45 mm nut ESPs

[five_magics]

I tried the ESP Forest 7 sanskirt today in a store and I found the string spacing really narrow especially when getting close to the nut.

Electric Sound Products

We mesured the nut of the forest 7 and it's a 45 mm like the ESP horizon NT7. I was gasing on an NT7 pretty bad but now I'm having second thoughts
Going to go back to the store with my Loomis to compare.
Anyways the string spacing felt really odd on the ESP 7s (not LTDs).
Has anyone who tried them have similar issues?

 

[JMP2203]

to me you need at least 47mm nut

less than that no thanks

 

[MaxOfMetal]

The FR7 I tried seemed just fine.

Worth mentioning is that the ESP models with 45mm nuts are only 3mm more narrow than most other 7s, and all of them use third party bridges with standard spacing, so after the first few frets it'll feel like any other 7-string.

 

[bradthelegend]

The FR7 I tried seemed just fine.

Worth mentioning is that the ESP models with 45mm nuts are only 3mm more narrow than most other 7s, and all of them use third party bridges with standard spacing, so after the first few frets it'll feel like any other 7-string.

I've always wanted to try one of the 45mm necks. I feel like it would be perfect for my baby hands, but it seems like a lot of people feel cramped on the fretboard.

Like you said, it's only 3mm more narrow than a standard 7, but it's also only 2-3mm wider than a 6.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

I've always wanted to try one of the 45mm necks. I feel like it would be perfect for my baby hands, but it seems like a lot of people feel cramped on the fretboard.

Like you said, it's only 3mm more narrow than a standard 7, but it's also only 2-3mm wider than a 6.

We're talking a few millimeters. Spread out all six "spaces" in between the strings and you're only getting, at most, a .5mm difference per string compared to a 48mm nut width. That's just less than two one-hundredths of an inch. That's the diameter of certain hairs.

I'd bet good money that, if folks didn't know for a fact that some ESPs have 45mm nut widths, that 95% of players wouldn't know the difference.

In fact, the difference between 42mm and 43mm 6-string guitars is roughly the same.

 

[bradthelegend]

We're talking a few millimeters. Spread out all six "spaces" in between the strings and you're only getting, at most, a .5mm difference per string compared to a 48mm nut width. That's just less than two one-hundredths of an inch. That's the diameter of certain hairs.

I'd bet good money that, if folks didn't know for a fact that some ESPs have 45mm nut widths, that 95% of players wouldn't know the difference.

In fact, the difference between 42mm and 43mm 6-string guitars is roughly the same.

It could just be different neck shapes, but I usually feel the difference between my LTD M (42mm) and my friend's Jackson (43mm), and even between my LTD 7s (48mm and 47mm), BUT I have terrible thumb-over-the-top technique, so it's like my left hand is hugging the neck at all times. Someone playing properly with his thumb on the back of the neck probably won't feel the difference.

Granted, I'm being very particular. After a few minutes of playing, the difference is practically unnoticeable.

 

[Floppystrings]

It probably felt weird due to a combination of factors, not just the nut width.

I need my necks to be D shaped. They can't have a flat backs or my thumb gets tweaked.

 

[troyguitar]

The FR7 I tried seemed just fine.

Worth mentioning is that the ESP models with 45mm nuts are only 3mm more narrow than most other 7s, and all of them use third party bridges with standard spacing, so after the first few frets it'll feel like any other 7-string.

The FR version has a 48mm nut width like 95% of 7's, only the ESP (not LTD) NT versions have the 45mm width and it does feel very different. I played one back to back with some other 48mm stuff at Axe Palace and they definitely require an adjustment period. I'm on the fence as to whether I liked the 45mm better or not.

edit: I could be wrong, ESP site says 45mm locking nut on the FR7 but AFAIK Floyd Rose does not make such a thing.

 

[five_magics]

The FR7 I tried seemed just fine.

Worth mentioning is that the ESP models with 45mm nuts are only 3mm more narrow than most other 7s, and all of them use third party bridges with standard spacing, so after the first few frets it'll feel like any other 7-string.

I doubt that Khaler makes 45 mm nuts, perhaps the FR-7 has a standard 48?
But that would mean that ESP carves a seperate neck profile for the NT 7 and the FR 7, being the big difference in the nut width.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

ESP makes tons of guitar parts, some OEM and re-branded, and some in-house. There would be little stopping them from making their own locking nuts.

 

[ElRay]

We're talking a few millimeters ... 95% of players wouldn't know the difference.

True, but I'm a 5% (and if you measured the thickness (not the width) of 20+ folks' fingers, I'm sure I'd be a 1% ). That's why, once I put the Honey-Do list into remission, I'll do my Stringectomy (Revenger 7 -> Classical/Fingerpicking width 6-string) and post a MOD thread.

Ray

 

[brutalslam]

I have the Horizon NT7 with the 45mm nut. I didn't find it hard to get use to, and i couldn't tell alot of difference. I have huge hands, and I find the guitar very comfortable. Hope this helps.

 

[BenEllerGuitars]

It feels really great after only about an hour or so of acclimation to it. I played on an NT7 for a while, then picked up my usual Ibanez 7 and was shocked at how bulky it felt.

 

[Skitzoification]

It feels really great after only about an hour or so of acclimation to it. I played on an NT7 for a while, then picked up my usual Ibanez 7 and was shocked at how bulky it felt.

same here, I'd like to see more guitars made with smaller string spacing too though. I don't want to have to FEEL like I'm playing a thicker guitar really, I want it to SOUND massive though.

My hadron and other 7s I try seem to feel a Bit wide to me. I moved to 7's strictly for the purpose of gaining depth to my sound and writing, Not so I could be playing a more wider/slightly unplayable guitar.

 

[davewinter85]

48mm on my mh417, couldn't be happier.

 

[IronGoliath]

Anything more than 45mm like on that Horizon NT-7 gives my hand incredible pain for what ever reason so for me my old Ibanez was garbaggio.

 

[Vinchester]

Thanks for the info all, I've been dying to get a Horizon NT7 myself. Good to know that I should try playing it first - though I usually love narrow spacing

 

[five_magics]

I made some research on how nut sizes vary on floyd roses

Floyd Rose Original and Pro Nut Sizes

As you can see there is a difference of more than 3 millimeters between R1 and R3 floyd rose nuts on 6 stringers...
So such a difference in size is perfectly "standard". Also on a 7 stringer the impact of 3 millimeters is even smaller..

 

[zimbloth]

The Horizon NT7 and Viper 7 with the 45MM nut size certainly have a different feel. I personally like it because it makes it feel more like a 6-string. As with everything it's always up to personal preference. The ESP STEF B-7 model has a 47MM nut, whereas the LTDs have the 48MM nut. I think I prefer the 47MM feel the most, the B-7 neck slays.

Max is right, some people wouldn't ever notice unless it was pointed out to them, but to me it was definitely immediately noticeable. I definitely thought it was cool but its certainly a little different at first. I can see a few people, especially those with bigger hands maybe not digging it.

 

[Skitzoification]

I found myself playing my six string Xiphos more than My new hadron at times, the string spacing/nut size difference definitely doesn't work well for me. I like to do string skipping while doing speedy alternate picking, so the hadron definitely hinders my playing in that respect, I miss notes like a motherfucker.