Anyone made a headless neck?

axisus

I'm not sure how to tackle the head end in terms of shaping of the neck after the nut. I will be using an ABM locking headpiece like this. Any thoughts? Advice? seen any plans? 

octatonic

When I get back to the UK on Monday I will send you pictures of my Forshage Orion which uses the same headstock design, but a brief google for that make/model might help too.

Sporky

I always think they look a bit odd headless. How about having tentacles sprouting from it?

carlos

I sold a headpiece like that one to @WezV so I'm sure he has a project going on using it.

axisus

octatonic said:

When I get back to the UK on Monday I will send you pictures of my Forshage Orion which uses the same headstock design, but a brief google for that make/model might help too.

Fab ta!

WezV

Yeah, I will hopefully be doing one this year, but I have not thought about that but yet.    I am thinking I will still leave some kind of headstock transition from the main shaft... but just enough to let me know where I am at 

ICBM

No shaping whatever - simply make the neck taper go straight to the end block. Anything else looks ridiculous.

Gizmo

I do like the way that skervesen do it for there headless models 



Totally pinching this for my current headless build. 

axisus

@Gizmo thanks, a very useful picture. I failed to find much showing the back with my search.

Sporky

Some sort of volute is probably useful so you know where the end of the neck is  

WezV

ICBM said:

No shaping whatever - simply make the neck taper go straight to the end block. Anything else looks ridiculous.

but it would make for a very fat neck, which doesn't suit the style.    They are a lot chunkier than the steinberger headpiece

ICBM

WezV said:

but it would make for a very fat neck, which doesn't suit the style.    They are a lot chunkier than the steinberger headpiece

In that case it will have to be like in Gizmo's post above. It might be better with a shorter thick section though, from where it looks like the frets are.

WezV

ICBM said:

WezV said:

but it would make for a very fat neck, which doesn't suit the style.    They are a lot chunkier than the steinberger headpiece

In that case it will have to be like in Gizmo's post above. It might be better with a shorter thick section though, from where it looks like the frets are.

That’s what I was getting at in my first post

Roland

Here’s a simple headless headpiece. It is made from a standard neck with the head cut off. A string retaining screw block sits inside the L bracket. The projecting semi-circle protects other band members from the perils of sharp string ends.


The idea behind the project was to remove the weight of the head, and re-balance the guitar. It didn’t get any further than a prototype because I couldn’t find, or make, body end tuners which I liked.

What type of tuners will you use?

ICBM

WezV said:

That’s what I was getting at in my first post

I thought you meant shaping between the nut (or zero fret) and the string clamp. Sorry, my mistake!

Either way, keep it as minimalist as possible, anything else looks daft without a proper headstock.

WezV

ICBM said:

WezV said:

That’s what I was getting at in my first post

I thought you meant shaping between the nut (or zero fret) and the string clamp. Sorry, my mistake!

Either way, keep it as minimalist as possible, anything else looks daft without a proper headstock.

Well I have not designed it yet... but many modern headless guitars have an obvious transition into the head block and that is what I will replicate to some degree.

  To me it does feel better than the steinberger style, and I think it allows a more stable mounting

carlos

Sporky said:

Some sort of volute is probably useful so you know where the end of the neck is  

No, not really. Your hand never touches the headstock when playing unless you're tuning. Really. I've been playing my headless for 5+ years and I've never slid off the neck or anything close to it.

sweepy

Steinberger necks are actually v v chubby, easily as much of a handful as 50’s Les Pauls, it’s the Spirits etc that have slimmer neck profiles

carlos

@axisus ;
BTW, that headpiece needs either a zero fret with lots of pressure on it (so a sharp string break angle) or a nut. It doesn't hold strings at a consistent separation very well. I think nut is a better option being easier to swap than a zero fret that will have grooves dug into it very soon. I believe @octatonic 's Orion is built like this.