HILS Headless on the cheap. Seems too good to be true

Warmart said:
Quick setup, truss rod and action - as both were way too much for me. Took about 2 full turns on each of the saddle screws to bring it down to a hair under 3/64" for wound and smack-on 2/64" for unwound - which is what I like and generally shoot for. I can whack the snot out of the strings and get zero buzz, not even a hint - not even once.
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Very cool!!
 
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Just got mine today, direct from @Warmart , amazing transaction and just an all around good dude!!!

Initial impression is , kind of impressed to be honest.

Was in tune right out of the box...no lie. No buzz....feels great.....sounds djenty right away, just playing acoustically, which is promising.

I concur with all of warmarts review, but will change strings and intonate....plug it in and see what it's about, and write a real NGD review post.

For now, very happy, especially for the price We paid..... excited and inspired....and the girls loved it....and the color, which is encouraging for future playing out.
 
Ok, had a chance to change strings and set up the axe.

Not a full review, just anecdotal info for those on the fence.

Fretboard really wants a thorough drink of oil. I used lemon oil, and applied 3 times, liberally, and it drank it all up.

Frets and dressing, including edges are amazing, especially for the price..... :chef

Looks like someone fiddled with the truss already, and there are some unsightly tool warp marks ...but those are cosmetic, as I'm sure once set...you will never touch it .

The bridge takes some getting used to, for me anyway... coming from TOM land.....had to keep reminding myself.

Stringing the ball into the catch can be VERY finicky, and will take some time to get it down solid. The unwound g....🤬🤬🤬🤬
Also, most of everything is smooth, but there were some little sticky spots in the tuning mechanism....but they worked out.

The saddles seem kind of cheap.....but I figured I would try and find brass anyway....🤷🏻‍♂️

All that said, once I was able to get everything strung up, and get it under proper tension, I only moved the truss a half turn to get less relief.

Adjusted the saddle height, which hasn't happened in forever, high school maybe?

Set up real low. A little under 4/64 inch on low ......and a bit more under 4/64 inch on the high

I run skinny top heavy bottom EB strings.....and this is perfect. No buzz anywhere......at all.

Then I intonated, probably the easiest I've ever had to do, literally took maybe 3 minutes. Tuning...and intonation. Bam.

I will only say this, for traditional guitar players, string changes will be frustrating at first. I can't restring my other guitars in about 4 minutes if I had to......not this.....and that may turn some off.

Haven't been able to plug in...but that will come, along with better pics and review, in a NGD posts in a couple days.

:beer
:headbang
 
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likitlikeyoulikeit said:
Ok, had a chance to change strings and set up the axe.

Not a full review, just anecdotal info for those on the fence.

Fretboard really wants a thorough drink of oil. I used lemon oil, and applied 3 times, liberally, and it drank it all up.

Frets and dressing, including edges are amazing, especially for the price..... :chef

Looks like someone fiddled with the truss already, and there are some unsightly tool warp marks ...but those are cosmetic, as I'm sure once set...you will never touch it .

The bridge takes some getting used to, for me anyway... coming from TOM land.....had to keep reminding myself.

Stringing the ball into the catch can be VERY finicky, and will take some time to get it down solid. The unwound g....🤬🤬🤬🤬
Also, most of everything is smooth, but there were some little sticky spots in the tuning mechanism....but they worked out.

The saddles seem kind of cheap.....but I figured I would try and find brass anyway....🤷🏻‍♂️

All that said, once I was able to get everything strung up, and get it under proper tension, I only moved the truss a half turn to get less relief.

Adjusted the saddle height, which hasn't happened in forever, high school maybe?

Set up real low. A little under 4/64 inch on low ......and a bit more under 4/64 inch on the high

I run skinny top heavy bottom EB strings.....and this is perfect. No buzz anywhere......at all.

Then I intonated, probably the easiest I've ever had to do, literally took maybe 3 minutes. Tuning...and intonation. Bam.

I will only say this, for traditional guitar players, string changes will be frustrating at first. I can't restring my other guitars in about 4 minutes if I had to......not this.....and that may turn some off.

Haven't been able to plug in...but that will come, along with better pics and review, in a NGD posts in a couple days.

:beer
:headbang
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As for the unwound stings:
GIF by The Jerry Springer Show


Low profile bridges have become home to me, can't stand tom anymore, but everyone likes what they like.
 
Warmart said:
As for the unwound stings:
GIF by The Jerry Springer Show


Low profile bridges have become home to me, can't stand tom anymore, but everyone likes what they like.
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I love the bridge.... seriously, I'm full on converted now.....and I haven't even turned on my amp... yet. Just playing with it acoustically, im happy.

The resonance is stupid.....like you said ...right up the strap... everywhere you touch..... especially in drop C......I am very excited to see what the pickup situation is .... especially because they are directly mounted......this could be my new favorite.....and has me rethinking my sg.... and how I might make it a bit more modern....anyway.

Yep....I would buy anything from them, if it was this quality or better....unseen and Unplayed..... especially for the price. Very impressed.....now we shall see how durable it will be.
 
