Earvana Compensated Nut

Q & A on technical issues concerning music equipment, electronics, sound, recording, computers, gaming, the internet, etc.

Moderators: Ron, Jim Price

Post Reply
User avatar
tonefight
Diamond Member
Diamond Member
Posts: 1409
Joined: Wednesday May 14, 2003
Location: Ebensburg
Contact:

Earvana Compensated Nut

Post by tonefight »

I've got 2 guitars fitted with em now, I played one of the ones with a standard nut the other night and I almost couldn't stand it. If ya haven't tried one do yourself a favor and do it. I fit one on one of my Frankenstrats, it was supposed to be a drop in for a 12" radius but I did have to sand the radius a bit and ya have to file the depth too. So it was a little tough getting it right but well worth it.
If it drives you nuts when you tune all your strings open, hit a G cord and it sounds perfect but hit an Emaj or A maj only to hear a not so perfect sounding cord it will fix that. ( if you've never noticed this then don't bother )
I think this is the best advance it guitar technology since the invention of the pickup !!!!! Seriously !!!!! I Love it !!!!!
Don't bitch to me about the economy while you're still buying Chinese products.
Slothkill
Gold Member
Gold Member
Posts: 246
Joined: Thursday Apr 22, 2004
Location: Altoona

Post by Slothkill »

I installed one about 8 years ago on a friends tele. I do have to agree the intonation of your guitar with open tunings is fantastic!
Have you ever seen or had any experiance with the flip tuning bridge Stew MAc sells?
If Freedom is not free then I will use my credit card.
User avatar
tonefight
Diamond Member
Diamond Member
Posts: 1409
Joined: Wednesday May 14, 2003
Location: Ebensburg
Contact:

Post by tonefight »

Slothkill wrote:I installed one about 8 years ago on a friends tele. I do have to agree the intonation of your guitar with open tunings is fantastic!
Have you ever seen or had any experiance with the flip tuning bridge Stew MAc sells?
No never heard of that, I'll have to check it out.
Don't bitch to me about the economy while you're still buying Chinese products.
User avatar
tonefight
Diamond Member
Diamond Member
Posts: 1409
Joined: Wednesday May 14, 2003
Location: Ebensburg
Contact:

Post by tonefight »

tonefight wrote:
Slothkill wrote:I installed one about 8 years ago on a friends tele. I do have to agree the intonation of your guitar with open tunings is fantastic!
Have you ever seen or had any experiance with the flip tuning bridge Stew MAc sells?
No never heard of that, I'll have to check it out.
Can't find it I even typed "flip tuning bridge" in their search box.
Don't bitch to me about the economy while you're still buying Chinese products.
User avatar
MOONDOGGY
Diamond Member
Diamond Member
Posts: 1118
Joined: Thursday Jan 15, 2004
Location: Tipton, PA
Contact:

Post by MOONDOGGY »

Are you thinking of the Hipshot Trilogy bridge? I've been tempted to put one of these on a Tele I'm building up, and I've been looking for feedback on how well they perform.
.

All kinetic, no potential.

.
User avatar
tonefight
Diamond Member
Diamond Member
Posts: 1409
Joined: Wednesday May 14, 2003
Location: Ebensburg
Contact:

Post by tonefight »

Can't imagine a bridge would do what the compensated nut does but I could be wrong. The compensated nut actually changes the open to 1st string distance. Check this page out :
http://earvana.com/technology.htm
Don't bitch to me about the economy while you're still buying Chinese products.
User avatar
lonewolf
Diamond Member
Diamond Member
Posts: 6249
Joined: Thursday Sep 25, 2003
Location: Anywhere, Earth
Contact:

Post by lonewolf »

tonefight wrote:Can't imagine a bridge would do what the compensated nut does but I could be wrong. The compensated nut actually changes the open to 1st string distance. Check this page out :
http://earvana.com/technology.htm
They've been making wraparound compensated bridges for decades. Just about all PRS hardtails have them. They come in different designs for different string gauge ranges.

I would expect that the compensated nut would actually screw up the intonation on a fixed compensated bridge. Too much compensation goin' on there!
...Oh, the freedom of the day that yielded to no rule or time...
User avatar
tonefight
Diamond Member
Diamond Member
Posts: 1409
Joined: Wednesday May 14, 2003
Location: Ebensburg
Contact:

Post by tonefight »

lonewolf wrote:
tonefight wrote:Can't imagine a bridge would do what the compensated nut does but I could be wrong. The compensated nut actually changes the open to 1st string distance. Check this page out :
http://earvana.com/technology.htm
They've been making wraparound compensated bridges for decades. Just about all PRS hardtails have them. They come in different designs for different string gauge ranges.

I would expect that the compensated nut would actually screw up the intonation on a fixed compensated bridge. Too much compensation goin' on there!
This is a whole different concept than a compensated bridge, you should seriously do yourself a favor and look into it. I agree a compensated nut on a non compensated bridge may really screw things up but we're talkin apples and oranges. You will need to reintonate after installing the nut and the the common saddle position changes. Go to that link above and look at the tuning chart of the fretboard with an earvanna nut and without. That's on paper but after playing some open cords is when you'll hear it.
Don't bitch to me about the economy while you're still buying Chinese products.
User avatar
lonewolf
Diamond Member
Diamond Member
Posts: 6249
Joined: Thursday Sep 25, 2003
Location: Anywhere, Earth
Contact:

Post by lonewolf »

tonefight wrote:
lonewolf wrote:
tonefight wrote:Can't imagine a bridge would do what the compensated nut does but I could be wrong. The compensated nut actually changes the open to 1st string distance. Check this page out :
http://earvana.com/technology.htm
They've been making wraparound compensated bridges for decades. Just about all PRS hardtails have them. They come in different designs for different string gauge ranges.

