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How high should steel string tuners extend above the headstock surface? I haven't got a 'standard' one to measure it from. Incidentally, what is the minimum thickness the headstock can be?

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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

Go check out StewMac's tuners online and look at the specs for solid peghead tuners. There are nicely drawn diagrams that should help answer your questions.

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Aaron Craig

Sorry, I should have phrased that better. I have the tuners and measurements for them, but the height is adjustable, depending on headstock thickness. To decide what thickness the headstock needs to be, I need to know how high they should stick out above it.

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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

I think about 1/2 thick headstock is standard. But I guess it can vary. What tuners do u have? Don't make it too thin. On my first I made the headstock too thin and when I went to put the tuners on they bottomed out before they were tight. I had to modify them.

OK, thanks. I have some wilkinson tuners with loose bushings, so there's no issue with running out of thread. 1/2'' would work fine.

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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

My plans say 16mm for the headstock thickness.

Sent from my KFTT using Tapatalk HD

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Nick

Follow my musings on getting started in luthiery http://www.tredwellinstruments.co.uk

I make my pegheads 9/16" thick, which is the same as the 1930's Martins. That is 1/2", plus 1/16" for the peghead face veneer.
I generally use Waverlys (1.08" string posts), but a bit shorter is fine. For example, Gotoh Kluson Deluxe replicas are 0.965" and work fine.

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John

Actually, you're better to engage the upper nut sufficiently (1 to 2 turns?) and measure the resulting gap. Any headstock thicker than .600" and you might run into trouble (ie the top nut might not engage). Remember not all tuners are identical.

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Dave
Milton, ON

For me, 3/8" of the shaft extended above the face of the peghead is the minimum and 1/2" is the maximum. I taper my pegheads so both of these come into play with me. The minimum will have to take into consideration where this will leave the string hole in the shaft, as well as the width of the tapered area above and below the string hole. The bottom of the tapered area should be slightly above the face of the peghead.

James

14-16mm seems to work for most tuners...

Thanks for the replies. I've thicknessed it to 15mm.
Now I just need to flatten the sides of the volute where I placed the tuners too far down and then plug and re-drill the tuner hole where the drill caught it. Ah, the joys of guitar building!

_________________
"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