  I'll let you know how she turns out.

[PTC Bernie]

OK Folks. 

First off, let me say that the folks at Maple Street Guitars did an excellent job of cutting a custom nut at 1 3/4" spacing.  We were hoping that the fret ends being filed at a steeper angle than current Taylor models would gain enough space to make this work. 

I'm sad to report that my technique is just not precise enough to keep from sliding off the sides of the fingerboard with the 1st and 6th strings. 

It was worth a try. 

edited for content

[Edward]

Bummer, man!  It was a good try for a guitar you otherwise like.  But IMHO, with the sea of guitars that is available out there in gearland, life is too short not to get what truly suits you.  Sell it w/o remorse and move toward something you can truly bond with

Edward