Have any of you people installed the "Earvana" nut on your guitar?

  • Thread starter Thread starter GONZO-X
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I went as far as ordering this, largely due to the thread you're probably referring to about a year ago. I brought it to the luthier for installation and he never had to install it because he was able to fix my intonation problem with a more conventional method: regulating the existing nut. I sent back the earvana compensated nut.

like you, I would like to hear from others who installed it though, as it still fascinates me how the dammed thing should help.
 
Nope, sorry - I won't buy a product from a company whose website depends on cheap-ass popup and banner advertising to support itself.
 
I have Earvana nuts on 3 homebuilt str@ style guitars, on a RainSong WS1000 and even on my (gulp) $3,700 James Goodall 1997 Rosewood Jumbo. Obviously, I like the results. A lot.

Rick and Deneen do have a fairly clunky website, I agree, but until they get the kind of pro recognition and especially OEM customers, I guess the Epileptic Stimuli seizure-causing pokemon flashing banner ads will be around.

The explanation of how it works is both simple and complex. The simple part is that it supplies a different distance from the nut to the first fret for each string, to make up for the different amounts of string stretch when you fret a note at the first fret. The not so simple part is that it actually provides six slightly different scale lengths to "temper" the tuning all over the neck. The result is that the "cowboy chords" all play in tune and the entire neck sounds more in tune. Sort of like Buzz Feiten but a lot cheaper and you don't need to buy a $100 Korg tuner. With Buzz Feiten, they move the whole nut a secret amount closer to the 1st fret and build secret offsets into the bridge intonation and then build the secret stuff into the Korg tuner and nail you on the price! Earvana works with any tuner. And if you've got a micrometer, the Earvana "secret" is all yours.

Assuming you can get your old nut out without wrecking the neck, you can probably install the Earvana. John Wescott, my excellent fret guy, and James Goodall both recommend a flat bar (John uses and old Fender neckplate) laid on the fingerboard and given a sharp yet gentle tap against the front of the nut, then using a suitable drift to gently wiggle the nut sideways out of the slot. It is always a good idea to take a very fine and very sharp Exacto blade to any lacquer or other finish on the neck which has flowed onto the nut so that you don't make a mess in the removal process. If gentle measures don't loosen the nut, you're probably better off seeing a pro.

After you remove the old nut and clean out the slot, you just fit the base piece (it files and sands like soft wood or plastic) until it matches the bottom contour of the slot and the radius of the fretboard, and then glue it in with a small spot of Superglue gel. Let it get hard overnight and then screw the adjustable top piece on to the base and slide it all the way back toward the headstock, but don't tighten it yet, and then string the guitar.

If you have jumbo frets the height of the strings should be about right; for lower frets, filing with a round-bottom nut-slotting file set is required. These files are not cheap -- about $65/set at Stew-Mac.com. For the acoustic model, you always have to file it -- it comes unslotted.

After the string slots are correct, then:

1. Set the intonation at the 12th fret as usual, adjusting the bridge saddles accordingly and then:

2. Slide the nut top until the open E notes and the first fret F notes are all registering as 0 cents sharp or flat on your tuner and lock down the screws.

3. Do a final 12th fret intonation setting of the saddles; recheck the above; tune 'er up with your tuner and you are ready to amaze yourself.

I didn't buy the Earvana tuning software 'cause they don't have it for Mac, but the Size 0 Phillips screwdriver is a good idea if you are going to do your own install and you don't already have one. An extra small .5mm drill bit is helpful if the screws are going to go all the way through the nut base and into the neck. Don't forget to use a bit of bar soap on the screws.

Don't wanna do it? Your regular guitar tech should be willing to put this on for no more that their regular nut replacement charge.

I'm even considering putting an Earvana on my Sonic Blue 1963 Stratocaster, "Flo". Unlike the Buzz Feiten system, you can take the Earvana retrofit nut back off and reinstall the stock nut if you want to sell an old classic. They will pry Flo, however, from my cold dead fingers. If I wasn't afraid of grave robbers, I'd take her with me.

The sound? Impeccable. I play in the Worship Band at my church, where the guitarist's credo should be "In tune and out of the way". All my guitars sound beautifully in tune, that gets me up in the mix, and that makes me smile. :)

Anyway, If you can brave the flashing banner ads, go to the Earvana forum and nose around in the Installation threads. There is one guy who posts there who is giving away a photo-enhanced set of instructions for installing the Earvana.

I recommend it. It works. YMMV. Good luck!

