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{sigh} I just finished two (count 'em TWO) identical necks utilizing some 3-in-a-line tuners. I thought I had a nice design going until I mounted the tuners and thought about how the strings would run. Anyone see the problem?

In order to run the strings without hitting the posts, I'd have to run the MIDDLE string to the first post (closest to the nut), then run the outer strings to the second and third posts. It's not the worst mistake I've ever made, but it sure will be awkward and unwieldy tuning it.

Maybe I'll finish one and donate it to Shane's museum.

Back to the drawing board.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Phil Chestnut on September 19, 2011 at 10:24am

Looks good except for that one little thing. What looks good on paper does not all ways work the way we think they should. I should know I have pulled some real bone headed things on that account.

Permalink Reply by Clifford Eise on September 19, 2011 at 11:06am

How about adding deflecting studs to redirect the strings. I've used 16 penny nail with the head ground off.

Permalink Reply by Matthew Borczon on September 20, 2011 at 5:11am

that is a good idea. This is what I value most about this site the good advise.

Permalink Reply by Phil Chestnut on September 20, 2011 at 5:16pm

good grief I never thought about that. so simple a fix.

Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on September 20, 2011 at 7:42pm

Hal,

Very clean design and routing. I like it.

That's not a problem, it's an undocumented feature! Seriously, don't trash 'em, they are easily salvaged. You're not the first person to run into this; look around the site, and you'll see that for many people in this situation the solution is string trees. Or as Cliff says, "deflecting studs."

You can use nails, although screws or small eyelet screws seem to be the most common solution on CBN. Fender uses string trees on the Strat to give a greater string break angle to the b and e strings, and also to provide a slighly straighter route to the uppermost machine heads on the headstock. The string spread from your nut will help some, so that you may only have to add one string tree. You can run the the middle string to the middle tuner, your first string to the upper tuner, and your lowest to the lowest tuner. You might find that the nut doesn't spread 'em enough; several people on this site have fixed this with three inline eyelet screws, across the width of the neck just behind the nut slot. Looks like you have enough room for that solution, if needed.

Another way to address this on a future build is a single channel routed all the way through the headstock, and use "classical" guitar 3-on-a-plate open back tuners. Or you could try mounting the tuners you have staggered slightly so the strings don't interfere with one another. You could rout an angled channel if you want to stay with that look.

Permalink Reply by Chuck Dubman on September 20, 2011 at 8:19pm

Small staples. Roll your own if you can't find the right size.

Permalink Reply by Seaman Jay on October 4, 2011 at 10:34pm

unscrew the middle gear and put the tuner's handle the "other way" (pointing in the opposite direction).

Then you'll have the 1st and 2nd string on one side and 3rd on the other. Problem solved? ;-)

Permalink Reply by Habanera Hal on October 5, 2011 at 1:18am

DOH! Why didn't I think of that? I even switched all of them over to this side to start!

Rafal Sulejman said:

unscrew the middle gear and put the tuner's handle the "other way" (pointing in the opposite direction).

Then you'll have the 1st and 2nd string on one side and 3rd on the other. Problem solved? ;-)