Official Luthiers Forum!

I have trouble deciding on a peghead shape, mostly because I want to keep patent lawyers off my back and not get sued by big companies for violating their trademark, but then since I tend to keep my designs simple, most of the simple shape (like a paddle headstock) is already trademarked and used by various makers.

I am thinking of a variation of Taylor's peghead shape but with either a flat top or simply a curved wavy top. I can't say I like Martin's shape because it just keeps the string from the tuner too scrunched up, so I want the tuner to move inward as it goes further from the nut, so the bottom of the head should be wider than the top.

The shape needs to be simple because I am not good with complex designs (not that I don't admire them), plus if its too complex it would be a nightmare if a customer wants binding at the head.

I also need inspiration on a headstock inlay/logo. I am thinking of a capital T in a block font, but maybe there's something better...

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Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

Tai,

If you have an imagination, grab a pencil and a paper and start sketching away. Even if you have no creativity, a pencil and paper work wonders. Start with what you said, wider at the bottom, narrower at the top. Put a taylor shape on what you make, and tweak it. When you're satisfied with what you have as the headstock shape, try and get a logo to match the shape. Somehow keep the flow of the shape in the logo.

For the logo, I'd say use your full last name. To me, that always seemed to look better than just initials or a letter.

For crazy shapes, if what you make will be a "crazy" shape, or really extreme, it's actually simpler to bind then you think. Say your bining iss .08', take that much more off your overall headstock and add the binding. With the binding installed, your back to your exact dimensions. If you don't like thin binding on the headstock, make some sort of a headstock sandwhich and bind it the same way to get the taller binding.

Hope this helps

You can call them "Taiphoon Guitar Company".

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Old growth, shmold growth!

Do what Maks said. There is no substitute for grabbing a pencil and doing a couple dozen quick sketches. Don't wait for someone to post you a design. You wouldn't like someone else's design, anyway, because it wouldn't be your own design. You'd find fault with anything that was posted as a suggestion. Just pick up a pencil and start sketching. You already know your basic parameters. You have detailed them in your first post. You are the only one holding yourself back in terms of a headstock design. I realize this is probably not the answer you wanted to receive.

If you want constructive input about your own design thinking, do this: Grab a pencil. Sketch a dozen or so headstock shapes. Scan or photograph your sketches. Post them here. Then ask for feedback. But don't state your general preferences and then wait for someone else to design a headstock for you.

The problem with my full last name is, a guitar that says FU on the headstock just looks weird. I suppose I could do it in Chinese, but then it would be too complicated.

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Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

It sure would be cool if you could inlay that sun from the Taiwanese flag.

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David Morris

Not a bad idea... it would be easy to do for one thing.

I was also thinking of doing the Taiwan national flower...

However I wonder if doing this will make it too political.

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Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

Only you would know. I don't know much at all about Taiwanese politics, or about the eventual destination of your guitars. However, if it would make some people not want to buy it, it's probably not a great idea. I just liked the irony of your hand crafted builds stacked against the stigma of "Made in Taiwan." It's sort of nationalistic, showing that Taiwan can produce more than what you might get from a low cost factory.

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David Morris

Let me google that for you...

https://www.google.com/search?q=acoustic+guitar+headstock&hl=no&pws=0&prmd=imvns&source=lnms&tbm=isch&ei=Ft0lT-S9HoGg4gS6-8WaAQ&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&cd=2&ved=0CBsQ_AUoAQ&biw=1366&bih=643

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

Try starting with the most perfect shape you admire and make it better.

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You just pick up a chord, go twang, and you're got music. -Sid Vicious

I agree with the other posts. There's no substitute for just sketching it out, and then tweaking it.

As for the big manufacturers trademarks, unless you start selling guitars called "Martin" with a logo in script on the rectangular padde, you've got nothing to worry about. If manufacturers sued everyone who sold a guitar with a "similar" peghead design, they'd have no time to build guitars.

There's really no such thing as a "new" headstock design - so don't try too hard to create one. Just pick what you like, and let it evolve.

The sun part from the Taiwan flag would be easy, it's harder to inlay all the little triangles though, especially with shell.

I think there are a few companies from Taiwan who hasn't bitten the outsourcing bug and does produce high quality items. Usually those items costs the same as something of similar quality produced in the US.

For guitars I think there is a brand called "Farida" which is either made in Taiwan or China and they still cost the same as a Martin or Taylor, and have similar quality.

The junk that China is famous for producing are usually produced by companies who are OEM manufacturers, usually manufacturing for big names like Epiphone. I think the fault lies in the OEM client, not manufacturer. The only reason they do that is to produce a large number of cheap junk so that they can profit like mad, to satisfy any shareholders or bean counters that usually run those companies. OEM manufacturers also get in on this in order to tap the huge market in the West.

Unfortunately for every maker in Taiwan who doesn't OEM (produces their own brand, like Rexon) there are at least a dozen more who does OEM... it's a very tempting prize when a US company contacts you with offers of several million dollars to produce junk.

A lot of countries who currently have a reputation for producing junk (first Japan, now China) had scores of traditional industry who produced stuff that are very high quality, but when OEM moves in, it just destroys the country's reputation. Kinda makes you think before you sign the dotted line...

_________________
Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com