Step 8: The Angle of the Dangle

When you look at a six-string guitar, what you will notice is that the headstock is all at an angle. They don't just follow level with the fingerboard. This is done, I'm sure, for lots of good reasons like putting pressure on the nut so that the strings don't pop out when you are playing, but seems a real pain to me. Anyway, I'm guessing that it is really all about the angle of the strings hitting the tuners and going over the nut and everything, so despite not really knowing why, I'm going to have a go at taking some wood off the front of the headstock so that when the strings come over the nut, they will have a downhill ride to the tuners.

To do this then, I'm planning on using the rasp along the headstock so that it takes about a third of the wood off. This I can smooth off later, I guess, with sandpaper or a file or something. The alternative approach is (I think) to make something called a scarf joint, but as that is entirely beyond me even thinking about, I'm kind of hoping that this will do instead. Carving dovetails and other joints seems a bit beyond my 'nail a broom stave to a box' starting point, so I'm going to leave it alone.

As for the headstock's shape, I must admit I'm a bit undecided at the moment. It would be nice to do something different so it doesn't look like every other peg head CBG out there, but after drilling the holes, there isn't a great deal of room left over. I'll have a think though, something might come to mind.

To the rasping then, and back to the workmate and a lot of back and forth. Not a lot to say about it really other than it worked; apart from I've left the thinning of the headstock until I know for sure that I need to. No point creating trouble where there is calm, is there?