Multi-scale designs and the head stock

[Doug Shaker]

When one makes a multi-scale* instrument, there are two approaches to dealing with the nut and head stock.
The nut is angled with respect to the centerline of the neck. This complicates how the head is related to the neck. One can
1) have the head angle down in a line perpendicular to the nut. The head will still be in a line with the neck, but the plane of the head will be twisted with respect to its usual location.
or
2) have the head angle down as usual, but add a wedge under the fretboard, but above the head on the bass side, in effect making the neck longer on the bass side, and creating a steep break angle for the bass strings.

I hope this is clear. I am having a hard time finding the words to talk about it.

Does anyone have any thoughts about which approach is superior?

-Doug Shaker

*Multiscale instruments are also often called "fanned-fret" but I believe that "fanned fret" is a trademarked term.

[David King]

Well a wedge under the bass side of the fingerboard would certainly ease strain on the left hand. I was trying to think of why this wasn't a problem for my last multi-scalar bass and it took a photo to remind me that it was a headless instrument.
I'd strive to keep the break angle the approximately the same for each string whatever that takes.

[Markus Schmid]

Harry Fleishman provided a good description with excellent photos of the process in American Lutherie #118. He boils it down to these 5 steps on the table saw (I'm citing what he wrote):

• Mark the nut angle [across the neck's width]
• Set up to saw the peghead scarf angle. I use 14°.
• Tilt the blade to match the nut angle. I do this visually, but a little trial and error is usually necessary.
• Make the first cut.
• Flip the cutoff part (the peghead) and run it through the saw.

The result will be a peghead that is in line with the neck and with its plane not "twisted" in relation to the fretboard (no "Picasso peghead").

[Doug Shaker]

THANKS! I will be getting my copy of AL118 down from the shelves immediately!

[Doug Shaker]

That worked GREAT! I'm not sure how it worked, but I am quite happy with the result.

[Markus Schmid]

Glad you made it work, that's cool!

Regarding "how it works": doing a scarf joint on a normal neck is actually only a special case where you don't get such a funny off-cut piece because the two cuts happen to fall into the same plane (hence only one cut).