Nut Slots - How Wide is Too Wide?

[Scout]

The way I learned to slot a nut you never make the slot so tight as to bind the string. The front of the nut is the critical point of width, the back of the nut should have some relief filed into it both in depth and width, also to stop the string from binding. A few thousandths of an inch play at the front of the nut is preferable and generally the way it ends up with any deviation from filing. You can cut a .012 wih a .012 file , any side to side movement will take it wider from there.

[Lame Pseudonym]

I'm going to get the nut slots enlarged on my CV Jazzmaster. 11-50 is my usual gauge, but I'm also tempted to try 12s this time around. Knowing that nut slots are often cut slightly wider than the string gauge, especially where trems are involved, I'm wondering if I get the nut cut for 12s first up, will the slots be too wide for the 11s if I decide to go back down?

A proper set of nut files will give you a slot with a rounded bottom, and it would take some crazy force for them not to find the bottom of such a slot in any case.

I actually recommend that people use the B file for the high E string slot, the G file for the B string slot and so on.