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Maybe a silly question, but... I know different tuners will allow a slight variation thickness of the headstock, but do you always build to the same total thickness, and what is your standard thickness? My thought was that if you had tuners that allow for more thickness, you could possible build heavier/stronger than others. Just a thought. I'm still stuck in Luthier 101.

Donovan

9/16" finished thickness.

On mine the headplate is .100" and I almost always have a backstrap veneer.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

Ditto. The danger with a tadd thicker is the tuner threaded bushing needs at least 5 engauged threads to avoid striping off the first few threads. and that is a real bummer. Don't ask me how I know this

Great timing on this. I'm in the process of thinning my headstock.

I have a .100" rosewood head plate for the front. For the back I wanted to lay 2 layers of .020" veneer plus another .100" rosewood plate.

So that means I thin the head to .323" does that sound right? Or does the rosewood need to be thinner? Also what do you do if you have a volute?

Sorry for the hijack Donovan.

Thanks

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Horton, MI

Half an inch, depending if I am adding front and back laminations.

Total finished thickness for me is .600"

Mark

9/16" is .5625"

[QUOTE=Kirt] Great timing on this. I'm in the process of thinning my headstock.

I have a .100" rosewood head plate for the front. For the back I wanted to lay 2 layers of .020" veneer plus another .100" rosewood plate.

So that means I thin the head to .323" does that sound right? Or does the rosewood need to be thinner? Also what do you do if you have a volute?

Sorry for the hijack Donovan.

Thanks[/QUOTE]


No, you want it .4222" if you want it to be 9/16" thick -- a little more if you want it to Mark's specs.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

I must be "thick-headed" 5/8" for me.

long

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"No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man.” -Heraclitus of Ephesus

It's best to have the tuning machines in hand, unless you've used them before. I think there are some variations between brands. You do want to be 'in the neighbourhood', though as too-thin is weak and too-thick gets into the problem Michael mentioned- too few threads engaged.

I generally shoot for 15mm (.590) and it usually ends up being a bit more- as Mark suggests.

Just to get us all on the same page, 9/16 is .562 .

Outside the tuning machine area, anything goes, so the volute area can be thicker. Again, check to make sure your volute curve doesn't 'kick up' where the tuner sits.

Cheers

John

[QUOTE=Bob Long] I must be "thick-headed" 5/8" for me.

long[/QUOTE]

I should add that I use 9/16" on guitars that will have Waverly's.

Long

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"No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man.” -Heraclitus of Ephesus

...19/32nds.....not 18...not 20...19...but definitely check against the tuners you are planning to use.

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David White, Toronto

"All my favourite singers can't sing."

I like tapering the headstock slightly as Benedetto suggests...17/32" thinning to 13/32" at the tip (not including headplate/veneers). I think it adds an elegant touch.

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Dave
Milton, ON

Ok, here is what I see inside my small brain.



.100 rosewood on the front.

.100 rosewood + .020 +.020 veneer = .140" on the back.

Is this do-able or should the rosewood plate on the back of the headstock be thinner? I should be able to bend it on a hot pipe, no?

Many thanks,

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Horton, MI

The only difference in what I do is in thickness of veneers but my final thickness with veneers is .5625 to .625 MAX. any thicker and Grover, Gotoh and Schaller bushings may not grip properly.

[QUOTE=Kirt] Ok, here is what I see inside my small brain.

.100 rosewood on the front.

.100 rosewood + .020 +.020 veneer = .140" on the back.

Is this do-able or should the rosewood plate on the back of the headstock be thinner? I should be able to bend it on a hot pipe, no?

Many thanks,[/QUOTE]
Kirt-
That should work.

You might want to consider using a 'symmetrical' arrangement of veneers- ie similar top and bottom, but this can depend on the colors of the woods you are using.

If you think you are going to have trouble bending the RW, you can use a bigger radius for sanding the volute, though this is usually limited by the tools (end of belt sander, 3" drum, etc) that you have on hand. The thicker the overlay, the less it will 'bend' to give a good tight glue line, so you have to have a good caul and a smooth bend. I've only done a few, so you should keep this in mind when evaluating my recommendations!

One thing to keep in mind is that the nut is usually between the overlay and the fingerboard, and a thick overlay will change the string angle over the nut a bit. I wouldn't think that 0.100 will cause any problems.

Cheers

John

[QUOTE=Kirt] [/QUOTE]


Ah... now I see what you are thinking.

I just use the veneers for the back strap, no .100" plate. I sometimes use .02 sheets (dark/light, or dark light dark).. or sometimes I just make a veneer about .04 - .06" thick of solid material.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

5/8" for me, too. Perfect for Schallers.

Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

Somewhere in the middle of Arkansas......

Thanks Brock & John,

The volute will be flatter than in the drawing. Just a quick sketch. And it will probably be down the neck just a tad too.

Sorry again Donovan, you can have your thread back now.

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Horton, MI