Headless guitars: yay or nay?

[dubkitty]

true, but that was about the most normal-guitar-looking headless ever produced. IIRC that was Steinberger’s compromise attempt to attract less radical guitarists. i can see how one of the Strandberg types and such could be comfortable, but how much would i have to adapt my technique (such as it is) to their various differences? what would that do to playing seated or standing? this is why i wouldn’t just order one on spec out of curiosity. it’s an extreme example of having to play before buying. i suppose one could order from someplace with 30-day returns.

[Pepe]

Headless? Oh God, please, no! Not for me at least. I already have difficulties playing a guitar that has a capodaster attached. I definitely need to know where the head of my instrument is.

[Gone Fission]

The GL is the original boat paddle Steinberger shape.

To be fair, I hear people who those don’t work for talk about the nearly non-corporeal aspect being weird to adjust to—if you’re used to a certain size and weight of using certain spots on the instrument for leverage for particular playing techniques, you could be in for a readjustment. The Klein Guitars appropriation of the Ovation Breadwinner body shape is usually identified as enhancing ergonomics with the contours positioning the body and giving the right arm a place to rest. But it might have also gotten taken up because it still felt more like the guitars people had been used to.

[Phosphene Audio]

true, but that was about the most normal-guitar-looking headless ever produced. IIRC that was Steinberger’s compromise attempt to attract less radical guitarists. i can see how one of the Strandberg types and such could be comfortable, but how much would i have to adapt my technique (such as it is) to their various differences? what would that do to playing seated or standing? this is why i wouldn’t just order one on spec out of curiosity. it’s an extreme example of having to play before buying. i suppose one could order from someplace with 30-day returns.

I have had a bunch of headless guitars over the years. A year or two ago I bought a used Strandberg and immediately put it back up for sale, for 2 reasons.

I could not deal with the neck shape. It was not just the shape, but it was a little too thick.

The hardware seemed incredibly cheesy and there have been some stories about parts breaking on the FB Strandberg group.

I currently have an Ibanez 7 string headless and I like it. It's not a top of the line guitar, but it's solid and sounds good, better (to me) than the Strandberg. The Strandbergs look cooler, though.


I also have a Scott French headless from 20 some years ago, though I don't play it that often. It's great, but I had it built like a bass, with a big upper bout extension that makes it not as easy to play, IMO. I was younger and semi clueless and Scott was willing to build anything.


I have also had others, a MusicYo Steinberger with the GM shape, a Teuffel Tesla and a Synsonics. I thin there were others, but that's what I remember. I still have a Lotus Steinberger bass copy with the licensed hardware.

I don't have any problems adjusting to the lack of headstock. I don't find myself running into the headstock on a normal guitar.

I do think Klein had the coolest original headless shape.