Big or small? You be the judge

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Roca

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Smaller, I would definitely buy one with a flying v headstock!!!
 

jtees4

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Small. I always tend to like smaller headstocks, on Gibsons and other brands also. I like the smaller Strat headstocks too...hate the 70's but then again I don't like Strats, just don't work for me. But I love Teles, and they seem to have the smallest headstocks of anyone....so they work for me on many levels I guess!
 

Dale

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Small. Sculpted horns. But I will love any that play well. Especially if I own it.
 

Roca

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I like the smaller ones. Don't hurt me but I actually like the clipped epiphone head better on a sg than the open book Gibson style.
 

Col Mustard

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headstock fetish is alive and well!

That ought to keep some conversation going.

I absolutely love the large '70s style headstock on my
'72 Telecaster deluxe replica (MIM 2006)
1c4 whole guitar@100.jpg
To me, this is Fender goodness collected into a very interesting package.
The headstock shape has no effect on tone, so what we're talking about is
merely superficial decoration. But I like this Fender Telecaster deluxe
right well.

AND I absolutely love the LOOOONG headstock on my Epiphone ES-339 P-90 Pro.
I don't know where they came up with this design, but it suits me very well
indeed, and it looks great on Epiphone's version of Gibson's ES-339.
Caledonia official portrait 5x@100.jpg
This Epi headstock seems a bit stretched, but I like it a lot, and it has no
effect on tone. I installed locking Gotoh tuners on this guitar and it tunes
easily and stays that way. That's about all I ask of a headstock.
headstock@100.jpg
Here's the headstock of my new Gibson J-45 AG... Regular Gibson size.
It came with Grover mini-Rotomatics, but I replaced them with Waverly keys.
It's a lovely thing, built in Montana just before Gibson's troubles boiled over.
But the headstock has only a small effect on tone.

I usually don't get too deeply involved in discussions of how the qualities of wood
might affect the tone of an electric guitar. I'll just quietly suggest that wood is
like, not magnetic. Then I'll make some popcorn and go somewhere else to eat.

Because I'm an acoustic guitar player, and tone wood is a crucial component of
acoustic guitar tone. Headstock mass and density might have a small effect, I
don't know. But I presume that it does, because every other part of an acoustic
guitar has some effect. It's all in the vibrations, no magnets.

This J-45 has a maple neck, and a walnut fretboard. It has a walnut bridge, and
walnut back and sides. The top is good spruce from where ever Gibson gets their
spruce these days. Sitka or the Adirondacks, but the whole guitar is made of
North American tone wood.
New Bedford Zelda_crop@100.jpg
Would it have more sustain if the headstock were oversize? ...naw.
 

Worblehat

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Don't hurt me but I actually like the clipped epiphone head better on a sg than the open book Gibson style.
Yes! I thought I was the only one and did not dare to speak it out loud :thumb:
 

PermissionToLand

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Actually, there are three different sizes.

The narrowest is the current USA Standard headstock:

Neck-Headstock-Angle-jpg.aspx


Then the Custom Shop is just a little wider, the classic '60s size:

Headstock.jpg


Then the '61 RI is the widest and is identifiable by its pointy edges:

Headstock.jpg


That's because the '61 RI was originally designed coming out of the Norlin era when they still used the large headstocks.
 

pancake81

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Actually, there are three different sizes.

The narrowest is the current USA Standard headstock:

Neck-Headstock-Angle-jpg.aspx


Then the Custom Shop is just a little wider, the classic '60s size:

Headstock.jpg


Then the '61 RI is the widest and is identifiable by its pointy edges:

Headstock.jpg


That's because the '61 RI was originally designed coming out of the Norlin era when they still used the large headstocks.

Thanks for the info, I had no idea.

I am going to compare my custom shop and my 61 reissue !
 

Relic61

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Not sure I've ever encountered a headstock fetish before.

There always seems to be people that are concerned with how big or wide things are, 'specially tha ladies. Always sizing up the headstock.

The narrowest is the current USA Standard headstock:

Unless we allow for the SG Melody Maker style to be recognized as well.

67 SG Melody Maker (no.4) (222x660).jpg
('67 SG Melody Maker)

67 SG Melody Maker headstock (345x460).jpg

67 SG Melody Maker headstock serial number (345x460).jpg

This particular '67 came with a nice fat 'n round neck, which might interest some of tha Ladies as well!

Very Schexy yah??

But maybe those ladies might like my '68 better?...

68 Melody Maker 3(2) (276x660).jpg

68 Melody Maker headstock front (343x460).jpg

He's got a wang-bar they can wiggle!

68 Melody Maker5(3) (440x330).jpg
 

PermissionToLand

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Thanks for the info, I had no idea.

I am going to compare my custom shop and my 61 reissue !

I think they used the '61 RI headstock on the Custom Shop AY. If my theory is correct, that was Angus' first SG after being extensively rebuilt by Jaydee including an entirely new neck. So although a '70/71 SG would have still had the last of the '60s headstocks, Jaydee seems to have modeled it on the later '70s style. However the edges don't seem quite as pointy. It may be a totally unique shape not shared with any other Gibson because it's really copying a Jaydee.

Angus-Young.jpg
 

Daniel.S

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There always seems to be people that are concerned with how big or wide things are, 'specially tha ladies. Always sizing up the headstock.



Unless we allow for the SG Melody Maker style to be recognized as well.

View attachment 32131
('67 SG Melody Maker)

View attachment 32133

View attachment 32135

This particular '67 came with a nice fat 'n round neck, which might interest some of tha Ladies as well!

Very Schexy yah??

But maybe those ladies might like my '68 better?...

View attachment 32136

View attachment 32137

He's got a wang-bar they can wiggle!

View attachment 32138
Looks like someone got too excited with the sander. :p
 


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