paulhinton Posted January 31, 2012 Report Share Posted January 31, 2012 Hi guys, since I last posted on here I have read Melvyn Hiscock's book and it has provided some much needed clarification but one question still troubles me. Do I need a headstock angle? I am well aware of its purpose but I am seeing many guitars using the same hardware and scale as myself which are instead using retainer nuts but at the same time other manufacturers are opting for the 14 degree neck angle of their RG clones with the same hardware as me. I am using a .125" hipshot bridge across a 25.5" scale with a flat top. I personally think that retainers can ruin the image of a guitar and if it is simply a matter of preference I will go the way of the scarf joint. But if you guys can provide some input that would be great. P.S I did promise progress pictures in the last post but my bandsaw arrived broken which has obviously halted any progress but has also allowed me some time to redesign. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackyl Posted January 31, 2012 Report Share Posted January 31, 2012 I had many of the same questions recently because my go to guitar does not actually use any string hold downs and yet it does not have a angle on the neck. Very similar to the Fender headstock, what I failed to realize is the tuning pegs actually compensated for the lack of a hold down. In other words the tuning pegs were actually not level from low E to High E but dropped down as they went across. This has intrigued me since the first guitar I built used the string hold downs, but now I am looking to get away from them for cosmetic reasons, but still stay away from an angle when possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ripthorn Posted January 31, 2012 Report Share Posted January 31, 2012 Headstock angle is purely preference. A neck angle is based on hardware, but the headstock angle is whatever you want to do. I think Fender did flat headstocks because they were faster and cheaper to produce (which is really what Fender was all about back in the day). If you don't like the look of string trees, then go with a scarf. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulhinton Posted January 31, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2012 Ahh excellent news, thank you for that information, I have some spare1 piece maple neck blanks which I am going to practice on before I get to the real thing (Maple/Mahogany laminate) if they come out any good I will hopefully begin a second guitar a month after the first is truly underway so I don't waste some good wood Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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