I Want a Headless

The guy removed his Kiesel ad. Guess he got tired of people offering their crappy guitars and not one monetary offer.
 
Can you go play a Strandberg? Regardless of Eagle’s and my jousting, I’d say it’s objectively a different playing experience. I think it’s cool, once you adapt.

Nowhere here sells them. Should've taken my chance when in Sweden last year.
 
How 'bout this one, hmmm? MIK generally > MII

Reverb - corona Gravity NT

CoronaGravityNtYellow.jpg
 
I'd really like to see some standard sizing protocols for the hardware. The headpiece designs that are used also vary greatly in durability and reliability. Quite a few are just a flat bottom hole and a flat bottom bolt that is supposed to hold the strings without crushing between. Also the sting slot is wide enough to let the strings move quite a lot while you tighten it down. This is far from ideal and makes it easy to damage the string enough to potentially break it easily at this point.
The best style I have come across for the lock was first used in the Steinberger string adapter. It has a small dome on the bottom of the lock screw that corresponds with a concave dome at the bottom of the hole. When you tighten down the string this design helps to centre the string and keep it there as you lock it down. Also the subsequent kink in the string holds it firmly without the need to crush it down as tight. This is the same design as the lock inside a Sperzel tuner and it is tried and tested.
The other big issue is people need to back the tuner completely out before fitting the strings to make sure you can get to pitch in the middle of the travel. This means you need to back out the tuner all the way AND pull the string to gentle tension and hold it while you lock the nut. Not doing this correctly is the most common error I see when I get modern headless instruments in for set up or work.
 
On the issue of tight tuning on headless bridges.
There are ways of making it a lot better . You can add a Teflon washer or even a thrust bearing. One or other will definitely fit and a very worthwhile addition. Most of the newer better systems have one or the other.

These?

 
I found thrust bearings with an inner diameter of 3mm, which is the with of the screw, but the outer width is 8mm. 8mm is the width of the tuning peg, which is quite a bit wider than the washers already on it.

1000020848.jpg


I have concerns about them fitting right. Unless maybe I put a washer on top of a washer.

Also, they are 3.5mm deep and I worry the screw might not reach the saddle.

Guess I'll find out soon enough.

Interestingly the only review for it is a five star one by someone who used them in a Steinberg Spirit GR-Pro headless, so sounds hopeful.
 
I found thrust bearings with an inner diameter of 3mm, which is the with of the screw, but the outer width is 8mm. 8mm is the width of the tuning peg, which is quite a bit wider than the washers already on it.

View attachment 43554

I have concerns about them fitting right. Unless maybe I put a washer on top of a washer.

Also, they are 3.5mm deep and I worry the screw might not reach the saddle.

Guess I'll find out soon enough.

Interestingly the only review for it is a five star one by someone who used them in a Steinberg Spirit GR-Pro headless, so sounds hopeful.
I think if the screw is long enough you should leave the washer on where it is and see if the bearing will go on between that and the tuner button . It looks like it would as long as it is no wider than the knurled part. If it doesn’t fit you still could use a Teflon washer.
 
Aristides Hantug tuners version one has a nylon washer on the tuner and the string requires the ball end removed. It then is clamped with a bolt. This is fine except for the high E which is a fine line between tight enough and breaking the string.
Version two made it string through and lock without cutting the ball end off. It also added thrust bearings instead of the washers . I have version one on mine and a spare tuner that I am going to modify to take the ball end and use it on the high E.
 
Back
Top