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The Zero Glide Replacement Nut System borrows the "zero fret" concept to reduce string contact in the nut by up to 93%, increasing tuning stability, playability, and open string tone. It only takes a few minutes to install with absolutely no permanent alteration to your instrument. For Resonator Guitars & Lap Steels.
I bought the mandolin version and fitted it to my Gibson. There's a lot of extra material to remove, but the result was great. Easier tuning (the old nut had tight slots for the A strings), better intonation. Later I used one of the extra frets in the package to fix a tenor guitar. For that, I simply filed the necessary ledges in the existing nut and widened the string slots. It would be nice if Stew-Mac would also sell the offset tang frets separately, for retrofitting to an existing nut.
I've used this for over a month and I'm more happy now than when I first installed it. The intonation on my acoustic is better than it ever was...you can fine tune the saddle almost dead on for intonation. One suggestion.....be sure to glue in the zero fret with a few drops of glue once you get the guitar right. I was working on my guitar on and off for a month and didn't glue in the zero fret. I was taking the strings on and off. Every time you reinstall the zero fret it will be in a slightly different place. String against fret will cause a slightly different indentation in the zero fret. You want the string to stay in the same spot on the zero fret.
I have 3 instruments with a Zero Glide nut that I play regularly on shows and in jam sessions. My Gold Tone OB 150 has one as standard equipment from Gold Tone. Next is my Martin D custom Acoustic and next is my Washburn M3SWK F body mandolin. I did the install on those last 2 instruments. YES, you WILL have to do some fitting. Follow the instructions to the letter on this. YES, you may find it to be a pain but the gain is more than worth it. Once the Zero Glide is installed and once you start playing a few tunes, you will wonder why you have not installed a Zero Glide nut a lot sooner.
No more string binding issues, no more graphite in the slots or any grease either. You don't need that stuff anymore. No need for nut slot files either with a Zero Glide unless you get one un-slotted. You will still have to fit the Zero Glide nut so you can make it a part of your instrument. No getting around that. It is all part of the fun so enjoy the pain and take your time with the fitting. Once that is done, the action at the first fret will be perfect. Your tone will be better. You will get some sustain you haven't had before. The Zero Glide nut should be the ONLY nut to go on your instruments. I like what it does for playability and tone.
My old nut was too high. And I didn't want to buy 6 nut files. This Zero glide was much, MUCH cheaper, and it was an easy instal. I taped some 400 grit sandpaper to a plank I had laying around. Sand sand sand, check the fit, repeat. I tried each fret it came with and chose the jumbo. I consider this a major upgrade to my home built super strat.
