It would probably work OK sound-wise, but I'd be nervous about the angles of the string forces - the net effect would be similar to having a loose saddle.MaineGeezer wrote:Maybe I could use your idea of notching and extending the nut, except do it to the saddle. I'm not sure how well it would work on a saddle, but it might be worth a try.
If the notes on the first fret are even a tiny bit sharp compared with the open string I'd be tempted to start by resculpting the nut, moving the break point in each slot towards the tuners.
The other thing you could try is using round-core rather than hex-core strings - they have more mass for a given gauge so they intonate slightly differently. (It won't help the unwound strings of course.)