Active Band Man Chats - Headstock Shapes

So, what’s the topic for today?

Headstock shapes!

Huh? No usual pointless opening jokes today?

Yep! Just headstock shapes!

Um... I think you know already, but I’m on the ‘headless’ side...

‘Headless’... is that a black version?

Not non-sugared!

Does it mean there’s no bias?

I guess...? Maybe like ‘nonpartisan’? I don’t have a side to support.

So, are you quick-tempered then?

That would be the ‘martial arts faction’! In the end, you can’t help but joke... I mean, the theme “headstock shapes” is already a joke to me as someone who loves headless guitars... You know I’m a headless lover, right?

Yeah, I know! Thanks to this column, it’s become well-known, and now it’s accepted by both myself and others!

Yes. So, for today’s theme, I don’t think I’ll be much help, so please bear with me.

Alright, let’s check out some guitars with the powerless Horry!

Fender / J Mascis Telecaster

First, it has to be Fender, right?

The beauty of those familiar 6-in-line tuners! I own a Jazzmaster, and once again, Fender stands out for its practicality and design!

From a practical perspective, it’s flawless. As for design... well, sometimes they release quirky models, so you can’t let your guard down.

That’s true. But I actually like that side of it too! Now, next up... here we go!

Gibson / Slash “Jessica” Les Paul Standard Honey Burst / Red Back

Well, I guess we move on to Gibson now. It’s a logical progression, I suppose.

Yeah! This one has three tuners on each side. It doesn’t have the sleek elegance of a Fender, but it has a rugged, stable feeling to it. The 1st-3rd strings are plain, and the 4th-6th are wound.

I see. So, the tuner arrangement changes depending on whether the string is plain or wound. I hadn’t thought of it that way.

Next up!

Epiphone / 1963 Firebird V; Maestro Vibrola Ember Red

The Firebird!

Yeah, Firebird.

This one has 6-in-line tuners, but they’re not visible from the surface?

Yes! They’re banjo tuners. The headstock shape even kind of looks like a bird, doesn’t it?

Oh, I see! The shape is a bit different from other tuners, but they’re called banjo tuners. I didn’t know that. It does sort of resemble a bird, but... is that because it’s a Firebird?

Hehe, it reminds me of my local souvenir O-taka Poppo.

What’s that!? (Searching image) I see. I kind of get it... maybe. If you’re curious, try searching for the image!

Alright, moving on!

Epiphone / 1958 Korina Flying V Aged Natural

Here it is! The Flying V!

The headstock tapers gently at the tip, and along with the body, it really looks like an arrow ready to fly!

Ah, the V... I’ve always admired it, but there aren’t many bass versions of the V, you know?

Alright, next!

Epiphone / 1958 Korina Explorer Aged Natural

The Explorer! Looking at it like this, Gibson is quite adventurous, isn’t it?

Yeah! Just like the Explorer! This one’s headstock shape could definitely be called a ‘banana head’!

For sure.

By the way, I love the Korina body. Explorers and Flying Vs are loved by people who play heavier rock, but when it gets even harder, maybe this is the one?

Jackson / Pro Series KING V KV Gloss Black

Oh, the Jackson V, now it’s really getting sharp.

Right, it’s so aggressive... it’s almost piercing!

The edges of the body are pretty sharp too. Seeing these kinds of pointy guitars always takes me back to the ‘80s.

The headstock is a Concorde head! It reminds me of the Fernandes Hotei model!

That’s also very ‘80s, huh?

When it comes to hard rock, here’s another one!

Killer Guitars / KG-Exploder Musha' 22 Vintage Sunburst Satin

Killer! So hot!

This one has a unique headstock shape, but what’s even rarer is the 5:1 tuner configuration!

Right. I think it has to do with string tension... Probably something Takasaki-san prefers.

Got it!

Music Man / Jason Richardson 6-strings Cutlass, Rorschach Red

Music Man often has 4:2 tuners.

Now that you mention it, the StingRay bass has a 3:1 tuner configuration.

