Ignore the looks – this is how headless guitars can revolutionize your playing

Headless axes are more than just a bold fashion statement. Here’s how they can improve your relationship with the guitar 

There was a time, even when a young Eddie Van Halen touted them in the 1980s, that headless guitars were met with fierce derision. They looked stupid, and many left their opinions there. Narrow-mindedly.

In fact, it took decades for the guitar to garner proper respect in the community. Paul Masvidal’s touting of a Steinberger in the ‘90s helped a little, and since then Plini’s rise has simultaneously put the ergonomics-focused Strandberg guitar designs on the map. 

Today, the headless market is vast. Not only have Schecter and Ibanez both ventured into the headless realm – the former its first ever in the form of a Synyster Gates signature – but smaller brands like GOC and Omne – well specc’d and affordable as they are – through to the HILS Next and EART GW-2 are spoiling potential customers with choice, affordability, and a range of specs.

Paul Masvidal says he felt “alien” after adopting his first headless axe, and Plini has spoken of the joy he gets from people baffled at the sight of his “space age guitar.” But beyond aesthetics, what’s the reason for the hype?

Comfort

Looking solely at Strandberg for a moment, it’s important to remember that their shape is not a bold fashion choice. They look like they do because of ergonomics. Every curve and contour takes in the minutiae of the human body and caters to it, making long playing spells pain free, and effortlessly comfy. Many copyist models have since followed a similar tact too, realising it’s on to something.

Before he became the Swedish firm's darling, Plini spent the best part of a decade playing Ibanez. Seeing Scale the Summit's Chris Letchford, Tosin Abasi, Misha Mansoor, and Intervals' Aaron Marshall play Strandbergs turned his eye. He was into the aesthetic, then he realised what they offered beyond that.

“After holding it and feeling it I thought, 'This is the most comfortable guitar of all time and I need one even more than ever,’” he told Total Guitar in 2019.  

Another Strandberg quirk is its EndurNeck, which is a far cry from the usual C and D-shaped profiles we are used to. It’s angular, comprising flat surfaces, whereas other luthiers often embrace curves. What’s all that about?

It’s funny seeing someone play a Strandberg for the first time. They’re so often quick to ridicule its look, and laugh at its weird neck, before quickly realising that the neck is extremely comfortable, and empowers fast and slick playing.

The theory is that flat surfaces provide “a more restful grip for the thumb,” which ultimately bolsters hand strength, and a better grip means better performance – suddenly sweep picking exercises that were once a chore feel wholly achievable.   

The neck design also makes chord playing at both ends of the neck easier, aids upper fret access for solos, and it also encourages a more “correct” wrist position. Things like that are hugely important to players’ long-term health; they can hugely benefit a player’s endurance, and the EndurNeck is tailored to nurture a player’s body, not put it through the meat grinder. Some players like thick-necked Les Pauls you have to fight to get a tune out of. That’s cool. Strandbergs are for those who don’t.    

Weight

It’s crucial to remember what chopping a chunk of headstock-shaped wood from a guitar and losing its cluster of tuning pegs means to what’s left. In terms of weight and balance, it makes a huge difference.

First of all, neck dive, where the headstock is so heavy that it always falls to the ground when playing standing up, is eliminated entirely. That saves some costly dings, and tuning issues if it happens mid-gig.

Secondly, their reduced weight is a life saver for those with less-than-healthy backs. Speaking to Guitar World earlier this year, Bring Me The Horizon’s Lee Malia made an interesting confession about tone – and a myth he held onto for years.

“I used to have this thing about weighing my guitars and using the heaviest one, because for some reason I thought I played better when it felt heavier – like I could lay into it more or whatever,” he says. “As I’ve got a bit older and my back’s got worse, the lighter guitars are definitely better.”

Granted, his signature offset isn’t headless, but the point remains the same. Weight relief is a valuable thing for those donning guitars on the regular.  

Compact

With the headstock gone, these guitars are far more compact, meaning that taking one around the world on your back is far easier. Waking under low-hanging trees is no longer a scary proposition, and most headless guitars fit comfortably in overhead storage on trains and plains. That makes them idea travel companions.

Beyond that, if you’re a gigging musician like me who is used to small, tight stages, headless guitars is also a fine weapon for their stunted size. When I wielded an eight-string Cort KX508MS II, I frequently smacked my vocalist on the back of the head with my headstock as we moved around the stage. That’s never been an issue with a Strandberg. And that not only prevents further injury, but it avoids an incident that would typically knock my tuning out of whack. 

Those who dismiss headless guitars on account of them being “weird” or “stupid” alone are missing out on opportunity. Sure, headless guitars aren’t for everyone, but as technologies and research advance, luthiers are always coming up with new tech. You don’t see iPhone 4 users sticking ardently to their models because the new versions aren’t as good. In so many cases in life, people are quick to embrace technological changes, but in others we can be oddly conservative.

So, if you’ve never played a headstock, try one. It might just change your life.

Master the art of mixing

Of course, the mix brings it all together. A poor mix here would have made the old and new feel like chalk and cheese. Instead, it’s smooth, everything feels like it’s where it belongs, and the power of the mix allows Muse to wade into these new, darker waters with confidence.

In the modern era, guitarists need to have their recordings sounding as good as they possibly can, even with demos. And because technology is readily available to everyone, the mix quality of unsigned bands is rising exponentially. So, if you want your band to stand out, a great mix is paramount.

Modern Metal Academy’s Mixing Masterclass can help you with just that. With over nine hours of content across 24 in-depth lessons, John Browne guides you through the demo process of Lavos, a Mick Gordon-aided rager from Monuments’ fourth album, In Stasis.  

Head here to lean more.