got the luthiertool slothead fixture.

[Mike Ryan]

So, I have this very nicely made slothead steelstring fixture from luthiertool who were very nice to me but I still have questions as is my nature.
I don't know what the standard headstock dimensions are for a slothead steelstring. I have done a slothead on a classical, though. Are they the same.
I am building parlors and the headstocks will be wider but this might work anyway because I am putting in steel 2 way trussrods and the greater headstock mass would help balance that.
Anybody else using this fixture to do parlor guitar slotheads???
I can figure something out but that just adds time overhead.
Thanks, you guys.

[Mike Ryan]

Well, what do u know. Looks like my regular non slot head headstock templates would work.
Just hate to state drilling/routing away and then go "oops". Certain number of oopsizies are OK but not too many.
Like the looks of this jig though.

[David King]

I would try a few mock up headstocks and see how things look. I just had a conversation with another friend who just bought this jig. He seems very pleased for the most part but I judge that some of the adaptor plates that came with it aren't all the same outer dimension so getting things lined up sounds like it might be finicky the first time through.

[Mike Ryan]

Thanks, David, I have some pieces for mockups. Will try them. Let you know how it works. Maybe take some photos of the progress. First thing I am just trying my regular plate type headstock template.

[Christ Kacoyannakis]

I have a custom slot head fixture for bouzouki from Chris at LuthierTool. It works fantastic. I sent him the dimensions so it would come out the way I wanted. Even still, I usually make up a mock-up headstock to make sure the holes are getting drilled exactly where I want them, and to familiarize myself with how the jig operates, since I use it fairly infrequently. But, it is worth its weight in gold. There are many Greek bouzouki luthiers who would love that jig, but they don't want to shell out the money.

[Mike Ryan]

Look, I am over 65 and I don't know how many guitars I have left in me so ANYTHING that helps me get things done with the least hassle is worth gold to me. You young guys, go ahead an make guitars with swiss army knives, NOT me.

[Mike Ryan]

Cut one test head. Seems to work fine. I did have to shim the jig 1/16 inch to get it to center the tuning machine holes on a 3/4 inch headstock thickness but it worked fine.
I used a 1/4 spiral bit on a 2 1/4 pc plunge router just like the video showed. Cut beautifully in my test wood, anigre. No tearout at all but this is a fairly tight grain wood.
We will see how it goes on the real thing.
Here a few pictures of the test.

[Mike Ryan]

tuners in place

[Mike Ryan]

jig on head

[David King]

It looks good to me! If you are using a top bearing bit for the cutouts you might wrap a couple of layers of tape around the bearing and remove it for a last skim pass at the very end of the routing on the trickier woods.

[Mike Ryan]

Just used rub collars on the router, 7/16 first pass, then when slot is cut with that collar, reduce to 3/8 collar. Just as the instructions for jig. Worked great.
I don't do well with bearing bits, so I use rub collars whenever I can.
I do have a nice bottom bearing 1/4 inch spiral bit for the lateral profile of the headstock tho.

[Sylvan Wells]

I have probably made over 100 slot head instruments with this jig. It is absolutely terrific! If you follow the instructions, your slot head instruments will be great. It is the closest thing to perfection, as far as jigs go!!

[jack williams]

I have used the LuthierTool slot head fixture on the last few slot peg heads I have done and I am overall very pleased.. Prior to this, I used a hollow chisel morticing bit in my drill press.. Both methods require some clean up of the sides, but the LuthierTool jig requires much less