tommyp7 - Posted - 04/03/2009:  14:26:18

I have a round neck that I want to have the choice to play lap style as well. I bought a nut extender that both raises the strings and flattens them out. Before I install it (it only cost $8) I want to get some advice about any cautions or successes using nut extenders!

Thanks

"I find myself betwixt and be-twang a rock and a hard place"

andyboyman - Posted - 04/03/2009:  14:51:11

i have a few roundnecks that i bought because I wanted the option to play spanish style and bottleneck, but I find myself playing the spidercone with the extender more often than not, and haven't noticed any problems. It doesnt raise the strings quite as high as a squareneck nut would, but its definitely high enough to avoid slide buzzing. It sounds good and doesnt seem to present any noticeable problems, but I guess the usual fear is neck warping which I think is due usually more to heavier gauge strings than tunings, although I'm sure it depends.

Nut extenders are a good option for the indecisive people who don't want to commit to playing lap style full time.

Stringnut - Posted - 04/03/2009:  16:04:35

I have a round neck acoustic that I've had a nut extender on for almost 2 years now and I haven't had any problems as long as I don't try tunings tighter than open G. With that said, my local repair guy told me to keep an eye on the neck and make sure it does not show signs of separating from the body. Also keep an eye on the bridge. I guess the raised nut redistributes tension and may pull the bridge up eventually. The bridge is really not reinforced enough on a standard acoustic like all the metal on a reso. I use a med heavy gauge string set .013 to .056 which is about all she can take and still is not as heavy as a reso would take but I'm pretty happy with the results. Any lighter gauge stings and the feel is too "spongy". Just keep an eye on the stress points and back off the string gauge if you have to.

Dan

Things are more like today than they''ve ever been before. --Spiro T. Agnew

jaykellogg - Posted - 04/03/2009:  19:26:19

My first reso was an Abilene roundneck. I bought a nut extender and a set or regular EJ42 strings. The abilene has a truss rod, so I never had any trounle with the neck tuned GBDGBD. The one problem I did have is the third slot (G) was too narrow for the strings and I broke about six strings on it before the dealer filed it out. I know Oswald played a roundneck all his career, but my advice is get a squareneck. I can think of a douzen reasons why they are better for lap style playing. Mine had a 14 fret neck and that alone made switching back and fourth difficult.

W. Jay Kellogg

otdobro - Posted - 04/04/2009:  03:23:00

Bashful Brother Oswald's old model 27 roundneck (now owned by Mike Webb) has always been tuned to "A" and the neck is just as straight as a string.