Best headstock shape (except fender)?

[Richard R]

I like the little MOP arc at the top. Shame the arrow points down rather than up, 

[cetera]

2 hours ago, LukeFRC said:

This in my book is a classic design small and ergonomic. The original adjustable bridge too is a simple and good design, I love the way the tuners told backwards on two planes too.

 

All I see is a stubby Alien's head with 4 googly eyes and 4 flappy ears! lol!

[Muzz]

I cannot be doing with headstocks which have been badly designed - and by that I mean from an engineering POV: the strings shouldn't veer off sideways at the nut, and they shouldn't need afterthought string tensioners because they don't have enough 'downward' force into the nut to stop them popping out. Sadly, an awful lot of the ones in this thread fail at that very basic first hurdle, even the eye-wateringly expensive ones...

[40hz]

For me it's ;

[neilp]

I always liked the forked alloy Kramer headstock (have a hankering to this day for an 8-string. No clue what for!), but for me, this:

[itu]

4 hours ago, LukeFRC said:

The original adjustable bridge too is a simple and good design...

The original bridge was Schaller.

The adjustable nut had some name like just-a-nut, didn't it?

[ped]

1 hour ago, Muzz said:

I cannot be doing with headstocks which have been badly designed - and by that I mean from an engineering POV: the strings shouldn't veer off sideways at the nut, and they shouldn't need afterthought string tensioners because they don't have enough 'downward' force into the nut to stop them popping out. Sadly, an awful lot of the ones in this thread fail at that very basic first hurdle, even the eye-wateringly expensive ones...

I know what you mean but if for example you're using a brass or well made, robust nut then the string exiting at a sideways angle has no ill effect any more than the string leaving at a downward angle which people regard as beneficial. Aesthetics aside, of course. 

[LukeFRC]

3 hours ago, itu said:

The original bridge was Schaller.

The adjustable nut had some name like just-a-nut, didn't it?

Nut - that’s what I meant!

[baa]

I'm a sucker for 2+2.

My Vantages have a sleek shape that really appeals to me. As do old Arias and Matsumoku-built instruments.

 

Edited April 1, 2020 by baa

[Jimothey]

My favourite headstock goes to our very own @Jabba_the_gut I just think its a great looking headstock

[Rich]

On 01/04/2020 at 20:13, baa said:

I'm a sucker for 2+2.

My Vantages have a sleek shape that really appeals to me. As do old Arias and Matsumoku-built instruments.

 

Agreed. Given the choice I'd always take 2+2 or 3+2 over 4 inline or 4+1. 3+1 is OKish.

[TheGreek]

Love the headstock on my Veillette Citron - sort of "little black dress.

 

 

 

Also a fan of @Jabba_the_gut headstocks.

Like the headstocks on the Alembic SC, the Ibanez RS and my own Silk Bass.

 

Edited December 31, 2020 by TheGreek

[bubinga5]

[bubinga5]

Simple an elegant. But i would say that.😁

Edited December 31, 2020 by bubinga5

[Stub Mandrel]

Yikes!

A mixture of the revolting and the refined posted above.

I can't abide anything with wonky tuners, I can't believe a quality luthier thinks droopy or randomly aligned tuners look 'good'.

I know this is supposedly a Fender-free zone but I vote for this:

[ped]

Three maple beauties 

[ped]

On 26/03/2020 at 16:01, Sibob said:

My three faves in no particular order:

 

 

 

Si

 

I’ve always liked the Lakland rosewood continuation bit - not sure what else to call it - it looks like the bass is wearing a polo neck. Not a fan of the body shapes but the H/S and logo are cool

[ped]

Actually that’s another topic altogether - bass manufacturer logos...

[Monkey Steve]

On 01/04/2020 at 12:05, 40hz said:

For me it's ;

I never liked the four string headstock from Wal, but one of my absolute favourites is the five string version:

 

My outright favourite though is the Rickenbacker - very not a Fender, but a classic.  With an honourable mention for the Thunderbird

[Shaggy]

I see I’d posted Kramer on page 1, but left out the Daddy..........

(Travis Bean, of course)

[Jonesy]

So, between us we like pretty much every headstock ever to find itself on the end of a bass? 😂

[Silvia Bluejay]

I notice the complete absence of Warwick headstocks. While beautiful they definitely ain't, some of the headstocks shown in this thread are far more hideous. (Yuk!)

My favourite is this one - still a headstock, strictly speaking, rather than a scroll. Elegant and ergonomic.

[EBS_freak]

1 hour ago, Monkey Steve said:

I never liked the four string headstock from Wal, but one of my absolute favourites is the five string version:

 

My outright favourite though is the Rickenbacker - very not a Fender, but a classic.  With an honourable mention for the Thunderbird

Was going to write exactly the same thing. The 4 string headstock is ming imho.

[EBS_freak]

11 minutes ago, Silvia Bluejay said:

I notice the complete absence of Warwick headstocks. While beautiful they definitely ain't, some of the headstocks shown in this thread are far more hideous. (Yuk!)

My favourite is this one - still a headstock, strictly speaking, rather than a scroll. Elegant and ergonomic.

 

Warwick. Ah yes. Gumby.

[Cuzzie]

16 minutes ago, Silvia Bluejay said:

I notice the complete absence of Warwick headstocks. While beautiful they definitely ain't, some of the headstocks shown in this thread are far more hideous. (Yuk!)

My favourite is this one - still a headstock, strictly speaking, rather than a scroll. Elegant and ergonomic.

I really like that - what does the whole bass look like please?