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What is it with headstock design?


Owen

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So many lovely basses out there. So many ........ unpleasing headstocks. I have no positive suggestions, don't get me wrong. But people who can design really nice bodies just miss the spot with the headstock. Or is it just me?

 

Disclaimer - I am stuck in front of Saturday night TV and I am bored. I will also not be pointing out examples of what I mean - nothing to be gained by dissing people on a public forum. 

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I like Wal and Gibson (classic open book, and V) headstocks, and I'm fine with Fenders, too. The Stingray is also very elegant, and distinctive. Oh, and the old Aria Pro II SB headstocks, which unfortunately don't match very well with the body. 

I don't like 2+2 headstocks that are asymmetrical, as most are nowadays. I'm also of the opinion that most headstocks would be immediately improved with cloverleaf tuners. I'm not a fan of whatever you would call the more triangular tuners that have been so predominant over the last 30 years or so. 

My favourite guitar headstock belongs to the Hamer Sunburst. 

Edited by ZilchWoolham
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The headstock shape is generally a big part of what identifies the brand (it's where the logo is normally located too) so needs to be as individual as possible (assuming it's not actually trying to look as much as possible like another brand without actually getting sued for it). There are only so many shapes that are practical in terms of holding the tuners in a suitable position before you have to start adding weird sticky-out bits purely in order to be different.

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12 hours ago, gelfin said:

I quite like mine. But then I would I suppose.

c_Dc_Ip_Yvh.jpg

 

That is stunning.  Is it one of the Mouradian (may have mispelt that) basses that Chris Squire used to use, albeit with a different pickup combo?  I'd love to try one of these.

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1 hour ago, ead said:

That is stunning.  Is it one of the Mouradian (may have mispelt that) basses that Chris Squire used to use, albeit with a different pickup combo?  I'd love to try one of these.

This a Andyjr1515 build which acknowledges the CS original design.

I love the headstock designs he produces. Here's the design on my Psilos Bass.

LVZfy56h.jpg&key=dbb391334b74d85871f613ddfd7f2f07d00e546dbd3c29ccf3c27f6714ba493e

Got to agree that many headstock designs are poorly designed, many are just lazy copies of the original Fender design. One my favourite headstock designs is the mid 80s design of the Ibanez models such as the Musician, even though this has a nod to the Alembic SC models.

Image result for ibanez musician bass Image result for alembic bass stanley clarke

 

Edited by TheGreek
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15 hours ago, owen said:

So many lovely basses out there. So many ........ unpleasing headstocks. I have no positive suggestions, don't get me wrong. But people who can design really nice bodies just miss the spot with the headstock. Or is it just me?

 

Disclaimer - I am stuck in front of Saturday night TV and I am bored. I will also not be pointing out examples of what I mean - nothing to be gained by dissing people on a public forum. 

The headstock is the reason i have never owned a G&L bass, which is a shame as i know they are good basses.

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