I would expect that the compensated nut would actually screw up the intonation on a fixed compensated bridge. Too much compensation goin' on there!
This is a whole different concept than a compensated bridge, you should seriously do yourself a favor and look into it. I agree a compensated nut on a non compensated bridge may really screw things up but we're talkin apples and oranges. You will need to reintonate after installing the nut and the the common saddle position changes. Go to that link above and look at the tuning chart of the fretboard with an earvanna nut and without. That's on paper but after playing some open cords is when you'll hear it.
Its exactly the same concept as a fixed compensated bridge except that its at the other end of the strings and does some slightly different pitch "shifting". I like the idea since looks like it takes intonation about as close to perfect as you can get. This nut should work great with bridges with individual saddle adjustment.

I was talking about a FIXED compensated bridge Tony...they don't have saddles to adjust...This kind of bridge might have some problems with the nut:

Image
...Oh, the freedom of the day that yielded to no rule or time...
User avatar
tonefight
Diamond Member
Diamond Member
Posts: 1409
Joined: Wednesday May 14, 2003
Location: Ebensburg
Contact:

Post by tonefight »

Yeah, that bridge definatly wouldn't work. The Earvanna nut takes the bridge saddles to an unconventional position when setting intonation.
Ya gotta check out that chart in the link I provided. It does way more than at the bridge.
Don't bitch to me about the economy while you're still buying Chinese products.
User avatar
lonewolf
Diamond Member
Diamond Member
Posts: 6249
Joined: Thursday Sep 25, 2003
Location: Anywhere, Earth
Contact:

Post by lonewolf »

tonefight wrote:Yeah, that bridge definatly wouldn't work. The Earvanna nut takes the bridge saddles to an unconventional position when setting intonation.
Ya gotta check out that chart in the link I provided. It does way more than at the bridge.
I did look at the chart before...it does exactly the same kind of pitch shifting, only in the other direction and a hell of a lot less than the bridge I pictured. The changes the nut makes are only a few cents and much more subtle than the tens of cents of change on that compensated bridge.

The "typical" pitches on that chart represent a fully intonated guitar, not the pitch changes on a compensated bridge.
...Oh, the freedom of the day that yielded to no rule or time...
User avatar
tonefight
Diamond Member
Diamond Member
Posts: 1409
Joined: Wednesday May 14, 2003
Location: Ebensburg
Contact:

Post by tonefight »

lonewolf wrote:
tonefight wrote:Yeah, that bridge definatly wouldn't work. The Earvanna nut takes the bridge saddles to an unconventional position when setting intonation.
Ya gotta check out that chart in the link I provided. It does way more than at the bridge.
I did look at the chart before...it does exactly the same kind of pitch shifting, only in the other direction and a hell of a lot less than the bridge I pictured. The changes the nut makes are only a few cents and much more subtle than the tens of cents of change on that compensated bridge.

The "typical" pitches on that chart represent a fully intonated guitar, not the pitch changes on a compensated bridge.
Yes Jeff I am sure that chart represents a guitar with the intonation set wich proves the point. You can set the intonation at the bridge but the guitar will still not be in tune throughout the fretboard that is what the compensated nut does. I think the point is to use the compensated nut with an adjustable bridge. Have you played a guitar with one of these ? I'm tellin ya it works.
Don't bitch to me about the economy while you're still buying Chinese products.
Slothkill
Gold Member
Gold Member
Posts: 246
Joined: Thursday Apr 22, 2004
Location: Altoona

Post by Slothkill »

Yes it was the Hipshot Bridge.
The Eavana nut makes the guitar MORE playable for certain players. if your a jazz player that plays some more elaborate chords this wil make a noteable difference. If your just banging "5" chords you will never notice.
If Freedom is not free then I will use my credit card.
User avatar
tonefight
Diamond Member
Diamond Member
Posts: 1409
Joined: Wednesday May 14, 2003
Location: Ebensburg
Contact:

Post by tonefight »

Correct not noticable when playing power cords, regular open cords however really clean up. Mainly Emaj, Amaj. The main difference is in the 1st to the 4th frets on the 2nd and 3rd strings.
Don't bitch to me about the economy while you're still buying Chinese products.
Slothkill
Gold Member
Gold Member
Posts: 246
Joined: Thursday Apr 22, 2004
Location: Altoona

Post by Slothkill »

I think that was the idea behind the Eavana. you can intonate the guitar normally and it sounds great. But if your ear goes beyond it helps to bring in evererything below the seventh fret.
Build a better mousetrap in my opinion.
Id like to see a compensated Floyd Nut.. That would be awesome
If Freedom is not free then I will use my credit card.
User avatar
tonefight
Diamond Member
Diamond Member
Posts: 1409
Joined: Wednesday May 14, 2003
Location: Ebensburg
Contact:

Post by tonefight »

Slothkill wrote:Id like to see a compensated Floyd Nut.. That would be awesome
They make em, check the link I posted and go to the home page.
Don't bitch to me about the economy while you're still buying Chinese products.
User avatar
lonewolf
Diamond Member
Diamond Member
Posts: 6249
Joined: Thursday Sep 25, 2003
Location: Anywhere, Earth
Contact:

Post by lonewolf »

They don't seem to have any that match PRS specs.
...Oh, the freedom of the day that yielded to no rule or time...
Post Reply