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Thinking of coming up with a new slotted headstock design for one of our guitars.

Are their required dimensions that I can access? Example - is there a minimum recommended distance between the slots? Is there a minimum width for the outer edges?

I'm guessing flat sides on the headstock are about the only way to go. No way to do curves - right?

Thanks for the help!

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P A U L B U R N E R
Burner Guitars

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

tuner dimensions and string clearance pretty much do it.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Check these out.

Make sure the strings clear the slot edges and wind straight on the shafts.

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Trevor Gore, Luthier. Australian hand made acoustic guitars, classical guitars; custom guitar design and build; guitar design instruction.

http://www.goreguitars.com.au

Whoa Trevor, that was one incredible head stock.



The only thing I know is that the dimension along the outside of the head stock that the tuners go through (even in the wild design in the link above) wants to be consistent at around 1/4" but get your tuners first and try a couple dimensions to see what you tuners require. You want the dimension to allow the proper exposure of the peg hole to roughly center your strings in the slot - unless that is not required by your design.



I would have said yes till I saw that link above

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Thank You and Best To All

The Sharpach archtop from the Chinery commissioned blue guitars had custom, curved, 3 on a plate tuners. http://www.scharpach.com/archtop-blue-vienna.php

Not mine, but I like the look. Not sure about the tuning stability, though, with the angled string take-off from the shaft.

The "standard" for classicals is 8mm (5/16"). You can go thinner, but you need to shorten the holding screws that go through the side plates. The flash ones with rolling bearings at both ends of the shaft may require some specific dimensions and close tolerances to get the best out of them. The screw hole spacings are never the same between makes, and its definitely smart to get the tuners before you build, particularly so you know that the head stock is thick enough and that any binding/purfling you have planned for the headstock will look right.

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Trevor Gore, Luthier. Australian hand made acoustic guitars, classical guitars; custom guitar design and build; guitar design instruction.

http://www.goreguitars.com.au

You can also create the illusion of a curve! http://www.flickr.com/photos/matsudagui ... 4391918722 This one's by Matsuda.

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

https://www.facebook.com/FenskeGuitars

Here is one of mine... I've done a couple of these and never had any tuning problem with it!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/xxl-guitar ... 4558746904