Very glad to hear! Man you should see me struggle on tom guitars, pathetic lol.

I think you will like the pickups but you never know. I've heard and owned a helluva lot worse. I did raise the bridge pickup some, was happy they foamed it - no problem.

Yeah man, you can really feel it - crazy when you think about it.
 
Warmart said:
Very glad to hear! Man you should see me struggle on tom guitars, pathetic lol.

I think you will like the pickups but you never know. I've heard and owned a helluva lot worse. I did raise the bridge pickup some, was happy they foamed it - no problem.

Yeah man, you can really feel it - crazy when you think about it.
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Pickups aren't bad....but not voiced the way I like. But they will do for now. Took me a minute to figure out the pickup height crap....but I got it.

Might take the covers off....I like to adjust the pole pieces ... just to sculpt out some over bearing freqs at the source....and I can't do that here ... So ...I may just tear it apart and see if I can't make them do what I want.....if not, they will get replaced.......that will be fun.

Still getting used to the tuning situation....my fat fingers keep grabbing the wrong tuner ....ahhh!
 
They aren't PAF style, if that's what you're used to. More "modern leaning", I 'spose.

I'd be hesitant to remove the covers, would probably have to desolder from the guitar first, although there's a chance there's enough wire that you could flip them over and desolder the covers. Who knows if it would be worth the effort. If you really don't like the EQ of them, idk if pole pieces are really going to change that.

You'll get used to the tuners, took me a bit with my other headless, but it's easy and consistent now.
 
Warmart said:
They aren't PAF style, if that's what you're used to. More "modern leaning", I 'spose.

I'd be hesitant to remove the covers, would probably have to desolder from the guitar first, although there's a chance there's enough wire that you could flip them over and desolder the covers. Who knows if it would be worth the effort. If you really don't like the EQ of them, idk if pole pieces are really going to change that.

You'll get used to the tuners, took me a bit with my other headless, but it's easy and consistent now.
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I am thinking of re implementing my EQ pedal back into my effects loop, so that will help ...I was just looking for a little more bass attack, in the lower freqs.....it's kind of a more compressed signal?

Like when I strum a big heavy chord....the bass just faded away....gave way to the lower mids immediately.....I am still fiddling, I will get at peace with it.

I am not put off at all, it is just the adjustment from one to the other....and being set in my ways....which I am trying to change, to become a better player. It's all just growing pains....but well worth it.

I'm not against tearing anything apart to get what I want, but I will leave it for now and just use eq, and presets to work with it for now.

I'll probably just get a new set of pickups in a year or so....and then I will be 😁.

Also, with the tuners, yes...ill adapt, and it may be my hands messing with me as well....but I played for 2 hours last night, after working all day....and I was fine.

My main focus is adjusting to the new bridge as my muscle memory is TOM, and I need to keep moving my hand physically lower to mute the strings.

It may sound like I'm struggling or not meshing, but I certainly am, and am very happy, just have to actually do the thing and continue to play it and become acclimated...that is all.

It reminds me of when I got my first premium guitar, my Carvin. It makes you play different. It is so responsive and expressive, and one needs to have a lighter hand. My approach to the guitar was always a physical thing, I expected and wanted a guitar to fight me... because my hands are so strong...I lacked/lack the light touch that more advanced players have, which is the way it's supposed to be.

I mean I ran 12s for 10 years....on everything, just so my acoustic and electrics had the same gauge...so my hand always felt the same tension...i know it's weird, but I loved it ...and my style needed it...as it is super percussive and is more hardcore/punk/metal focused.

This is why I couldn't be a better lead player....my string gauge choice made it unnecessarily difficult.

This is why I'm in a transition as a player....this is part of that.... sorry for the long winded reply.
 
In a rush, work is busy - but def try lowering and raising the bass side of the bridge pickup. I got a pretty serious change with mine - and eventually dropped it back so it's in the middle of factory settings vs REALLY F'n CLOSER to the strings, lol.
 
Warmart said:
In a rush, work is busy - but def try lowering and raising the bass side of the bridge pickup. I got a pretty serious change with mine - and eventually dropped it back so it's in the middle of factory settings vs REALLY F'n CLOSER to the strings, lol.
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That's what I learned. You kind of have to teeter totter it to a compromised, ideal position....and I ran into a wonky looking thing....and readjusted. I think I'm close....but I just ran low on time.
 
la szum said:
Speaking of time, I feel a PU Recommendation Thread coming on in 3 .... 2..... and.....

Come On Waiting GIF by Podcastdotco
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I'm thinking $520 BKP's, or gtfo and don't even tell us. :grin

Speaking of which, I just got an offer on $520 BKP Polymaths to hopefully save my 594 from being sold. Which I didn't think I'd ever do. The guitar is mind-bogglingly gorgeous. The offer was a pretty fair discount and this is my last guitar in need of pickups. I don't think I've heard anything but unadulterated love for Polymaths, so there's hope. I'm batting at least .730 on pickup swaps.

Going to retire the soldering station and related paraphernalia and accoutrements as soon as the swap is completed.

Welllll, I guess I could see putting something else in my HILS :facepalm
 
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