Does Fender's Hendrix range of Strats annoy anyone else?

[SixStringSlinger]

Yes it does lol

But I suppose I shouldn't explain how if you're deadset in that belief. Anyways, there's tons of threads and videos out there that proves it.

What exactly do you mean by "action"? Because that term usually refers to the height of the string off the fretboard. I can see how string tension could be affected by a flipped headstock, but not action as I've defined it.

 

[ABetterTelePlayer]

Easy answer.

"A guitar with a standard headstock has a tuner near the player at the shortest distance from the bridge. On the other hand, a reverse headstock, as suggested by the name, is reversed from an in-line tuner set. It’s different in such a way that the low E string is the longest string. Such a construction increases the string tension in the low strings to allow the lower tuning to not flab out, and the higher strings can be easily played.

Reverse headstock guitars first originated as an alternative to left-handed guitars when they did not exist. A reverse headstock makes treble strings feel a bit looser and easier to bend and the bass strings tighter. This changes the feel of bends, making them quicker. This effect is quite subtle but real. It is the main attraction for those who prefer to use reverse headstock guitars."

Reverse Headstock Guitars – UPDATED 2023 – A Complete Guide

Full coverage of Reverse Headstock Guitars. Their advantages, how to string them, and how do they compare to a traditional headstock?

guitarpickreviews.com

The reverse headstock has some amazing benefits over conventional headstocks. On a six-in-line standard headstock, the top ‘e’ is longer than the bottom ‘E’. As longer strings need more tension to tune to pitch, the ‘e’ is in maximum tension. For a reverse headstock, thinner strings are shorter. It causes them to require less tension which means it is easier to bend and hold down the chords.


Strat-style guitars fitted with reverse headstocks are quite easier to play than standard ones. Short-scale guitars also have advantages with reverse headstocks. When the same gauge strings are used, a 24-inch scale obviously has a lower tension than a 25.5-inch scale. Using 9-42 on a 25.5-inch scale is good, but it can cause rattles on the thicker strings of the 24-inch scale because of the lower tension. This is why you would fit 10-46 gauge to compensate for it.

However, using a reverse headstock means you can stay with the 9-42 gauge because the thicker strings will be under higher tension as they are longer and there is less possibility of flapping. A reverse headstock strat guitar is also more ergonomic and more convenient to play. As your hand is already on the treble side of the neck, you just need to move it down the headstock and you are on the same side as the tuners."

In the end, the reverse headstock affected everything. I'm not sure how it became indecipherable how it would affect tone, tension and more but I guess it's not too different from someone getting noise from one shielded studio room and none in a next room that's built completely the same way.

 

[SixStringSlinger]

Ok, so a reversed headstock doesn't exactly affect action. However, it does affect tension, which in turn can have an effect on the action you can get without strings flapping around and buzzing.

In other words, all other things remaining equal, if I could somehow just flip my headstock, my string action would not change. However, it could make it so that I could get my lower-pitched strings closer to the fretboard without negative side-effects.

Voila, clarity.

 

[badscrew_projects]

No it doesn’t affect tension either. You guys are misunderstanding basic mechanics.

 

[ABetterTelePlayer]

Okay.... I guess everyone is wrong and you're right. Either way, I'd have to be insane to say it didn't affect the basic variables of mechanics with strings and feel of tension for the guitars.

 

[badscrew_projects]

Okay.... I guess everyone is wrong and you're right. Either way, I'd have to be insane to say it didn't affect the basic variables of mechanics with strings and feel of tension for the guitars.

Multiple people wrong doesn’t make it right. Especially « on internet ».
String tension is NOT impacted by its non-vibrating length past the nut if it’s tuned to the same note.
Everyone who doesn’t understand this is plain wrong, no other way to say that.

 

[smoothrecluse]

We need a test - two strats, one with a normal headstock, one reversed, set up exactly the same way, then measure string pull at the 12 fret or something with a fish scale to see how much force it takes to bend to a given distance. Or maybe a “flubbiness” test on the open string measured with a strobe light?

