How to do it??

[Dave Bagwill]

Ok hombres, I am faced with something new, to me at least.
I have a pic attached. I now want to make that a slot-head.
What is the procedure? I have tools, but nothing dedicated to cutting slots. And please ignore that the camera makes it look twisted.
Gracias,
D

DSC00563.JPG (177.45 KiB) Viewed 2881 times

[Dave Bagwill]

What I've read is - first, drill the holes for the tuners/rollers. Then use a drill press to rough out the slots. Clean up with files and sandpaper. Like that.
Any other hints?

[John Parchem]

What you are saying sound great. Drill the tuner holes first, then drill 4 holes two on each end of the slot (diameter = slot width). Then either cut the slot out inside the line with a coping saw (my preferred way) or use a smaller diameter bit and rough out a slot between the two end holes.

Before doing anything check that the tuners fit with the thickness of the headstock as the slotted headstocks are typically thicker.

[Hans Mattes]

If the slot-head tuners want a thicker headstock, use a thicker headplate -- and account for the thicker headplate when drilling the tuner holes.

[Dave Bagwill]

Good advice, thanks guys.

[Kenny Wiebusch]

I had to trash my first attempt at a slothead. Live and learn. I tried to use a scroll saw and it was not cutting well. The second neck went much better. I used a forstner bit to cut most of the slot out then a chisel and rasp. There is a reason squared off slotheads cost more, they are more work. Be aware the angle of a slothead can be a bit different as the strings go down into the slot.

[Hans Mattes]

Good advice re the angle of the slothead. On the first one I built, strings 1 and 6 hit the "bottom" edge of the slot between the tuner and the nut -- I hadn't relieved the end of the slot adequately. So I unstrung the guitar, carved the needed relief into the slot, and refinished the neck. (Yet one more advantage to having a bolt-on neck.)