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http://www.luthiertool.com/slot%20head%20fixture.html

Ok, I'm a DIYer in so many ways, but I have found myself coming back to this time and again. Does anybody have good/bad thoughts in this? I've built my own slotting templates, but never happy with them.

Mike

Hi Mike,

I have the Luthier Tool slotting jigs. I love them! They are fully adjustable and turn out very accurate slots and tuner holes. Very repeatable and easy to use. Like all good tools though, they ain't cheap, but you do get what you pay for from Chris! HTH.

Cheers,
Dave F.

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Cambrian Guitars

"There goes Mister Tic-Tac out the back with some bric-brac from the knick-knack rack"

I have it, and I love it. I wish all my jigs were this nice...

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

Thanks guys. Sounds good to me. I have to admit, that order page is confusing. All those additional parts for sale make it look like an incomplete kit. Did u find it to be a "complete" kit? Other than the 8 hole jig, Chris tells me that all that other stuff is replacement stuff.

Did any of you buy the templates and bits? Or did u find them elsewhere at better prices?
(are they standard stuff?)

Mike

It is a fantastic set up. I got the combo kit, but so far I've only used the steel string squarish slots.

The brass template guides and router bits can be found elsewhere (Woodcraft, Rockler, Amazon, etc), those are standard parts as long as you have a fairly standard router/trimmer base. You just have to make sure you get a 1/4" spiral bit long enough to go full depth of the jig template plus the headstock thickness. I don't recall it being hard to find one that worked.

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Jonathan Kendall, Siloam Springs AR

That looks like a good set up, lots of pieces.

I made my own in a 2 stage fixture. 1 to drill the holes for a slothead and then the oversized router template platform that keys off the holes. Both templates are split and doweled together so they easily adjust to different sized pegheads. Works well, repeats, both sides come out the same, doesn't even need to be clamped for the routing stage as the compound angeling of the holes and peghead pull it all in tight.

Not sure if I was making a bunch of them if they would be any cheaper than what your link is showing though.

Tim

I actually want it and the butt wedge vise. I can't say for sure, but their template bushings seemed a bit high priced.

Anybody used the butt wedge vise? Can you cut the wedge with it? For straight edges, I realize that is no big deal, but for curvey shapes, that would be a nice feature.

Mike

Their "accessory kit" is not really that bad ($60 for template guides and router bit), though for about that you could get a complete template guide set instead of just the sizes needed for the jig. Those template guide sets run about $35-40 and the spiral downcut bits run about $20-25 or so.

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Jonathan Kendall, Siloam Springs AR

I have this jig and use it for both steel string and classical slot heads. I've used it with success many times.

Sometimes something looks expensive at first sight, but the more you use it you realise that it would be cheap at twice the price.

Buy it without hesitation, you'll never regret it.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.