Headless Or Headed?

[ziggydolphinboy]

hi everyone
wana get a new bass
always fancied status ,
so headless or headede?
is there any differnce apart from cosmetics?
(zero fret etc)
regards
ziggy.

[G-77]

much quicker to change string on the headless ;-)

[Dubs]

Give a headless a go if you’ve never played one – they’re not to everyone’s tastes and it would be sh*t to drop £1k+ on a headless Status and not like it.

I played a headless a few years ago and I just couldn’t get on with it. The way it felt was so weird and I found that subconsciously I always felt that I was lower down the fret board than I actually was because there was no headstock, so I always felt out of position (if that makes any sense…it does in my head anyway )

[bassmanady]

I have had both,and preferred the headed,probally because of having all headed basses it just seemed natural.

[Dr.Dave]

I like my headless Status - it's small for transportation and less unwieldy on a small stage , although to be fair Status heads are small anyway.

[Kiwi]

I'm expecting to go from headed to headless. I've played headless numerous times and in terms of instrument balance its a considerable improvement if you play 5 or more stringed instruments.

[bass_ferret]

I've tried a couple but it just felt wrong. Looks wrong too.

[Rich]

I play exclusively headed basses, but that's purely because I haven't got any headless ones I wouldn't object to one, have played them and quite like them -- the balance and weight improvements are great -- but as Mr.White mentioned above, at first there's an uncanny feeling that you're further up the neck than usual, so you'll find yourself accidentally playing things a couple of tones sharp for a while
But yes, deffo try before you buy.

[Dr.Dave]

[quote name='Rich' post='245029' date='Jul 22 2008, 07:21 AM']I play exclusively headed basses, but that's purely because I haven't got any headless ones I wouldn't object to one, have played them and quite like them -- the balance and weight improvements are great -- but as Mr.White mentioned above, at first there's an uncanny feeling that you're further up the neck than usual, so you'll find yourself accidentally playing things a couple of tones sharp for a while
But yes, deffo try before you buy.[/quote]

Rich sort of accidentally ( I think!) makes a good point here. I doubt many of us headless owners went forth to buy a headless bass. More likely we were after a certain sound , a graphite neck , whatever and the bass we bought happened to be headless.

Strangely for a pretty 'old school' player I never had any bother with my left hand being in the wrong place and hitting sharp notes......

...at least no more than with my other basses !!!!!

[barneyg42]

One of my biggest regrets was selling my old Status 2000. It just rocked in any situation and was sooooo easy to play. It never went out of tune and I never had any problem with hand positioning. At most gigs it was DI'ed and all the sound men commented on how easy it was to get a sound. It had a great active circuit. I played a five string a few times and that sounded and played great too, the balance was excellent.
At the end of the day it's about finding one to try and give it a good try out. As said you don't want to drop a load of dosh without being sure.

[OutToPlayJazz]

Headless every time. I've been playing them for nearly 20 years & whenever I play one if my headed basses, I keep bumping the headstock into things! Playing-wise, the 34" scale is not different to any other twin octave bass. The 32" KingBass takes a little getting used to, but not seriously problematic. The gains are you can play for much longer periods with no pressure on the left wrist, as the bass has much better balance. Oh, and they just look sooo cool!!!

[JimH]

[quote name='benwhiteuk' post='244982' date='Jul 22 2008, 12:54 AM']Give a headless a go if you’ve never played one – they’re not to everyone’s tastes and it would be sh*t to drop £1k+ on a headless Status and not like it.

I played a headless a few years ago and I just couldn’t get on with it. The way it felt was so weird and I found that subconsciously I always felt that I was lower down the fret board than I actually was because there was no headstock, so I always felt out of position (if that makes any sense…it does in my head anyway )[/quote]

+1 - what he said.... prefer headed.....

[MB1]

MB1.
"Off with there heads!,Off with there heads!"

[simon1964]

I've got a headless Hohner Steinberger copy. I absolutely love playing it. The only problem is the rest of the band taking the p*ss out of the way it looks!

[SJA]

headless (Hohner B2A seen in avatar) is good for cramped stages, so I don't have to worry about smacking the headstock into PA or mic stands when going to the mic to sing.

[tauzero]

My reason for having the Hohner Jack was because of some venues having limited room. It's not actually as nice a bass to play as the Tsai which I normally use. But I would like a 5-string headless with the same neck profile as the Tsai. Hmmm, maybe I should get another Tsai and chop the head off...

[barneyg42]

I used to play in a kicking blues rock outfit and we played at the Skegness Blues Festival at Butlins. We were the first full band on after all the solo guitar guys. It went down a storm and we had a queue of people back stage asking for cd's. More than one person commented on the cracking bass sound but wondered where it came from. They thought I was playing a guitar and that the bass was taped or that the bassist was back stage. When I bought it out they were stunned that such a thing could produce such a sound. I guess people get so used to seeing a Precision or a Jazz playing blues they couldn't quite get used to it.

[Hit&Run]

I used to have a hohner steinberger copy. I didn't notice any 'fretting hand errors' as a result of it being headless. It also stood up well against amps (without assistance!) and didn't get bashed like a headstock does (roofs, hardware stands, walls, drummers..).
It's a shame it looked so dorky; though I'd probably get over it if someone gave me a real steinberger, or I saw one dirt cheap. Definitely iconic.

[BassMunkee]

Headed every time.
Tho' having said that I used to have a bit of a thing about Steinbergers and the day I bought my Aria I smacked the headstock on the ceiling and chipped, so what do I know...?!

[Sarah5string]

Headed for me... headless just look wrong imho..

[MB1]

[quote name='simon1964' post='245279' date='Jul 22 2008, 12:33 PM']I've got a headless Hohner Steinberger copy. I absolutely love playing it. The only problem is the rest of the band taking the p*ss out of the way it looks![/quote]

MB1.
Why what does it look like?..... Vanessa Feltz?

[alexclaber]

It's unfortunate that headless basses first appeared about the same time that pastel suits with rolled up sleeves were in fashion. Nowadays the only way you can look cool playing a headless bass is if you're Robbie Shakespeare or a fellow reggae brother. My first bass was a headless Hohner Jack - when I shifted over to a headed bass it took a while to get used to the worse balance and tuning stability and the hugely increased chance of smacking the far end of the bass on either the ceiling or my bandmates' heads during a moment of onstage excitement.

Alex

[Dr.Dave]

[quote name='alexclaber' post='246282' date='Jul 23 2008, 05:42 PM']Nowadays the only way you can look cool playing a headless bass is if you're Robbie Shakespeare or a fellow reggae brother.

Alex[/quote]

Our version of Hey Joe which manages to work it's way in to our set most nights includes a reggae section in the middle.

If I'm playing my Status does that make me cool for 45 seconds - more to the point am I still an 'uncool old fat bastard who should grow up and pack it in' if I use the headed Shuker??

[alexclaber]

ZZ Top tunes with large beards gives you a unique exemption from all the rules of the trade.

Alex

[lozbass]

I swap from one to the other frequently with no problem with respect to positioning - I love both headed and headless basses! If you're thinking of a Status, try one/several first - they have a unique feel and sound - if you don't like it, it's an expensive mistake (having said that, I love the look, sound and feel so no problem for me).