Slotted Peghead?

[Parker135]

I'm building a version of Graham McDonald's canted top mandolin, for which he suggests a slotted peghead and zero fret. I'm all for the zero fret, but I'm wondering about the slotted peghead. This is my fourth mandolin build, and it might be fun to try something different, but so far I've only found the (Rubner) tuners in Australia, and I'm wondering if it's worth the trouble. I'm so used to looking at paddle-head and snakehead shapes, for which I have experience and the drilling jig....is there any reason to press on with the slotted peghead, other than to try something new?

[Ray(T)]

Do you hate changing strings? (!)

[Parker135]

Ha ha! Don't hate it, but mowing the lawn is more fun. I've had slotted head style tuners in mountain dulcimers, and I have to say it's pretty tedious. These weren't cut all the way through, so I was hoping the actual slotted head would be a little easier. I think you're trying to tell me something....

[PT66]

I used the Rubner tuners on my octave mandolin because I was going for a Selmer Gypsy jazz look.

[Ray(T)]

I was always taught that good design consists of three things, economics, aesthetics and ergonomics. It might be cheap and, at the same time look a million dollars but if it’s a pain to use, it’s badly designed. I would never discourage anyone from making their own choice but I’ve always avoided slotted headstocks on anything due their being a pain to change strings. I have much the same view about certain tailpieces.

[PT66]

I have never found slotted headstocks harder to change strings. But I do feel that they are harder to make. I use a slotted headstock if I am trying to replicate a historic design as in my tenor harp guitar.

[boatman]

Can’t say as how I find string changes on a slotted headstock to be any more tedious than a solid. I kind of like how the angle of the string as it’s routed from the nut to the hole in the shaft can be adjusted the width of the slot.

[Bertram Henze]

I have instruments with both types of headstocks and can't say string change is very different. But if someone knocks your instrument over in a jam/session you'll find that slotted headstocks are more delicate.

[Parker135]

I think based on all the comments thus far, I'll stick with a solid headstock. I was curious to know if there was some compelling reason to give a slotted one a try, but I'm not seeing it. Thanks everyone for you comments.

Parker

[Dave Cohen]

Based on tuner baseplate width, you can make a slotted headstock about 0.650" thick, which is only about 0.050" thicker than a typical solid headstock, hence not much added mass, if any. But removing the material to make the slots, removes about 30 grams (slightly over 1 oz) of mass. I want the neck/headstock assembly in an ff-hole type mandolin to be both as stiff and as light as I can possibly make it. I've experienced some very good sonic results in some recent experimental mandolins with very stiff and relatively light neck/headstock assemblies. Of course, you can also achieve some mass reduction with a solid headstock by (a) keeping it relatively small, and (b) partially hollowing out part of the interior of the headstock before covering it with the headstock veneer.

[j. condino]

My old friend, the late John Sullivan did a nice job with this one: