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I would like to see how the headstock-olacement of nut, and how it is done. Do you start with a blank different thah those for your guitars

A couple ways to do it Bob.

1 - cut the headplate and headstock at the angle of the nut as derived by your multiscale layout. This is what I normally do, unless the angle is very severe, and the tilt of the headstick is too wild - usually meaing the neck black isnt thick enough to support planing the angle in.

2 - cut a strat style slot at an angle for the nut, but leave the FB long to allow it to end straight beyond the nut slot. Thus the headstock is now the same as a straight fret guitar.

On my website gallery page you can see the angled nut version. On the models page, under custom models, there is a pic of the 8 string I did, it was done using method 2.

_________________
Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

[QUOTE=TonyKarol] A couple ways to do it Bob.

1 - cut the headplate and headstock at the angle of the nut as derived by your multiscale layout. This is what I normally do, unless the angle is very severe, and the tilt of the headstick is too wild - usually meaing the neck black isnt thick enough to support planing the angle in.

2 - cut a strat style slot at an angle for the nut, but leave the FB long to allow it to end straight beyond the nut slot. Thus the headstock is now the same as a straight fret guitar.

On my website gallery page you can see the angled nut version. On the models page, under custom models, there is a pic of the 8 string I did, it was done using method 2.[/QUOTE]

Tony,

If you were going to bind the headstock you could do it a third way:

Make the headstock/neck (scarfe joint or solid block cut) as though the nut were straight as for a constant scale length of the 6th string (longest scale). Then mark where the nut will be on the treble side of the neck and draw the edge of nut line. Glue a small piece of the same wood as the neck with the straight edge following the line of the nut. Sand/plane this piece of wood to meet the plane of the headstock.

If you choose the small pice of wood well there will probably be no visible join line on the treble side. If not you can bind the headstock.

_________________
Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments
". . . the one thing a machine just can't do is give you character and personalities and sometimes that comes with flaws, but it always comes with humanity" Monty Don talking about hand weaving, "Mastercrafts", Weaving, BBC March 2010

Hi Dave ... funny you mention binding one .. here is one I just did yesterday .. 4 hours effort start to finish ...

The way I do them though, I dont need any extra wood. This neck started out as normal, I scarfed the headstock on, it was a bit thick to allow for the fall away angle of the face of the headstock. So .. plane in the angle as required by the nut angle. Then joint off the extra side wood such that the headstock is now only slightly wider than the nut width of the fingerboard. Now add on some headstock wings cut from the same board. Replane in the headstock face angle to match the nut angle. Thin the front and rear headplates, and glue on the top one only (this one also has a red veneer under it) cut again at 13 degrees (my headstock tilt angle) and to match the nut angle as well (compound cut). Now in the thickness sander thint he whole headstock on an angle to required thickness, taking into account the rear plates if using one (agian here, ebony plus the red veneer). Bend the rear plate volute on the required angle (I have made a simple press with the curve and nut angle taken into accout, thing of beauty to do this) Now glue on the rear plate and veneer.

Now to bind - since I used ebony for the binding, I simply routed to correct width (binding plus the red/blk/red inner purf) to a depth that only goes thru the thickness of the top plate ebony, leaving the red veneer line underneath it !!!! Bend wood, bend more wood after breaking lots of ebony, Ccut mitres, throw bad ones away, recut mitres, and start gluing on .... Four hours passed ... DONE

_________________
Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

YOU GUYS ARE GREAT

I used the twisted headstock idea on my fanned fret guitar.
My neck blank was thick, and glued up so the break angle was straight at the correct point for the bass scale.
The headstock face was then sanded un-evenly to swing the break point (where the nut will sit) to where I needed it. Finally the headstock was thicknessed using the face as a reference side, giving the twist

bump
More pictures please, and more techniques

You can also do the headstock normally, and place a second wood "nut"
(or more properly, a string retainer) behind the nut at the break.

I cut the scarf joint the same as I do on normal guitars, but I just tilt the blade on my table saw in order to achieve the proper slant to the joint that matches the angle of the nut. The only extra work required is tilting the blade...60 seconds maybe to make a few test cuts checking the angle.

Thanks to all.
You guys are the best