Why is designing a headstock so tricky?

Corvus

Guess because its the other way round like Gretsch did.

Kittyfrisk

So 2-4 is radically different to 4-2?  
I reckon Ernie's lawyers aren't trying hard enough for their money

Corvus

It seems really odd to me but it does seem to be a thing, it's all there in the MM forum. Brian Moores are also 2-4.

WiresDreamDisasters

It's not. Just copy Gibson, they don't mind!

The_Underneath

There are very few great headstock design IMO. Tele is my favourite vintage. So elegant. The Peavey Wolfgang is my favourite contemporary shape. Much better balanced than the MM 4 and 2 and not trying too hard like the later EVH 'chip fork'

Rabs

Yeah that was my first job when I started making guitars..  What sort of headstock to use..

The reason its so tricky is that like the body shape it not only has to look ok but be functional so it can only be a certain shape.

For me I always liked the 3x3 type..  I didn't want the silly string angle like on a Gibson so it was always going to be more of the PRS type...  Then its really just a case of how you differentiate the end of the headstock compared to other makers..

This is what I went with in the end. And I like it... Its not revolutionary but then it doesn't have to be 

When designing it was down to these two
https://i.imgur.com/xDTTy7F.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/YePIsZY.jpg

I went with the first one
https://i.imgur.com/36DYdv3.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/kOv7F8s.jpg?1

uksaint7

I always liked the 2+4. Here's one I designed circa 1991:



And then some 12 years later I ordered a Warmoth and specified a reverse MusicMan headstock which they were happy enough to do at the time:



They won't build necks with MM headstocks any more though. Nor Brazilian Rosewood fingerboards which was on this neck too!

Simon_M

Well I've decided to put the paddle headstock neck to one side for a bit (will probably end up on a partscaster eventually) and going to go the whole hog and build a neck for the guitar I'm making. Been looking at how to do scarf joints and truss rod channels etc and going to have a crack at it myself. Will be going with a 3 x 3 headstock probably.

BigMonka

Simon_M said:

Well I've decided to put the paddle headstock neck to one side for a bit (will probably end up on a partscaster eventually) and going to go the whole hog and build a neck for the guitar I'm making. Been looking at how to do scarf joints and truss rod channels etc and going to have a crack at it myself. Will be going with a 3 x 3 headstock probably.

Keep us posted with a WIP, I want to give it a go at some point too so would love to watch your progress.

thegummy

It's very difficult to design anything that's really good, that's why the people who do it successfully make so much money.

thegummy

paulnb57 said:

I think we are so used to Strat heads on Strats and Tele heads on Teles etc that when something different comes along it jars with our expectations and looks off, its adidficult thing to get right, eg, I couldn't own a G and L, however well it played/sounded as the headstock makes me cringe!....The Mayer Silver Sky with 3 aside......just, no!...

So with you on the G&L headstock.

There are a few brands whose headstock shape means I'd never buy one of their guitars. Sire, Jackson, Suhr.

Incidentally, I think the headstock shape Schecter use for its Fender clones looks almost as nice a the real deal.