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What kind of things does one need to keep in mind when designing a peghead?
Minimum/Maximum distances of tuners from one another?
Distance from sides (assuming clearance of buttons)?
Anything general guidelines you guys have found to be helpful?
I want to figure out some of these before I get too happy with a design only to find it doesn't work for one reason or another.
Photos would be more than helpful. Not to copy a design, but maybe as a specific example?
Thanks!

-j.j.Brown38738.0278472222

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“If God dwells inside us like some people say, I sure hope He likes enchiladas, because that's what He's getting”
-jack handy

I put the first pair of tuners about 1 1/2" from the nut & then lay the rest out at 1 1/4" on centre. (This is for a standard 3 left / 3 right configuration)
When drawing a pattern lay it out full size & accurately draw in the nut with the string locations. When you lay out the tuner positions, draw the strings in to make sure they don't come too near (or touch) the adjacent tuner.
The centre of the tuner post should be 1/2" from the edge of the peghead.
Try to get the edge spacing very consistent... Any variation is quite noticeable once the tuners are installed.
Do all your layout from a centre line to keep it symetrical. A good compass or a pair of dividers is very useful for the layout.
As far as the esthetics go... You're on your own! It's tricky to come up with someting really unique & still have it look "right". If you cruise around this (& other) forum(s) you'll see plenty to stir the creative juices!
On my latest guitar, I changed my peghead shape to reflect the curves on my bridge pattern. It seemed like a good idea to have the two elements be complimentary in shape.
Have fun!

I agree with the comments above. However, I found to my surprise that the headstock on my 1946 0018 had the top (D and G tuners) about 1,5 mm farther in from the heastock edge than the E tuners, with the middle (A and B) ones lined up between. I'm not sure if this is something that happend by accident when new Grover enclosed gear tuners were installed (not by me), but I actually think it is an elegant touch.

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

There is the issue of; Inline tuners (tuners inline with the string spacing @ nut, ) Vs. Non inline.

The inline headstock has a slight wedge shape. My own feelings, for what it's worth, is that the inline set up gives more freedom of string length , enabling the string to easily pass over the nut. The longer the available string length , the less tension required to fret a note , as the extra available string length provides that string more stretch area . This lowers the tension of that string in total yet still maintains pitch......... more comfortable to play.

There is one thing that worries me though. Should a nut string slot be (or become ) larger than the string diameter,There is a possibility that the string could , (depending on how much downbearing it has ), want to have a sideways movement in the nut slot , be it ever so slight. I felt a compromise is in order by placing the tuners slightly out of direct line . this would deter any side movement yet not interrupt the strings freedom .

Regards KiwiCraig

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CRAIG LAWRENCE of AUSTRALIA
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I was reminded that slot heads are a bit thicker (3/4" min?) than standard pegheads.

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Thank You and Best To All

The apparent "non-alignment" that Arnt mentioned is present on all solid peghead Martins that I've seen. It ensures that the D and G strings don't contact the A and B tuner posts. Something to watch out for when laying out your tuners, as Daniel said . Look out for the two E tuners too. Two popular guitar plans that I have don't account for this, and if the tuners were drilled as in these plans, there could well be some interference.

Pat

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now known around here as Pat Foster
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

I also like to have my headstock shaped so the D and G strings are medial to
the others.....Angle slopping in...This give better string alignment to the nut.
Andy

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Andy Z.
http://www.lazydogguitars.com

Also, once you come up with the design, put in on a thick piece of lexan/
plexiglass as template.
By doing so, I just use thin 2 sided tape and stick it to the top of the
peghead. With a flush cutting router bit, the bearing follows the template
and I get a perfect headstock everytime.

Good luck
Andy

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Andy Z.
http://www.lazydogguitars.com

I like the string pull to be pretty straight. That is why I have moved to more of the snakehead design.

Also. If you are using Waverly's you need to space them a bit differently than the closed tuners. They are slighly larger and require the posts to be a little farther apart.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com