RW
 
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thanks for the reply robert!

i believe i'm sold. at the low price, i just don't think there's a lot of risk, and it's seems so non-invasive, that it's gotta be worth trying.....

i've played for years with a very accute understanding of the inadequacies of tempered tuning.......

and i know that people like vai and satch and VH jumped on the feiten system when it came out.......

it just makes sense.
 
Good product.

Robert Wall said:
I have Earvana nuts on 3 homebuilt str@ style guitars, on a RainSong WS1000 and even on my (gulp) $3,700 James Goodall 1997 Rosewood Jumbo. Obviously, I like the results. A lot.

Rick and Deneen do have a fairly clunky website, I agree, but until they get the kind of pro recognition and especially OEM customers, I guess the Epileptic Stimuli seizure-causing pokemon flashing banner ads will be around.

The explanation of how it works is both simple and complex. The simple part is that it supplies a different distance from the nut to the first fret for each string, to make up for the different amounts of string stretch when you fret a note at the first fret. The not so simple part is that it actually provides six slightly different scale lengths to "temper" the tuning all over the neck. The result is that the "cowboy chords" all play in tune and the entire neck sounds more in tune. Sort of like Buzz Feiten but a lot cheaper and you don't need to buy a $100 Korg tuner. With Buzz Feiten, they move the whole nut a secret amount closer to the 1st fret and build secret offsets into the bridge intonation and then build the secret stuff into the Korg tuner and nail you on the price! Earvana works with any tuner. And if you've got a micrometer, the Earvana "secret" is all yours.

Assuming you can get your old nut out without wrecking the neck, you can probably install the Earvana. John Wescott, my excellent fret guy, and James Goodall both recommend a flat bar (John uses and old Fender neckplate) laid on the fingerboard and given a sharp yet gentle tap against the front of the nut, then using a suitable drift to gently wiggle the nut sideways out of the slot. It is always a good idea to take a very fine and very sharp Exacto blade to any lacquer or other finish on the neck which has flowed onto the nut so that you don't make a mess in the removal process. If gentle measures don't loosen the nut, you're probably better off seeing a pro.

After you remove the old nut and clean out the slot, you just fit the base piece (it files and sands like soft wood or plastic) until it matches the bottom contour of the slot and the radius of the fretboard, and then glue it in with a small spot of Superglue gel. Let it get hard overnight and then screw the adjustable top piece on to the base and slide it all the way back toward the headstock, but don't tighten it yet, and then string the guitar.

If you have jumbo frets the height of the strings should be about right; for lower frets, filing with a round-bottom nut-slotting file set is required. These files are not cheap -- about $65/set at Stew-Mac.com. For the acoustic model, you always have to file it -- it comes unslotted.

After the string slots are correct, then:

1. Set the intonation at the 12th fret as usual, adjusting the bridge saddles accordingly and then:

2. Slide the nut top until the open E notes and the first fret F notes are all registering as 0 cents sharp or flat on your tuner and lock down the screws.

3. Do a final 12th fret intonation setting of the saddles; recheck the above; tune 'er up with your tuner and you are ready to amaze yourself.

I didn't buy the Earvana tuning software 'cause they don't have it for Mac, but the Size 0 Phillips screwdriver is a good idea if you are going to do your own install and you don't already have one. An extra small .5mm drill bit is helpful if the screws are going to go all the way through the nut base and into the neck. Don't forget to use a bit of bar soap on the screws.

Don't wanna do it? Your regular guitar tech should be willing to put this on for no more that their regular nut replacement charge.

I'm even considering putting an Earvana on my Sonic Blue 1963 Stratocaster, "Flo". Unlike the Buzz Feiten system, you can take the Earvana retrofit nut back off and reinstall the stock nut if you want to sell an old classic. They will pry Flo, however, from my cold dead fingers. If I wasn't afraid of grave robbers, I'd take her with me.

The sound? Impeccable. I play in the Worship Band at my church, where the guitarist's credo should be "In tune and out of the way". All my guitars sound beautifully in tune, that gets me up in the mix, and that makes me smile. :)

Anyway, If you can brave the flashing banner ads, go to the Earvana forum and nose around in the Installation threads. There is one guy who posts there who is giving away a photo-enhanced set of instructions for installing the Earvana.

I recommend it. It works. YMMV. Good luck!

RW
Click to expand...

I just installed my second Earvana on a Warmoth Strat with Angled strat neck. The first one went on a Parker NiteFly but apparently I missed the part about setting the adjusting the posiition of the Nut Top for the 1st Fret on both E strings. I didn't think anything was wrong with my Strat until I installed the Earvana and set it up properly. It just plays in tune beautifully all over the neck. Very impressive, and on a Standard Strat neck the only step involved in changing the nut after installing an Earvana is replacing the Nut Top, which anyone should be able to figure out. I think it is a great product.
 
