A thread for headless guitars...

[DHart]

Congratulations on the new guitar! It’s beautiful.

I really want a Strandberg, but I don’t want multi-scale. Currently checking out some Ibanez options. I don’t need anything, and probably won’t end up getting anything, but I am quite curious.

@Jakedog Hey man, this guitar just arrived today. I bought a used one in excellent condition (not a mark on it) from GC for $799.

Q52PE | Q | ELECTRIC GUITARS | PRODUCTS | Ibanez guitars

Q52PE at Ibanez. Ibanez offers electric guitars, bass guitars, acoustic guitars, effect and pedals, amps, plus guitar accessories like tuners, straps and picks.

www.ibanez.com

I think this is what you've been considering. Not multi-scale. Ebony fretboard, Jester EVOgold frets, a lot of excellent tones available. 4 lbs. 10 oz.

Already having the Strandberg Original, I wasn't expecting to be thrilled with the Ibanez. BUT, it has surprised me. Feature set is impressive, playability and tones are excellent. Build quality is very nice. Actually, I don't want to let this one go either.

Some tone samples and wicked playing:

https://www.youtube.com/embed/aXKGhg0s92Y?rel=0&amp%3Bshowinfo=0

 

[DHart]

Bit of an update on my exploration of headless guitars.

The HILS Next Headless guitar arrived today. I am quite impressed with this one. And then, considering the $499 price... it is a great deal. The pickups are good, though a bit warm to my taste, lacking as much clarity as I prefer, so not what I would consider to be "great". If I were to keep this one, I'd want to pop in a pair of top grade buckers. The neck is wonderful, playability very good. Fit and finish of neck and body is fine. Body design of the HILS Next is my favorite of the three, though the woods and finish on the Strandberg are absolutely "top shelf," head and shoulders above the other two, as you would expect for the steep Strandberg price.

Here's a review on it:


I agree with the reviewer that the HILS Next is a very worthy, very sensibly-priced headless guitar. HILS have created a winner. Definitely a keeper, especially at the price point. I find it to be even a bit more playable than the Ibanez. Though the Ibanez pickups have better tone quality and more tonal options.

Between the Strandberg Original ($2300 new), the Ibanez Q52PE ($1100 new), and now the HILS Next ($500 new), I can't say that I would eagerly give any of them up. They're each quite nice in their own ways - and price points. I'm into the Strandberg at $1650 used, the Ibanez at $799 used, and the HILS at $499 new.

There is just one more headless guitar that I plan to acquire and compare to the three I have now: the Strandberg "Essential", which is a $1000 guitar.

Something tells me that I would happily keep all four of these guitars, though my budget isn't going to allow for that. At least one of them, perhaps two of them will need to go.

 

[IowaTeleGuy]

The only guitar I want to play anymore

 

[BigDaddyLH]

I'm not a big fan of 24 fret guitars -- the neck pickup ends up too near the bridge for my tastes.

Headless guitars all seem to go for 24 frets. Are they any with, say, 21 frets? Not shreddy enuf?

To answer my own question, I just saw the Keisel Tim Miller signature model, the M6:

Miller went with 22 frets to have the neck pickup at the "24" spot. Semi-hollow, ebony fretboard, 14" radius (many headless guits are flatter), SS medium-jumbo frets, neck-thru construction. Specs sound good to me.

 

[Hallo Spencer]

My taste in guitars is very traditional. I'm really stuck to designs of the 50s and 60s (how unusual for a guitar player, right?) but I always fancied a black Hohner B2 bass, a copy of a Steinberger XL2. I really wonder why...

 

[BigDaddyLH]

I just noticed that Warmoth and USACG don't do headless guitars. Do you think the success of Strandberg will change that soon?