Why headless guitar

Where do they come from and how do they work? Maybe the most glaring question about headless guitar design is where do the tuners go? Do headless guitars even have tuning machines? In fact, the tuners migrate all the way to the opposite end of the guitar, placed behind the bridge. This unconventional but savvy design places all of the hardware in one location. Having everything in one place eliminates the need for a nut, which is a boon for your open notes and intonation in general.

There are also several ergonomic benefits to ditching the headstock. Without that extra wood and hardware at the end of the neck, balance of the guitar shifts to the body, alleviating the strain on your strap shoulder.

Many headless luthiers, like Strandberg , offer chambered bodies, typically reducing the weight to between 5 and 6 pounds. With the tuners at the base of the bridge, the body has to cut off right there, trimming the inches of extra wood that are typical of, say, a Strat. Some models have horns or other features that extend on either side of the tuners, but the tuning machines themselves are where the heart of the instrument stops.

Suddenly, the body of a guitar with a The general consensus is that Ned Steinberger was the first designer to achieve real success with his headless models, which originated when he worked for bass luthier, Stuart Spector. Steinberger himself actually got the gig for his work as a designer and sculptor, not a luthier. This background gave him a perspective outside of traditional guitar shapes and trends.

His first headless model for Spector was the L2 bass, which went on to win several design awards. Steinberger formed his own company in and has continued to produce models like the famous Spirit, and most recently the ZT Steinberger also innovated the TransTrem, a unique tremolo system bends entire chords while maintaining precise intonation.

The next noteworthy mention goes to Teuffel guitars with the Birdfish model. Even in the bizarre world of headless guitars, this is a truly unique work of art. Removing the headstock not only eliminates any potential of being neck-heavy, it also makes the entire instrument lighter. You know how some tremolo-equipped guitars have fine tuners on the bridge for making minor adjustments to tuning? While you may not hear a major tonal change overall, one thing that will change is the tone between your open notes and your fretted notes.

Fretted notes sound different because they are resting on metal a fret while your open notes are resting on plastic the nut. This is why there is a slight tonal difference when playing an open note. Merch Shop. Members Current visitors. Log in Register. Search titles only. Search Advanced search…. New posts. Search forums. Log in. Change style. Contact us. Close Menu. Click Here. Home Forums Instruments Guitars in General.

JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Why do I want a headless guitar? Thread starter Jynx Start date Nov 23, Jynx Senior Member. Messages 2, I'm not saying I do want one, but sell it to me anyway. Why do I want or need a headless guitar like a Strandberg Boden?

Beats me. MagRick Member. Messages 1, Its not just headless, its ballless too DrumBob Platinum Supporting Member. Messages 18, You don't. Warkli Member. Messages They are light which is the only plus comes to my mind. May be you like ugly guitars or you are not a headstock guy?