Originally Posted by jt1 (Post 5326005)

Interesting. So, how will you manage the crossing strings? Wind some higher on the tuner posts than others?

Originally Posted by Burton LeGeyt (Post 5326069)

None of them will cross if I understand you right- The paths are a little angled on the outer strings but not too much. Since I will be making the string shafts I can control exactly where the string will anchor. The easiest way to describe it is to show the design it is based off of- here is the Uchida headstock that was the inspiration:



He used a Rodgers Lacote style machine on that headstock. I'll be heavily modifying Waverly machines for this one. The buttons will look like pegs coming out of the back of the headstock and there will be decorative brass plates covering the tuners on the sides.

We really wanted some style of inline (like tuning pegs, on the original) tuner for this but I had no confidence in the 16:1 pegheads after handling a few. I worked for a while on a tuner with a miter gear that would have been close but wasn't confident enough of long term stability to use it here. What we worked up feels like a good compromise.

Originally Posted by Burton LeGeyt (Post 5326069)

None of them will cross if I understand you right- The paths are a little angled on the outer strings but not too much.

Originally Posted by Ken Franklin (Post 5328173)

Burton's wearing that pencil out on this one.

Originally Posted by Burton LeGeyt (Post 5329123)

You know it!

I've been remaking the bodies for some Waverly gear sets trying to get them lighter and fit better with this headstock design. Also, I'd like my own tuner design anyway, so this shape may be something I still use on standard headstocks too. One thing I love about 510's is that they completely fill the opening from both sides and the bushing locks to the tuner- It helps alleviate any mismatch or slop in that area. My version has an extension there and part of that will be visible in this guitar's headstock opening as a polished ring around the tuner shaft.

This is just the prototype- so not polished or even completely finished (and have a non-slothead shaft in place) but it does show the idea pretty well. I really like the small size and with the nylon bushings in there everything is smooth but tight. Once the imitation pegs are made and in place I think they will look really good.