Has anyone out there replaced the compensated nut with a standard one? I am not sure if the nut is making my ability to tune more difficult but it seems my Masters Cross - much as I like it - is harder to tune. Thanks.
15 Comments |
 | thombanjo says:
12/31/2013 7:06:52 AM
well...don't know if this would work for you but, Geoff uncompensated my B string slot when I was having intonation problems, especially in double C tuning. He added some epoxy to the slot
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 | blackcloak says:
12/31/2013 7:14:41 AM
I have not had to replace my compensated nut yet. However, based upon my memory, Geoff Stelling stated that you shouldn't replace a compensated nut with a standard one. It will not work. Geoff replaces them but requires that you ship the banjo to him and he will replace the nut. He told me he does not sell compensated nuts separately. A luthier told me he could build one based on the original. I don't know how a Stelling compensated bridge would work with a standard nut. Hopefully, this will help. Good luck.
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 | banjoman56 says:
12/31/2013 8:54:25 AM
That would be the only negative thing that I could ever say about my Red Fox. It has always been a bit more fussy about staying in tune, than my other banjos. I don't know if it has anything to do with the compensated nut or not.
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 | kmwaters says:
12/31/2013 8:55:33 AM
Thanks guys. I think I will bounce it off Geoff to see what he says today. Sounds like filling with epoxy violated his comment not to replace, but then again the epoxy may have just fixed some compensation flaw.
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| kmwaters says:
12/31/2013 9:03:31 AM
Banjoman thinking like I am. I just emailed Geoff to see what his take is on this. Even if my nut has been altered by previous owner doing some "DIY", Geoff does not have replacement nuts in the parts section of the website. So I am waiting to hear from him. I will share his wisdom and info. P.S. I still love my Masters Cross. No buyer remorse here.
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Ed King says:
12/31/2013 11:16:26 AM
I've had my Staghorn for 35 years now. The only aspect of the design of the banjo that I don't like is the compensated nut. It has simply never worked.
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| kmwaters says:
12/31/2013 11:28:06 AM
Thanks Ed. Much as I admire Geoff Stelling and his banjos, I think I am in your camp on this one. It is very suspect at this point in my house. And while Geoff has reportedly discouraged replacement with standard nut, that could simply be a case of pride of authorship and not founded in rational human thinking. Jury still out but leaning...........!!!
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Ed King says:
12/31/2013 11:44:12 AM
I've had my Staghorn for 35 years now. The only aspect of the design of the banjo that I don't like is the compensated nut. It has simply never worked.
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| kmwaters says:
12/31/2013 1:09:17 PM
I just took my diamond needle files to the nut. I don't know what I have but it's not original anymore. I think I got it pretty close to conventional. Sounds pretty good except it seems string 3 is sustaining quite a bit longer than the others. Not sure what that is all about. Sounds good otherwise. The worst that can happen is I buy a new compensated nut from Geoff but I don't think this is how the story will end.
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 | From Greylock to Bean Blossom says:
1/2/2014 12:08:19 AM
I had to take the nut out on my 1980 bellflower and raise it as I was getting some buzzes. You can reinsert the nut and play it without it being glued in. I say this because you could insert a trial regular nut and use a compensated bridge and see how that worked. This may be a terrible idea, but I throw it out there.
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| kmwaters says:
1/2/2014 7:39:50 AM
I have emasulate the nut with the needle files. Hard to tell if the notches are 100% "uni-plane" but they appear close enough to sound better. Don't want to throw Stelling under the bus however. I am a second owner and who knows? Maybe someone messed around before me. But there is no question that my banjo sounds better and also tunes easier than before. I still think Stelling is outstanding, and witholding judgment on the compensated nut pending a more "controlled study" which I would assume has either been done or will be done sometime. Thanks to all for input on my issue.
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 | sierra11861 says:
1/5/2014 6:10:21 PM
I have the compensated nut on my 05 Staghorn and I have never owned a banjo that stayed in tune and played in tune in all positions as well as this one. IMO the compensated nut is the greatest invention since the light bulb.
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| kmwaters says:
1/5/2014 6:23:01 PM
Good to hear. Like I said earlier, I am reluctant to conclude anything since the Masters Cross was a resale and one never knows what might have taken place prior. Stelling remains in high esteem. Thanks.
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 | Geoff Stelling says:
1/23/2014 2:31:28 PM
K. M. Waters and all, The compensated nut works very well in standard G tuning. It works but is not as good in C tuning. I used it on my Stelling Anthology for "Home Sweet Home" in D tuning and it sounded fine. Once a neck is fit with a compensated nut, a straight nut will not work. The fingerboard is cut off for the compensation and is too close to the frets for a standard nut. The Crusader has a longer scale and a straight nut. The Stelling compensated bridge works very well on this set up, as it does on many non Stelling banjos. If you straighten out the nut on any other Stelling, it will not fret in tune. The nut is too close to the frets for that.
Geoff
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Ed King says:
1/25/2014 9:48:15 AM
Geoff, has the design of the compensated nut changed at all over the years? On my Staghorn, in standard G tuning, a straight bridge placement that gives me good intonation for the 1st, 4th and 5th strings is 2mm too close to the nut for the 2nd string, and 3mm too close for the 3rd string. Setup is to your specs, and strings are your Medium Heavies. Overall, intonation is better with an old generic compensated bridge than with any straight bridge.
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