String winding orientaiton on older guitars

[Quickstep192]

I'm dreaming of my first build - a classical crossover and I like the look of the older headstocks with friction pegs. I expect to use Pegheds rather than true friction pegs. Most of the headstocks I've been perusing have the first and sixth strings wrapped in the opposite orientation that we (I) would normally associate with modern steel string guitars. In many cases, the nut slot for the first and sixth string is pretty much centered below the tuning peg, so there's going to be a break angle no matter how you wind it. I'm wondering if there were other reasons that the first and sixth would be wound in opposite directions.

[Ned Milburn]

A flamenco guitar I completed last December has a peg head with all trebles, then all basses, wrapped in the same direction. For me, it is a mind-bender to tune with the reversed tuners, so I wished to avoid it. If the headstock and tuner hole placement is well thought out, pretty much any choice can be made.

[Silly Moustache]

I have to tune my Weissenborn like this to keep the break angle over 1st and 6th reasonable. Possibly because the headstock is modeled closely on the original design.

[murrmac123]

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

I have to tune my Weissenborn like this to keep the break angle over 1st and 6th reasonable. Possibly because the headstock is modeled closely on the original design.

I don't see how the breakover angle on the nut could be affected by which direction you choose to wind the string round the post.

You may be miscalling the angle at which the string exits the nut slot in the horizontal plane the "break angle", but given a properly shaped nut slot that angle has no impact on the performance of the instrument.

Aesthetically, of course it's a matter of personal preference ...

[charles Tauber]

Originally Posted by Quickstep192

Most of the headstocks I've been perusing have the first and sixth strings wrapped in the opposite orientation that we (I) would normally associate with modern steel string guitars.

One obvious solution to the problem is to make the head wider - a greater transition from the nut width to the face of the head - allowing the first and sixth pegs to have the strings exit in line with their respective nut slots. The head can taper to the same width as in your photo, but starts out wider towards the nut end of the head.

[rick-slo]

It would be nice if at least some of the peg head string winders had varying length shafts so you could bring the inner strings more in alignment with the nut slots.

[Jim.S]

The nice thing about "Pegheds" is you can reverse the winding direction on strings 1 and 6 but also swap sides with the tuners so you still turn the pegs all in the usual direction.

If you want straight string pull with "Pegheds" then that's easy, just do it like Trevor Gore does it on this one below.

[rick-slo]

Originally Posted by Jim.S

The nice thing about "Pegheds" is you can reverse the winding direction on strings 1 and 6 but also swap sides with the tuners so you still turn the pegs all in the usual direction.

If you want straight string pull with "Pegheds" then that's easy, just do it like Trevor Gore does it on this one below.

Does look good. What gear ratio do those banjo type tuners go up to?

[Jim.S]

They are not a banjo style tuner in the usual sense Derek, they don't have that large or off centre gear box and just look like a friction peg on the outside.

I assume the ones Trevor used there are "Flamenco" by "peghed" but I could be wrong so you'd have to ask him.

Also if they are "Flamenco" then 4:1