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Question on Headstocks

Posted by Mark Ballard on January 29, 2020 at 7:21pm in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion

I'm currently laying out (designing) a  neck for my first build (3 String) and will be using one wood for the neck and a different wood for the fretboard.  I like the CBG's that I've seen with a just a basic headstock that looks like just an extension of the neck (headstock not wider than the neck itself).  What I can't tell from the pictures I've seen is are these typically scarf jointed or does the neck just extend straight out and there's just a "step down" from the fretboard.  Hope that makes sense......  LOL

Any help appreciated!

Mark

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Replies

  • Taffy Evans January 30, 2020 at 10:55pm

    Hi, hows this.....

    3841155209?profile=RESIZE_710x 1080182125?profile=RESIZE_710x 306655857?profile=RESIZE_710x

    After this both top and back are sanded flat and smooth. Here is another way.... 3841158906?profile=RESIZE_710x and then the spliced peghead...... 3390234787?profile=RESIZE_710x 3390235454?profile=RESIZE_710x Hope this helps Taff

    • Mark Ballard > Taffy Evans January 31, 2020 at 12:44am

      Perfect!  That’s what I needed and now I understand fully what you and Myron were saying.

      Thanks,

      Mark

      • Taffy Evans > Mark Ballard February 1, 2020 at 9:58pm

        Hi Mark  you are welcome, we are here to help.I just came across two more photos of the finished peghead.

        3843710769?profile=RESIZE_710x 3843711391?profile=RESIZE_710x Taff

      • Myron Joe Hickel > Mark Ballard January 31, 2020 at 11:29am

        Great enjoy your build

  • Taffy Evans January 30, 2020 at 3:27pm

    I do mine both ways, but to keep the time/cost down I use Myrons method on CBG's. The reason for the kickback or angle is so that the string maintains suitable pressure down onto the nut, due to being attached lower than the fingerboard. 

    Tip: with Myrons way ensure the machine string posts are not so high above the peghead that the strings do not have that downward angle from the nut. To ensure this the timber you glue to the back of the peghead should give a peghead thickness that allows 1/4" or so of post showing. In my experience some posts are very long.

    Taff

    • Mark Ballard > Taffy Evans January 30, 2020 at 10:12pm

      Taffy,

      Thanks for the info.  If you get a chance, could you attach a picture showing the headstock that way?  Picture worth a thousand words and all........

      Thanks,

      Mark

  • Myron Joe Hickel January 30, 2020 at 12:19am

    They are both, the scarf joint gives it more of a Gibson look. The "step down is more like a fender. I have a bandsaw and cut a step down 5/8" and then glue the cut off under the step down. It gives the strings more angle to the tuners.

  • Dave Nyberg January 29, 2020 at 11:30pm

    The way I do mine is like the classical guitar. I use a forstner bit to clear most of the wood and then a Shinto saw/rasp to clean it up and shape it before sanding. I use a 1/4" poplar board for the fretboard, a nut to space the strings and a jumbo fret for a zero fret to set the string height at the top of the neck.

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