44.5mm (rounded up from 44.45mm) FractionalĬommon nut widths on steel-string acoustic guitars Nut width is usually measured in inches, usually as a fractional measurement e.g. String spacing, as a result, is measured directly at the saddle, or in other instances, and for different manufacturers, this measurement is taken at the 14th fret. Obviously, string spacing at the headstock end of the guitar is determined by the nut width but the string spacing gets wider (typically about 10% wider) the further along the neck you go and the closer you measure in proximity to the saddle, as the saddle of the guitar is wider than the nut. It’s true that guitars with wider nut widths will often also have wider than average string spacings but there’s no defined standard. Both can vary, so the relationship between the two is more general in nature. And, while a wider nut width often equates to a wider string spacing in the open position (the first four frets), specific nut widths don’t relate to specific string spacings. No, nut width refers to the width of the nut only, string spacing refers to the distance between the strings. If you look down the neck of your guitar, you will notice the neck taper increases as you continue along the neck toward the higher frets, nut width does not directly relate to neck width, although they are often used interchangeably.Īre nut width and string spacing the same thing? Some incorrectly refer to nut width as neck width, but this is a more general term that incorporates nut width, string spacing, and fretboard width. This does not mean nut width dictates the string spacing of the guitar as a whole, as the neck tapers and the saddle is wider than the nut and therefore is spaced more widely at the saddle. The strings sit within these grooves and the distance between them dictates just how much string separation there is between the strings at the nut.Ī wider nut offers more separation between the strings at the headstock end of the neck, while a narrower nut means the strings are closer together. The nut is slotted at different depths to allow for the different string gauges. Nut width is the term used to describe the width of the nut, the white plastic or bone component on your acoustic guitar that separates the fretboard from the headstock. If you’re shopping around for your first guitar something you may want to consider is nut width. Nut width dictates the string spacing at the open position on the fretboard (the first four frets). Nut width refers to the width of the nut, which resides at the end of the fretboard nearest the headstock. Some acoustic guitars feature nut widths as wide as 1 7/8” or more. The average nut width on the acoustic guitar is 1 11/16” or 43mm. We’ve also included a handy comparison chart showing the nut widths of some of the more popular acoustic guitars available today, so you can make a direct comparison. The current Casinos are good entry-level and intermediate instruments and are still one of Epiphones best-selling guitar models.In the following article, we’re going to discuss what nut width is on your acoustic guitar and how it affects playability. These guitars, although still adequate instruments, are not to the same standard as the real Casinos produced in the 1960s. Beyond 1969, Casino manufacture was moved to Japan, and later Korea and China.
Original Kalamazoo-built Casinos are highly collectable, and much-loved as professional-grade instruments. John Lennon, in particular was often pictured with his Casino, most notably in his Apple rooftop performance of 1969. It's legendary status was cemented in the mid-1960s by the patronage of members of the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Kinks and many more. The vast majority were dual-pickup instruments, however some early examples were fitted with just one P90 pickup. It was first produced in 1961, at the Gibson Kalamazoo plant it was based on the Gibson ES-330TD, which was also built there. The Epiphone Casino is an absolutely iconic model, perhaps the best-known Epiphone model ever shipped.