To Scarf or Not?

Posted by Habanera Hal on June 5, 2011 at 7:32pm

As I understand it, a scarf joint is used to angle the strings to prevent them from jumping out of the nut: this is why Fender and other manufacturers use string guides on straight headstocks.

I did a scarf joint on my first CBG and have done straight neck/headstocks since then.  I've never had a problem with strings jumping out.  Between thinning the headstock for the tuners and adding a fretboard, there seems to be enough angle to keep the strings in place. 

Seems to me a scarf joint is just weakening the entire piece, yet obviously guitars have used angled pegheads for centuries.  Is there some other reason for utilizing a scarf joint that I'm missing?

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Replies

  • colin mcgrath January 26, 2013 at 12:58pm

    my view is that it does help to have an angled headstock, even a slight bend is a help. Even though there are ways to wind the strings where a string tree is not necessary on a flat head. I do not scarf, I use thick widths for my neck blank. When I cut the blank to the thickness I want, I also cut the headstock with the angle I want to use. Thus the neck is not being cut and altered. I know many guitarist who claim the angle is the selling point on a guitar. However, Fender is not losing customers so... take that as you want.

    • Jim burt > colin mcgrath January 26, 2013 at 5:17pm

      LOL! It really doesnt matter which way you do the neck....Main thing if you are "Happy' with it...Isnt that the only that thing matter :)

    • colin mcgrath > Jim burt February 27, 2013 at 10:51am

      yup

  • Jim burt January 8, 2013 at 6:31am

    I for 1 love the scarf joint....It clean..strong...beautiful....It give the neck that classic style....I even used it on my canjo too.....There are many different ways to make this joint....I like to used the table saw...I also want to keep my pinkies too...You cant  play to good without them....I used a special made jig to cut  the scarf joint....It alway pays to be safe....

    • Sawdust > Jim burt January 25, 2013 at 11:37pm

      It has also been said that a glue joint is actually stronger than a straight run of wood.

      Straw

    • Jim burt > Sawdust January 26, 2013 at 2:14am

      True! The the glue joint will be last thing to break....How to you think table top are put together....It strong and make to last...

  • Andy Eight Spades CBG June 27, 2011 at 7:23pm

    I do it just for the look but the function is pretty nice as well.  If I'm just cutting down from the top to add space,  I will take the peice I cut off and glue it to the back and after some shaping and sanding it comes out looking great.  This also lowers the tuners a bit more from the nut.

     

    but there's just something about a really nice tilt back headstock that I love.

  • Wade June 21, 2011 at 8:37pm


    I think both headstock angle methods are fine.Leo Fender chose not to do a scarf because it was more cost effective. If you don't put a fretboard on your necks, the angle could become a problem and will result in buzzing on a non scarf joint. Especially on the strings that are further up on the headstock. But as a general rule I think both work well. I just like the look of a scarf joint.

     

    Wade 

  • Habanera Hal June 6, 2011 at 10:15am

    Thanks Rand, that pretty much was my thinking.  Like you, if I'm using a 1 x 3 tuner, I'll slot the headstock.  Not only do I believe this is stronger, it's faster to build.  On the subject of a larger peghead to incorporate artwork or a more decorative shape, I've added "wings" to the neck stock, which also allow the tuners to be spaced out some.



    Rand Moore said:

    Hi Hal,

     

    There are a variety of different headstock designs, and the scarf joint is probably the most traditional, but that does not mean there is anything that makes it superior to these other headstock designs. As you said, the primary reason for a scarf joint is to provide an angle for the strings to bend over the nut and this is done to help keep the strings in their respective groove in the nut. This angle is called the string break angle and tends to range from 10 to 20 degrees, with 15 degrees a common choice. Another reason for the break angle is to help keep the strings from buzzing, but that is also a function of the depth of the groove and whether the bottom of the grove is more of a "flat" or a "point". It's better to have the string break over a point than over a flat surface to avoid buzzing.

     

    I started out doing scarf joints, but most my head designs these days are formed by cutting down into the face of the headstock to reduce the thickness of the head from 1" thick to about 3/4" thick. Then I add a fretboard which adds another 0.25". So that's about 0.5" plus a little for the nut. The resulting break angle is well over 15 degrees (maybe 40, 30 and 20 degrees for strings 1, 2, and 3 respectively), but I have no problems with strings popping out of the grooves of the cut bolts I use for nuts, no to I have problems with buzzing at the nut. Further more, if I'm using individual tuning machines, I just drill a hole for each tuner down through the headstock and mount the tuners from below. But, if I am using a set of 1x3 inline tuners, then I'll slot the headstock, then drill the holes for the tuner shafts from one side or the other of the headstock. This will increase the break angle even further.

     

    The only other reason for doing a scarf joint headstock is that the resulting headstock can be used to support some kind of artwork - plenty of space for that compared to my rather short and narrow headstocks. The Lute, Oud and similar middle eastern instruments have a much greater break angle. So, there's nothing magical about the 15 degrees most people use on their acoustic guitars. Just tradition, I guess.

     

    -Rand.

     

     

  • Rand Moore June 5, 2011 at 9:22pm

    Hi Hal,

     

    There are a variety of different headstock designs, and the scarf joint is probably the most traditional, but that does not mean there is anything that makes it superior to these other headstock designs. As you said, the primary reason for a scarf joint is to provide an angle for the strings to bend over the nut and this is done to help keep the strings in their respective groove in the nut. This angle is called the string break angle and tends to range from 10 to 20 degrees, with 15 degrees a common choice. Another reason for the break angle is to help keep the strings from buzzing, but that is also a function of the depth of the groove and whether the bottom of the grove is more of a "flat" or a "point". It's better to have the string break over a point than over a flat surface to avoid buzzing.

     

    I started out doing scarf joints, but most my head designs these days are formed by cutting down into the face of the headstock to reduce the thickness of the head from 1" thick to about 3/4" thick. Then I add a fretboard which adds another 0.25". So that's about 0.5" plus a little for the nut. The resulting break angle is well over 15 degrees (maybe 40, 30 and 20 degrees for strings 1, 2, and 3 respectively), but I have no problems with strings popping out of the grooves of the cut bolts I use for nuts, no to I have problems with buzzing at the nut. Further more, if I'm using individual tuning machines, I just drill a hole for each tuner down through the headstock and mount the tuners from below. But, if I am using a set of 1x3 inline tuners, then I'll slot the headstock, then drill the holes for the tuner shafts from one side or the other of the headstock. This will increase the break angle even further.

     

    The only other reason for doing a scarf joint headstock is that the resulting headstock can be used to support some kind of artwork - plenty of space for that compared to my rather short and narrow headstocks. The Lute, Oud and similar middle eastern instruments have a much greater break angle. So, there's nothing magical about the 15 degrees most people use on their acoustic guitars. Just tradition, I guess.

     

    -Rand.

     

     

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