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Hey everyone

I'm just about to start my first fan fret and a couple of things are confusing me haha.

I thought I would build a mock neck to see if what I was thinking was right.

My problem is the scarf joint...

So I cut the scarf joint, glued up, marked the angle at the nut that i had calculated.

Usually with a perpendicular nut this isn't a problem as i would plane down the head to achieve a flat face for veneers to be glued to in which case as my necks are planed flat and square before hand, once i have achieved a flat face on the head it will still be square to the edge.

With the fan fret, i marked the angle and planed down the head with the blade of the plane perpendicular to the angle i had marked if that makes sense.

So I'm left with this



I got the face flat and then realised its no longer square to the edge.




Is this right????

I usually thickness the head from the back so i can't see that being a problem but i just wonder if this how it should be and if other people do it like this?

I don't know if i have written this in a way that will make sense but hopefully it does haha.

Any help appreciated, George.

Make the back of the headstock parallel with the top and continue. I shaped my outline square to the face and it is fine, this is one of the joys of building a fan fret. I spent a bit of time trying to visualize how locate the tuning machines to look good. I had to compromise a bit on the headstock shape due to case length constraints.

_________________
Fred Tellier
http://www.fetellierguitars.com
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If you think about it, it couldn't do anything else. If the top was perpendicular to the sides, you would have put a twist in the face and the veneers wouldn't lie flat.

_________________
"I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it."
Pablo Picasso

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Yep, that's how it works. As long as you still have enough thickness on the thin side of the headstock, you're fine.

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http://www.chassonguitars.com

That's how I do it.

Thanks guys...

I thought it was right but I was doubting myself at the same time.

I think once the head shape is done it isn't noticeable hence why I have never noticed it on a fan fret guitar before.

I measured the angle and it was still 15 degrees at every point across.

Should have plenty there to thickness the head still.

George