Official Luthiers Forum!

Hi Yall,

Im working on an OM and would like to go with a slotted headstock for the first time.
I searched for specs on steel string slotted headstocks and didn't find any info.

My main questions are how thick, what angle, length and width of slots, measurement from the nut to the slots and length of headstock?
Any other tips would be greatly appreciated to.

Thanks

Taken from an Antes parlor plan

My main questions are
how thick, depends on tuner plate width, a little bit more than that, (plan is about 1/16")
what angle, 12 degrees
length and width of slots, 3 5/8" long, 1/2" wide
measurement from the nut to the slots 1 3/4" to edge of radius, excluding ramp
and length of headstock 6 3/8"

width of side where tuner screws go in 3/8"

Distance form nut to
1st tuner centre 2 1/4"
Start of headstock flare 1"

Width of flare nearest nut 2 1/8"
Width of head at top 2 3/4"

Usual disclaimers, no responsibility taken, etc.

(Apologies for any typo, anything else jut ask)

_________________
The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Nice!! Thanks so much!!! I just didnt want to go in guessing everything.

So in the plans the headstock is just 1/16th greater than the width of the tuner plate?

Correct, on the drawing, about 1/32" either side, 1/16 total.
I just had a look and seems I made mine just a tad more (about 3/64" each side, 3/32" total) because that's barely enough to ease the edges for finishing!
Don't see it would make much never mind which difference if you made it what you want, even at 1/8" total it would just lower the tuner shaft center line by 1/32" if my reckoning is correct.

_________________
The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Thanks for the info Colin!

Colin has given good advice, along with some specs. I think headstock designs begin with the desired tuning machines. Following Colin's specs, draw your headstock out on paper if you can, or check everything against a full scale plan. Take into account the length of the roller shafts on your machines. Don't forget the mounting screws. You obviously want them fully seated in the wood, but not poking through into a slot. Draw a side profile view, too, so you can check the angle of your slot entrance ramps. Try to plot the string paths from the nut to the rollers looking from the front as well as from the side. I think squared ramps, rather than rounded ones, provide a little more room for the strings to enter the slots, but maybe that's more of a personal preference with me.

When you get it all done, come back and show us. Best of luck with it!

Absolutely +1. And watch the length of your machine head screws, they may well be longer than your wood thickness to the slot. I had to shorten mine.

_________________
The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

All good advice. Some one once said here that a solid side, rather than 3 individuals on a side makes for a stronger headstock. Makes sense. One other thing to check for. The outside wing(or whatever it's called) thickness will govern where the hole for the string lands. If you want it to land in the middle of the slot, pay attention to that. The very first guitar I built in my shop was from the Antes plan. He didn't use the same tuner as me. Necessity is the mother of invention. I think I drilled new holes in the tuners.

I ordered three on a plate golden age tuning machines from Stewmac. They had specs on the website that are lacking many of the critical measurements.
They should arrive today pr tomorrow so I can check the measurements.

So far I made a drawing on the computer based on what I would like the headstock dimensions to be. One issue I have come across is how much of the post needs to be seated in the center of the headstock? Looks like between the Stewmac drawings and my drawings it will be .125".