My custom headless

carlos

Had a test last night at the luthier's studio - woah, what a guitar! All I ever dreamed of in an instrument made real and at a very reasonable price.

Here's a picture (phone's camera and flash so not brilliant):

Maple body sandwiched by walnut caps, ebony fingerboard with 24 jumbo frets + zero fret (slightly bigger). Bridge and headpiece are from ABM, expensive but probably best headless pieces in the market. It's a neckthrough with a 25.5" scale. On the neck there's a Fender CS tele single coil, bridge a Benedetto A6 humbucker which is surprisingly high output given it's a jazz pickup. 2 volume knobs, including a push/pull for the humbucker, 1 tone, and a 3-way switch.

Dots look wonky on the picture due to flash reflection but they're not, believe me. It's nearly there, just needs a bit of neck shaving as it's too thick and we're ready to go!

Built by Stu @ ;https://www.facebook.com/ScatterBrainConcepts who also did Drew's 7 string. He's got one of his creations for sale at his Etsy shop - http://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/ScatterBrainConcepts?ref=si_shop - which at £450 is a bargain or you can order a custom at a sub £1k price.

Lixarto

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v349/Lixarto/34d1feb4-415a-4b41-9ed3-9064558333a.jpg

frankus

Pay Lix no mind...he gets upset over the use of an Oxford comma ... and his cat doesn't like having it's temperature taken.... well it protests a lot, but it's not trying to get away is it? Hmmm...

I like the guitar.. it looks like a blend of retro, futuristic, and classic.

carlos

A pic with better light but less knobs.

carlos

Pretty much ready, will get it Friday.

Bucket

I've played a Scatterbrain, it was on Denmark Street for a while. It was really nice.

That looks great too.

meltedbuzzbox

carlos

Bucket said:

I've played a Scatterbrain, it was on Denmark Street for a while. It was really nice.

That looks great too.

It's for sale at his etsy shop at a builder's price these days - http://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/173993765/sb31-27-fret-concept-guitar?ref=shop_home_active_2

ThePrettyDamned

Ooo like that.

octatonic

I like it too.

I have a Forshage with the same headpiece.

A little tip for you- don't clip the wires like you have- you will end up sticking someone with them.

Just clamp the string down and then wiggle the string until it snaps off.

It is much safer and neater.

EricTheWeary

I've long fancied a headless guitar. I used to have a Jack bass and it was just the best balanced, easiest bass I had owned/ played. Also Johnny Winter and his Erlewine Lazer is tres cool and this build is a distant cousin of that ( headless, H/S pups, similar body outline, although this is much fatter than the Laser). Apparently there was a Hondo Lazer at one point.

Hmm, maybe as it gets toward my birthday I shall start looking at eBay for Steinbergers and the like...[googles] its the Synapse that is tremless...tum te tum...
8-|

GuyBoden

Good idea and build, I've always liked those strandberg type ergonomic guitars, but they are way too expensive.

octatonic

GuyBoden said:

Good idea and build, I've always liked those strandberg type ergonomic guitars, but they are way too expensive.

Strandberg calls them ergonomic guitars but I struggle to see how that shape is that ergonomic.

The neck will still point down at roughly the same angle as a strat.

Compare that to my Forshage:

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/t1.0-9/8017_197444267052029_2111658758_n.jpg

You can see the Forshage has a contour for leg to rest on when played seated.

This puts the neck angle at such a position so that you don't have excessive bend in the wrist, which reduces strain.

I don't see how the Strandberg would allow for this.

ThePrettyDamned

That Forshage should be absolutely hideous, but (and I'm sure I've said it before) it's a seriously wonderful looking instrument.  It doesn't lok like a design for the sake of it, but a well thought out ergonomic one that looks good - like a strat.  

GuyBoden

octatonic said:

GuyBoden said:

Good idea and build, I've always liked those strandberg type ergonomic guitars, but they are way too expensive.

Strandberg calls them ergonomic guitars but I struggle to see how that shape is that ergonomic.

The neck will still point down at roughly the same angle as a strat.

Compare that to my Forshage:

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/t1.0-9/8017_197444267052029_2111658758_n.jpg

You can see the Forshage has a contour for leg to rest on when played seated.

This puts the neck angle at such a position so that you don't have excessive bend in the wrist, which reduces strain.

I don't see how the Strandberg would allow for this.

I think there are two positions to play a Strandberg seating, one is similar to a Strat position as you have mentioned, the other a more classical type position. IMHO, truly ergonomically guitars need to be made to measure, because we all have differing body sizes, arm lengths etc.

Here's my seating position, I never standup:

carlos

Thanks for the tip, octatonic. It might not look like it, but the bottom contour is modelled after a Klein's. It's a bit of a mish-mash of various headless/ergo concepts, from Canton to Forshage, including the Strandberg and the Klein. On the knee, it doesn't sit as "classical" as a Klein, though, but deffo not as low as a Strat/Tele.

octatonic

My criticism wasn't levelled at you, but rather at the Strandberg design.

Yours does seem to be broadly in line with the Klein approach.

I'd be interested to play your guitar at some stage- are you coming to Gearfest?

WezV

There is more to ergonomics than just seated playing position. I remember a lot of his early prototypes and experiments.  Ola Strandberg may not be doing anything massively unique or totally ergonomic... but he does make damn fine modern guitars with great attention to detail.  He is probably the acceptable face of the ergonomic guitar, rather than the cutting edge, but that seems to be working for him quite well

carlos

@octatonic, I'll bring it if I know where and when it is!

octatonic

Gearfest thread- nothing sorted yet I don't think.

http://thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/6659/