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Headless guitars: yay or nay?
Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2026 1:19 pm
by IEatCats
I switched to playing a strandberg boden 8 about a year ago and I swear by the thing now (I barely touch my other guitars now tbh) but I know that a lot of people truly hate the headless look.
Is there a consensus here?
Re: Headless guitars: yay or nay?
Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2026 2:21 pm
by backwardsvoyager
I had the Salen Classic for a while but sold it last year to finance a move. Seem to remember seeing a couple other headless guits floating around here also.
I miss the endurneck and multiscale, but the Salen desperately needed a forearm carve and was really picky with dirt pedals. Would happily pick up a Boden or something if they weren't so spenno nowadays.
Anyway, they look silly, and that is a GOOD THING. MORE SILLY GUITARS, PLEASE.
Re: Headless guitars: yay or nay?
Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2026 2:40 pm
by Gone Fission
Cort-made in S. Korea Music Yo Steinberger Spirit, GU Dlx I think? Double cut cherry burst ash body, HSH routs. The stock “Select by EMG” passive pickups were characterless. The R Trem is made to die and there is absolutely no support from the brand on parts or replacement parts. (Added a shim in the trem rout so I could install a J-Custom FX fixed bridge.) Other than the deficits, I’ve always really liked it. The neck is surprisingly deep and rounded, not a soft V but pushing its deep C that way.
I haven’t done the fanned fret or Standberg neck stuff, but I wouldn’t shy from trying them. I’m super cautious on proprietary hardware now, though.
Re: Headless guitars: yay or nay?
Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2026 3:10 pm
by IEatCats
Honestly the strandberg neck plays like a dream. I thought it would be weird at first but it's much more comfortable. My only complaint with mine is that I have an earlier model and there's no arm rest heel so it can irritate my forearm sometimes, but I know that was fixed in later revisions. Also the guitar is chambered so even my 8 string barely weighs anything. Switching from an Agile 8 to the boden helped my back a ton. I'm pretty sure my cat weighs more than that guitar.
I really don't get the hate for the look though, I think they're cool. Even the Steinberg design I was always into, but the strandberg lines look much more modern.
I've wanted to try a Salen for a minute now, I love the design.
Also I just noticed this new strandberg model
https://strandbergguitars.com/en-US/pro ... tural-2132
The fretboard curving at the bottom to meet the body design is so interesting.
Re: Headless guitars: yay or nay?
Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2026 3:31 pm
by Blackened Soul
I think they are cool.. I like the weirder custom and homemade stuff.. I am currently working on building a headless 7 string bass…
Re: Headless guitars: yay or nay?
Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2026 5:21 pm
by Gone Fission
If I had the shop and skills, I’d totally do a fancy wood version of the old boat paddle GL for a travel guitar. Would I want to spend for a modern TransTrem copy, though? Very cool but very pricey.