Headstock — Lutherie Encyclopedia

HeadstockType: glossaryThe widened end of the neck that holds the tuning machines and provides a string anchor point.## Definition The headstock, also called the peghead, is the flat or angled platform at the end of the neck where the tuning machines are mounted. It provides the anchor point for the strings at the nut end of the instrument and houses the mechanical tuners that allow the player to adjust string tension and pitch. The headstock shape is often a distinctive brand identifier; Martin, Gibson, Fender, and classical guitars each have iconic headstock silhouettes. Headstocks may be either flat (inline with the neck, as on most Fender designs) or angled back (tilted typically 13 to 17 degrees, as on Gibson and most acoustic guitars). An angled headstock increases the string break angle over the nut, improving downward pressure and tone transfer, but introduces a structural weakness at the joint between the neck and headstock. ## In Practice Headstock construction varies significantly between traditions. On acoustic and classical guitars, the headstock is typically part of the neck blank, with the angle created either by cutting the blank from an angled billet or by grafting a separate angled piece (a scarf joint). The scarf joint approach is more material-efficient and can actually be stronger than a one-piece angled headstock because the grain runs through the joint rather than across it. The luthier drills holes for the tuning machine posts, shapes the headstock outline, and often adds a decorative veneer or overlay. A volute, a small reinforcing ridge at the back of the headstoc…