Call me crazy: Big headstock Fenders sound better

[Spaced Out Ace]

I have an American Performer neck on my girlfriend's Lake Placid Blue Standard Strat body (I think it is circa 2009 or so) and the thing sounds amazing versus the standard sized headstock neck it had on prior. The American Performer necks have the big, massive headstocks. I also have a CV70s, which also sounds great (just dump the cardboard thin pot metal junk sustain block). The sustain block on the CV70s (aside from the sticky finish) is the biggest weakness of that guitar, but I digress.

Anyways, I am very tempted to pickup a few more American Performer necks, perhaps one with a rosewood fretboard for my tobacco burst Stratocaster, and one with a maple fretboard for Malmsteen/Blackmore inspired buttercream colored Stratocaster.

So, am I crazy? Anyone else have a similar experience where the main different is the size of the headstock and it made the guitar an absolute monster? My girlfriend's guitar is the best sounding one in the house, and it also has an 81, which is something I'm not fond of, but in this guitar, it is kick ass!

 

[the-trooper]

So, am I crazy?

 

[DrewJD82]

This gets into a territory I don’t really spend time in. I’ve got a Strat with a 1” neck from nut to the 12th fret, surely more mass in it than the majority of standard Strat necks regardless of the headstock, it sounds like a Strat.

I think these little aspects are better off left to “This guitar just has a different sound” rather than getting too introspective about why it sounds different.

That said, CBS-era headstocks + Floyds are the f*cking sh*t!

 

[Eagle]

It totally depends on what body it is paired with . They either work as a set or they don’t.
A compatible pair of either will sound better than a less compatible set of the other style.
So really not that simple.

 

[Sleezy E]

 

[-BOOGIEMAN-]

Yeah, I don’t care to get into the mud on this, but I will say that I’m a shallow bastard and prefer the looks of the big headstocks of the 70’s…

 

[DrewJD82]

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[EOengineer]

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[James Freeman]

There is definitely something to more mass in the headstock.
A quick test is to strum all open strings then with your left hand gently touch various parts of the guitar, the most resonant part is usually the headstock and the lower part of the neck, now grab the headstock with your hand and hear how the acoustic sound of the guitar changes.

 

[Sleezy E]

pip gets more bumper than a body shop

 

[TubeStack]

This guy has said he thinks so, too...

 

[dk_ace]

I’ve had a hunch they do, but that’s probably mainly because my favorite strat has a jumbo headstock. That particular guitar is magic…

They definitely look cooler, which is nearly as important as how they sound lol.

D

 

[Eagle]

It's not just mass it's tonally balanced resonance with the body. The trouble with the idea that adding mass improves your tone theory is when to stop. We did all this with heavy guitars and brass hardware in the 70s.

 

[Devin]

I guess you could try one of those Groove Tubes Fat Finger things on your normal sized headstock and see if you like the difference (if there is any); they were made to add more mass to a headstock


Never tried one myself

 

[Eagle]

I guess you could try one of those Groove Tubes Fat Finger things on your normal sized headstock and see if you like the difference (if there is any); they were made to add more mass to a headstock


Never tried one myself

And the brass plate “fathead” not you

 

[Ed DeGenaro]

There is definitely something to more mass in the headstock.
A quick test is to strum all open strings then with your left hand gently touch various parts of the guitar, the most resonant part is usually the headstock and the lower part of the neck, now grab the headstock with your hand and hear how the acoustic sound of the guitar changes.

Seems Landau followed that logic when he went from Tyler to Suhr and had Suhr make the headstock way bigger.

Personally all my fave guitars have 1 inch necks. But thats more if a hands than tone thing for me.

Now you got me wondering where dies this leave headless, furthermore long scale stuff should have an increase if resonance beyond low end.

 

[Sascha Franck]

There is definitely something to more mass in the headstock.
A quick test is to strum all open strings then with your left hand gently touch various parts of the guitar, the most resonant part is usually the headstock and the lower part of the neck, now grab the headstock with your hand and hear how the acoustic sound of the guitar changes.

While I sort of agree...
Then do that test again, this time playing some barré chord. Headstock will vibrate way less, acoustic properties of the instrument will be somewhat altered, etc. And I think it's a rather safe bet assuming that typically we don't play open strings only the majority of time.

 

[Eagle]

It totally depends on the body and neck ringing together. You cannot generalise that a large headstock will work better with all bodies because it won’t.

 

[sleewell]

Might not make scientific sense but I'll allow it lol. They def look a lot better.

 

[Texsunburst59]

Here are my 2 Big headstock Fender Strats.

‘75 Mocha and ‘79 Antigua.

I grew up playing these guitars and I LOVE them, but I’m an old man, so what do I know.