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Strumstick tuner

Posted by Bird on May 17, 2011 at 5:33pm in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion

Hi from the UK

 

I'm about to build my first strumstick and would like to use the McNally headstock design (simple to make) but does anyone know of tuneers where the string hole on the shafts are staggered to keep them in line with the strings like the McNally's?

 

Dave

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Tags: Mcnally, strumstick, tuners
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Replies

  • Order99 March 13, 2012 at 12:42am
    I've tried the 'drilled hole' head before and I can tell you this-it's a heck of a lot easier than sawing or planing the head thin enough to take the tuners horizontally! Especially if you're using cheap Plate tuners like I do! Rather than worry about precise aligning of the wrapped strings to my nut though (and I often use a 1/32 bolt for the nut due to the sheer convenience of the threads ) I often just use some small brass flat head screws as String Guides.
  • The Phrygian Kid March 8, 2012 at 5:04am
    I love you Dianne from Chicago. Will u take me to the prom xx
  • Diane in Chicago May 18, 2011 at 9:23pm

    Yup, I just stick a piece of fretboard on the back of the headstock, and you've got a dogleg neck.  You can see how they line up, the zero fretline is aligned with what would be a zero line on the back of the head - if you were goofy enough to put frets on the back of the head.

     

    I think that one is maple and a cherry fingerboard/head.

  • Bird May 18, 2011 at 7:38pm

    Thanks for your suggestions guys - really appreciated.  I like  the idea of the double drilled tuners a lot but if I can't get any in the UK I guess drilling shouldn't a problem.

     

    Dianne - is that an extra thick fretboard to give a better string break - great idea.  Seems like it make construction of the headstock real easy.  A bit of fretboard on the back of a straight piece of beech perhaps?

  • Diane in Chicago May 18, 2011 at 7:08pm
    I found the McNally fingerboard to be too narrow, and the back of the neck too round -- the strings slip off the sides of the fingerboard and the instrument rolled under while I was playing mine.   Plus the scale length was too long for me.  And that is what started me building CBGs!
    • Andy Gascoigne > Diane in Chicago March 7, 2012 at 7:05am

      Hi Diane, you say that you thought the McNally fingerboard is to narrow, I agree most strum stick type instruments seem very narrow to me as well. What width would you sugest for the fingerboard and what scale length would you suggest considering I would like to make one thats tuned D-A-D.

      I also like the way you've done the pegboard, I might just steal your design!!!

       

      Andy in U.K 

  • Clock The Wolf May 18, 2011 at 6:05pm

    Your work looks a lot better than McNally's!
    Diane in Chicago said:

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    That is a Stew-Mac 3-on-a-plate guitar tuner, and it has two sets of holes drilled in each post, so you can get more flexibility on how it wraps on.  I just ran the strings over the zero fret in shallow nicks I filed in with a triangle file.  Others I've made like this have had a bit of slippage, so I've put in two tiny guide screws for the highest and lowest strings to keep them in the slot.
  • Richard G Caudill May 18, 2011 at 3:13pm
    That makes good sense ,, looks like much easier ,,  I have trouble getting the nut at correct height .. always seem to b having to adjust ... I trust ur builds and saw u did that a lot ,, asked an u answered ,, tks much  !!

    Diane in Chicago said:

    I use jumbo fretwire for the zero, it makes it really easy to get nice low action, and is much easier than cutting a nut with proper slots that don't vibrate or are too deep.  I did one, and I never did another!

     

    When you use the zero fret, though, you want your tuners to line up with the path of the strings as much as possible.  That goes for a  slotted peghead like above as well as a scarf joined head or cutaway head.  You also need a pretty good break angle over that zero fret, or some sort of string tree if you find the angle is not enough.

     

  • Diane in Chicago May 17, 2011 at 9:30pm

    I use jumbo fretwire for the zero, it makes it really easy to get nice low action, and is much easier than cutting a nut with proper slots that don't vibrate or are too deep.  I did one, and I never did another!

     

    When you use the zero fret, though, you want your tuners to line up with the path of the strings as much as possible.  That goes for a  slotted peghead like above as well as a scarf joined head or cutaway head.  You also need a pretty good break angle over that zero fret, or some sort of string tree if you find the angle is not enough.

     

  • Richard G Caudill May 17, 2011 at 9:16pm
    Diane ,, I see in ur photos that u use the "zero fret" a lot ..  Seems to b taking the place of the "nut".. Would u pls advise on the why fors on this   ???
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