Tragic Headstock Shapes

I recently discovered German small-batch builder Vincent Instruments.

Now these look like great instruments, and how thing sounds and plays is far more important to me than any aesthetic details... BUT, there is just something about a bad headstock shape that turns me off so quick.

https://imgur.com/a/nhNOvuu

I understand that Fender needs to protect their trademark aggressively, but there are plenty of legally-distinct-from-Fender shapes that are pleasing: Lakland, Music Man, or Serek, come to mind.

Has any else out there ever turned away from an instrument purely based on headstock shape?

Yeah, the Burns Scroll Headstocks are icky for me. In fact the whole Burns guitar aesthetic has a kind of Fairground and Teddy Boy vibe that leaves me just a little bit queasy.

Yeah, the Burns Scroll Headstocks are icky for me. In fact the whole Burns guitar aesthetic has a kind of Fairground and Teddy Boy vibe that leaves me just a little bit queasy.

Wow.

It's like someone started to transform one of Jack White's guitars into a cello, but stopped after a day of struggling with the headstock.

Yeah, the Burns Scroll Headstocks are icky for me. In fact the whole Burns guitar aesthetic has a kind of Fairground and Teddy Boy vibe that leaves me just a little bit queasy.

Yeah, they've always been a turnoff... also the dano/silvertone 'dolphin' headstock always bothered me.

I first noticed it in the hands of Alice Go of Dream Wife. Despite its gopping appearance I kinda like the tones she gets from it 🎸

Ooer ! - I get what you mean... "bothered"

This Silvertone bass headstock is even more troubling.

Ooer ! - I get what you mean... "bothered"

This Silvertone bass headstock is even more troubling.

that IS the dolphin headstock... at least that's what we called it in the 90s

Marcus Miller deserves better than this:

https://imgur.com/1Lrgqdf

Ooer ! - I get what you mean... "bothered"

This Silvertone bass headstock is even more troubling.

that IS the dolphin headstock... at least that's what we called it in the 90s

Is it just me or is does all that black lacquer give it a BDSM vibe? 🥷

...it's just me isn't it! 😳

Is it just me or is does all that black lacquer give it a BDSM vibe? 🥷

...it's just me isn't it! 😳

I think we all see what you're seeing... unfortunately.

G&L: Great guitars... from the nut down.

https://imgur.com/a/qsxhKfk

G&L: Great guitars... from the nut down.

I could never own one because of that headstock.

G&L: Great guitars... from the nut down.

From the look of that I'm getting a Country & Western vibe 🤠

Leo Fender loved country and western music and was heavily tied to the Bakersfield country seen. I have that from Dick Dale... who is obviously not country, but was the only rock musician Leo involved in r&d, at least according to Dale. He used to tell some tales after a show. I miss that guy. But you can hear fender amps and country music defining eachother from the 50s all the way into the musicman era as it all gets cleaner and twangier until things went more rock in the 80s. Now that you mention it, there's a real hollywood western quality to g&l headstock that fits into Leo's aesthetic. It's still ugly though.

Edit: Leo lived near Paul bigsby and copied the tele headstock from this more ornate version on bigspy's 1 off solid bodies like the famous Merl Travis guitar. Those bigsby guitars combine hollywood western woodwork with bigsby's background in motorcycle repair.

Now that you mention it, there's a real hollywood western quality to g&l headstock that fits into Leo's aesthetic. It's still ugly though.

Edit: Leo lived near Paul bigsby and copied the tele headstock from this more ornate version on bigspy's 1 off solid bodies like the famous Merl Travis guitar. Those bigsby guitars combine hollywood western woodwork with bigsby's background in motorcycle repair.

Yeah, what I see under "ASAT CLASSIC" is literally the profile of wild west saloon doors!

Interesting to learn Leo's Bakersfield connection. Gotta say, Country music made me heave right up until I found my blackguard Tele. It's curious how having such an iconic/ubiquitous instrument can broadens one's tastes - not that I could ever see myself sporting cowboy boots and rhinestones. I blame the Red Dead Redemption soundtracks for leading me down into the dark valley of Southern Gothic Americana 🪦

I had tickets to see Dick Dale at a tiny nightclub in The Netherlands back in Pulp Fiction times.
Alas I got laid low with glandular fever and had to miss it - Gutted!

Cool that you got to know him.

Now that you mention it, there's a real hollywood western quality to g&l headstock that fits into Leo's aesthetic. It's still ugly though.

Edit: Leo lived near Paul bigsby and copied the tele headstock from this more ornate version on bigspy's 1 off solid bodies like the famous Merl Travis guitar. Those bigsby guitars combine hollywood western woodwork with bigsby's background in motorcycle repair.

I almost said 'reverse saloon door'.

Cool that you got to know him.

He became an acquaintance, when I was younger I felt like we were friends, but it's not like he called me up to chat. If he was in town I would see the show and hang out. Don't want to overstate it. I'm just the sort of guy who will walk up to anybody and try to strike up a conversation. It's a philly thing.

Speaking of reverse, or rather inverse...

Do headless guitars count as tragic?

I don't hate them all - Those Steinberger guitars have got their own thing going.

What grips my shit is all the headless travel guitars I've ever looked at and thought, "yes that'll do", only to discover they all have full 25.5" scales! What's that all about? Surely the whole point of designing a travel guitar is to make it compact and portable as possible? Who goes to all the effort of designing a great little portable axe, with all the compromises that takes and then, "sod it! let's now make it as long as can be" ?

Alongside that particular pet peeve, headless guitars in general... 🤢

Speaking of reverse, or rather inverse...

Do headless guitars count as tragic?

I don't hate them all - Those Steinberger guitars have got their own thing going.

YES! Steinberger made an amazing instrument for dive bomb vibrato stunts but all I see is the end of bill & ted! UGH! Unless a time-travelling George Carlin gave you a headless guitar? Then NO!

hard "no"

you have to have an excellent adventure or bogus journey to earn even a seinberger

This is the worst of them all. RIP G&L headstock.

G&L: Great guitars... from the nut down.

https://imgur.com/a/qsxhKfk

Idk i like this type of headstock Momose headstock looks similar and i really like it more than classic fender headstock