Has anyone moved the tuners over and shaved a paddle head down

**pefjr** · May-15-2012, 8:31pm

to a snake head size?

**John Duncan** · May-15-2012, 9:35pm

Dan Lashbrook has done that several times.

**jim simpson** · May-15-2012, 9:52pm

I bought a poorly refinished Gibson A that also had an unsightly headstock repair. It seemed like a good candidate to reshape.
See thread:

http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...al+restoration

**pefjr** · May-15-2012, 10:14pm

I don't have any idea the cost but a snake head seems to be worth a good bit more, so....

**JeffD** · May-15-2012, 10:27pm

I don't think a headstock modification from paddle to snake head is going to raise the value of the mandolin. Quite the reverse if anything.

**barrangatan** · May-15-2012, 10:31pm

And a snakehead is so much more than the headstock...

**Dobe** · May-16-2012, 10:51am

I'd imagine it would be sacrilege to some.

**JeffD** · May-16-2012, 11:20am

Originally Posted by barrangatan

And a snakehead is so much more than the headstock...

**barrangatan** · May-16-2012, 11:24am

Originally Posted by barrangatan

And a snakehead is so much more than the headstock...

Originally Posted by JeffD

It does sound kinda funny now that I re-read it..

What I really meant was "the difference between a paddlehead and a snakehead is so much more than just the headstock...'

**Darryl Wolfe** · May-16-2012, 12:48pm

This shall be done only to the A3 that I try to pass off as original

**grandcanyonminstrel** · May-16-2012, 6:07pm

Originally Posted by barrangatan

And a snakehead is so much more than the headstock...

The real things that add up to making a nice snakehead stand out from paddleheads are pretty much everything but the headstock shape. There is a nice older thread where Gail Hester did a fine job of listing all of the differences in graduations between the two and you can see quite a difference in construction. I don't have a link for it, but I keep notes from it on the shop wall.

I've seen a number of "snakehead conversions" floating around my area and I once bought one off ebay a few years ago that was supposed to be original but turned out to be a 1914 body with a modified neck. The price difference between an original paddlehead and a snakehead is still close enough that when all the work and cosmetics are finished up, you'd likely have about the same investment in time and or money. It takes a lot of skill to blend things in so they seem invisible to a skilled eye. I'd rather spend that effort on an original; they are still one of the best deals going in the vintage market.

j.
www.condino.com
www.kaybassrepair.com

**Bernie Daniel** · May-16-2012, 6:11pm

Originally Posted by Darryl Wolfe

This shall be done only to the A3 that I try to pass off as original

Caveat emptor!

**pefjr** · May-18-2012, 2:34pm

What is a "typical Snakehead sound"? I have read this description.

**nobullmando74** · May-18-2012, 4:35pm

Originally Posted by pefjr

What is a "typical Snakehead sound"? I have read this description.

Ssssssssssssssssss Ssssssssssssss

**MikeEdgerton** · May-18-2012, 4:47pm

I actually suggested this a few years ago on the Mandolin Cafe project mandolin. I just like the way snakes look.

**barrangatan** · May-18-2012, 4:50pm

Originally Posted by pefjr

What is a "typical Snakehead sound"? I have read this description.

I'll defer to the experts who had chimed in on this subject in the past. Here are some of the memorable threads I can recall:

http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...-Snakehead-A-s
http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...ound-different

And my favorite thread:
http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...ads-so-special

**the padma** · May-19-2012, 10:16am

Remodeling a peg head hmmm....

well,widening, narrowing, extending, rearrange, add or removing tuners....this is all part and parcel of the loofers trade...although not very commonly performed. And me have done it many times to various instruments not just mandos...In fact me is converting a 6 string arch topper into a 4 courser, 5 stringed mando cello in the next day or 3. This involves remodeling the head and shaving the neck sides.

Ya, me has no qualms about remodeling an instrument ~ if its for sonic purposes...however if its for ego driven visual efx bling, well then me send them down the road to see me buddie, Bob the carpenter.

blessings