Snakehead Drawings

Help!!
I want to make a Snakehead headstock but cannot find any drawings or dimensions.
Can anyone help please?

Also, is there anything wrong with doing a straight mortice & tenon neckjoint - I'm trying to save time!!

many thanks
Jeremy :(

I am an absolute beginner at this but check out the build photos on the Crystal Forest site regarding the neck joint. I recently built from his plans and was happy to have just a simple mortise and tenon joint that was in reality a tenon and slot joint.

The Guild of America Luthiers sells a very accurate 1926 Gibson snakehead mandolin blueprint.

I've done some "mortise and slot" joints as well. A well-made mortise and tenon joint will be very similar in function to a dovetail. Make sure you get good mating surfaces on the sides and bottom (attaching the neck heel to the back). Should last as long as anything. Might fail a little more dramatically (lift more) if it's left in a hot car, but that's about the only downside I can see.

Thanks Marty, I was hoping you would say that - I need to have this finished by 19th May! I shall also pin the joint with dowels either side.

Don't build on a deadline... it's a good way to show up without a gift.. :-) If it's just for you, go for it.

I have made templates by folding a piece of paper in half, then cutting out the shape using a photo for reference.

Marty, it's for my own use - I'm off on 19th May to Canada for a fortnight of ceilidh music with some Canadian friends and I've been threatening to make this mando for years, so it's a "pride" thing. If I don't finish it I'll swallow my pride and take my old Harmony Monterey. One of my friends is a violin maker in Regina who visits my violin workshop here in UK every year.
I'll post the finished result later.

Here you go.....