Music Man / StingRay Special Speed Blue Roasted Maple/Rosewood - Black

My beloved guitar, the Teisco Spectrum 5, also has 4:2 tuners! I’ve been using it for so long, it feels completely natural!

Right. For me, it’s mostly 4-in-line tuners. I played an SG bass a long time ago, and it had 2:2, and the Greco Mirage bass had 3:1, but other than that, it’s mostly 4-in-line. Well, I’m basically a headless fan though.

Right. And with my Teisco, sometimes when tuning, I’ll be like, “Which one’s the tuner for the 3rd string again?”. If it were a Fender or Gibson type, I probably wouldn’t get confused...

You’re not used to it, are you?

Ugh.

Is that all?

That’s all from me! But...

But?

Since it’s a special occasion, I’d like to hear from Horry, as a headless enthusiast, about...

Enthusiast, huh?

About headless guitars!

The headstock shape of headless guitars?

There are quite a few variations, right?

Maybe there are... Let me touch on it a bit...

Go ahead! I’m excited!

First, from my collection, when we talk about headless, here’s one:

Steinberger!

When it comes to headless guitars, the first one that comes to mind is definitely Steinberger. The model is the XP-2. It’s probably from the early ‘90s? The unique feature of the headstock—or more accurately, the part where the strings pass through—is that it originally had a piece to secure the ball end of the string to the headstock, and it uses a special double ball end string.

Double ball ends! I’ve never used them.

I haven’t either. Double ball-end strings are hard to come by and quite expensive... So, what I do is, if you look at the image, I use a special string adapter and put regular strings on it.

I see. By the way, here’s what the headstock of my Steinberger guitar looks like!

Next, from my collection...

Oh, is it a bit different?

Yes, exactly. This one has holes in the grooves for each string, and you insert the string into those. There are also tuner posts where you insert the string end, but this one doesn’t have a winding type post, so you have to cut the string to the proper length, which is a bit of a hassle.

I see!

And then, Ibanez!

You sure have a lot of headless guitars... as expected.

With Ibanez, it’s just as you see. The strings are locked at the headstock, and the excess part is cut off.

I see.

I have a few more, but generally, it’s the same pattern—locking the string at the head and cutting off the excess. This method allows you to use regular strings.

Right. It’s definitely more convenient if you can use regular strings.

Also, I have a Philip Kubicki Factor Bass, which has a reversed string setup. The ball ends are secured at the headstock, and the string ends are inserted into the bridge-side gear and wound. It’s a bit... no, it’s actually quite a complicated system. Unfortunately, I don’t have it with me right now, so I can’t post pictures... Well, let’s check out some headless guitars from Sound House.

Roger!

Here we go!

Steinburger / Spirit XT-2 Black

Oh, affordable!

This Spirit Series is probably the budget model, right? It’s not a copy model, but one that uses the official bridge.

I see.

This was actually my first headless guitar as well. My first headless experience. It’s reasonably priced, so I recommend it. However, as I mentioned earlier, you can’t use regular strings, so getting a string adapter is a must.

Come to think of it, the Moore model I introduced last time (in the article about high-functionality) was headless too!

Mooer / GTRS W800 Pearl Black

It looks like it has a faint head, or maybe not...?

Also, here’s another oddball!

Traveler Guitar / Redlands D 450E

You really like the oddballs, don’t you? Wait, a headless acoustic guitar?

Yeah, the sense of unease is strangely satisfying!

I see!

This one too, but a lot of these types use a structure where the strings pass through and are secured with a wrench, so the nut tends to stick out a bit.

That’s the faint ‘head’ we’re talking about.

Is this like seeing the ghost of a withered tail flower?

I don’t think so!

Then, is it more like a Dullahan?

(Ignore that) We started talking about head shapes, but somehow the conversation shifted to headless guitars... if you’re out of material, feel free to wrap it up.

Got it! The world of headless guitars is surprisingly deep! Because everything is...?

For love!

And now the topic has changed!