Why do you say it's useless Mutt? Seriously, I'd like to know what's up?

I was foolish enough to buy a set of left-handed locking tuners (about a year ago) when what I really needed was to learn how to properly string my guitar. I learned a different way to string my guitar by watching Bill Baker's video on Youtube:

YouTube - The proper way to restring a guitar by Bill Baker

I used to string it the old way (the string is caught between the windings, supposedly "locking" in the string for less slippage and better tuning stability) but find baker's technique (or whoever originated it) to be superior. Now my Strat stays in tune much longer then it used too. I wish I would have taken the advice that a manager at Guitar Center gave me. He told me locking tuners weren't needed and I would be wasting my money (he was right). I don't want to repeat a similar mistake in regards to this new "miracle nut".

But this seems a little different to me then the tuning/stringing problem I faced in the past. The equal-temprament nature of the guitar drives me crazy on a daily basis! Some chords sound great while others are either flat or sharp at other places on the neck. Some songs seem to accentuate this problem and I wind up spending more time trying to get my guitar sounding right then actually playing and practicing! Some people handle it better than others, I'm one of the people that has a hard time dealing with it. My ear has a tough time ignoring the differences.
 
I spoke with the Earvana inventor after considering trying it out...I had some doubt it would really "fix" the tuning of the guitar, and when pressed, he basically said it's "not going to be perfect" and it mainly corrects issues in the first 3 frets where people like to play a lot of open chords.

I didn't bother with it...I don't play too many open chords.
 
He didn't exactly give his new nut design a stinging endorsement did he? It seems like most of the products offered up to "fix" problems on instruments are usually a bunch of bunk. I like playing "Under the Bridge" by John Frusciante and the equal temprament nature of the guitar is really pronounced when playing it. I wish there was a way to take care of it. Maybe the problem lies in the setup of my Strat? Who knows, I'd just like to somehow make the effect less noticeable to my ears. It doesn't seem to bother most people.
 
Don't know that tune...but with the required bow of the neck, and differences in string to fret height up/down the neck...there's always some trade-off, especially for guys who like high action.

I tune the strings while pressing them at the mid-point of the neck, (B note on E string) rather than tuning them open...as I said, I don't play open strings/notes that often, it's 90% pressed strings/notes.
Sometimes, if I'm going to be recording a tune that stays in a small area of the neck, I'll tune in that area, while pressing the strings, otherwise I tend to play from 1st to 20th fret, with the majority falling from first to 12th-14th, and when you get up much higher, they do tend to go a bit sharp...but it's OK, same as on a piano, the real high strings are tempered a touch sharp.

The biggest PITA is always the G-string. You need it on the money for leads but a bit flat for chords...so I try to find the middle ground, and when playing chords, I don't press down on the G as hard in order not to sharpen it...but with leads I'll "work" the string into tune.
 
You're right about the G string, same with the B string, at least for me.

Under the Bridge is a Red Hot Chili Pepper's song done in the mid-nineties, very, very popular and well known. Maybe you didn't recognize it because I used the guitar player's name instead of the band name? It's a great song to play on the guitar, difficult to play (at least if you play it like Frusciante plays it).

I'll have to try tuning my guitar in different ways like you suggested.

Thanks.
 
DUH!!...had you said the Red Hot Chili Peppers it would have clicked right away.... :D
 
I'm gonna shout BS snake oil - save your money and get a pro set up - there is absolutely no way on even a half decent guitar you shouldn't get precise intonation all the way.
 
the replies to this thread are mostly useless.

almost no one that replied, has actually used the product, and could't possibly know a thing about it.

i like hands on replies, those are the most helpful..

someone who has actually used it, and knows from first hand experience.

anyone?
 
i mean, jesus f. christ, it's a 9 year old thread!!!

and only robert wall and ekarges3 seems to have had any experience with it.
 
I'm sure that if guitar manufacturers thought this would "FIX" the intonation they would have fitted them in the first place, why is it dumb people think they can improve a tried and tested design by customising it? Like fitting a spoiler on your nova - pointless.
 
No... but nor have I tried magnet therapy, I think you are missing the point. I fail to see how this device is an alternative for a good guitar setup?

Quoted from their site...

"You have probably noticed that it is nearly impossible to tune your guitar so that the chords in the first 5 frets ring true for any open chords"

Which is s a complete lie. If you start your argument with a false premise any conclusions you reach will be equally false.
 
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