 

[SixStringSlinger]

I tried.

 

[ABetterTelePlayer]

Multiple people wrong doesn’t make it right. Especially « on internet ».
String tension is NOT impacted by its non-vibrating length past the nut if it’s tuned to the same note.
Everyone who doesn’t understand this is plain wrong, no other way to say that.

You're missing the point. My argument is not that "more people don't make it right" it's that there are logical and sound explanations to it, information is out there, as I've presented vs you basically just saying that we're all clueless.

 

[AAT65]

You're missing the point. My argument is not that "more people don't make it right" it's that there are logical and sound explanations to it, information is out there, as I've presented vs you basically just saying that we're all clueless.

The point is that if there is a difference in feel — which I do not disagree with, though I don’t have a reverse headstock guitar to test it out — it is not due to a difference in string tension. Two identical 0.010 e-strings on two 25.5” scale guitars have the same tension if both are tuned to the same pitch.
The difference is the total string length, including the “non-speaking” length of string. With a longer total string length you can expect to find that to bend a string the same distance (eg down to the fret) takes less force, as there is more string length to distribute the stretch over.
Next question: is that difference in finger-force really enough to feel?? Maybe it is.

 

[ABetterTelePlayer]

That isn't my argument though. What I've written has nothing to do with string length.

But I'm gonna agree with you and the other guy just so we can let this go and move on ...

I tried.

We all did.

 

[Sax-son]

Jimi wouldn't even play a left-handed strat.

 

[thunderbyrd]

Instead of participating in the disagreement, I'm going to just buy one and see for myself.

 

[Hodgo88]

Why not a Hendrix tele at this point?

 

[msalama]

I tried.

I too tried for a while, namely a cheapo HB Red Blast Cabronita clone with a reversed headstock. Not much difference if any is my verdict.

 

[Lucius Paisley]

I play a Jimi signature Paul Gilbert signature.

 

[msalama]

Why not a Hendrix tele at this point?

Yup, had one of those a while back.

Harley Benton TE-90FLT Red Blast

Electric Guitar Deluxe Series, Body: Sungkai, Bolted neck: Canadian Maple, Fretboard: Baked Sungkai, Black dot fretboard inlays, Neck profile: Modern C, Fretboard radius: 350 mm, Scale length: 648 mm, Nut width: 42 mm, 22 Medium jumbo frets, Graph...

www.thomann.de

 

[MTPoteet]

Sorry for a little random rant but I was looking on the Fender Website this morning and saw this Jimi Hendrix Stratocaster® | Electric Guitars (fender.com)

I really don't understand why Fender sticks a left handed neck on their Hendrix strats, for some reason this really annoys me .

I get it that Jimi used right handed strats, turned upside down and restrung. So why does't fender just sell Lefty strats, strung as right handed? Even a right-handed version with right handed neck would be more accurate, it just doesn't make sense to me.

Does it make sense to anyone, let me know?

OK, rant over and back to playing my Tele

Couldn't agree more.

 

[Fendereedo]

I bought a black one, and gave it to my son, who traded it in the end. The reverse headstock beat me every time I I restrung it.

 

[57joonya]

I understand the mechanics of it. Both the elongated Bass strings and the reversed pickup.

What I'm saying is I went full on with a complete reversed guitar and there wasn't enough of a difference to be bothered with it.

Each to their own of course. The most overused phrase is "The Tone is in the hands" but IMO it's still a fairly accurate statement. You can buy all the identical gear but if you don't master the technique then it's for nothing. If you do have the technique then any gear even close will work.

View attachment 1065261
I own this guitar and this amp. Watch any of BB King's later live videos and he's running that guitar straight into that amp. The biggest difference between me and him is he was a World Class musician and I'm a hack.

Sweet Gibson . What is the amp?