NGD: HILS Next - Ichabod Crane Budget Edition now in MFO

Warmart

Shredder
Messages
1,876
Like some of you knew, it arrived today!! And yes, in Metallic Fucking Orange (MFO)!

For the TLDR crowd: it's WELL WORTH $500, I've played some guitars 3 times as expensive (or more) that aren't as nice! If you're looking for an affordable headless, stop right here, this is it! Is everything perfect, of course not, but very serviceable and a great player!

Action and relief were both high out of the box, unsurprisingly, and I had no issues setting the guitar up - although the truss wheel got a little tight right before it was utterly perfect (I like very very minimal relief, the least I can get with a slight ping). It's nice that even with 3/64" wound and 2/64" unwound, the saddle screws aren't sticking out above the saddles! Very nice sizing of those screws, I have a couple of high dollar guitars that could learn from this! Tuners work smoothly and accurately.

Even with minimal relief and very low action, I can't make it buzz. May have to shoot for a slight reduction, but really, this is good for me. Really surprised by this, I whacked on the strings and called them names and they just won't buzz.

I did run a fret rocker across the board, 3 places on each fret. I found a few places with a hair of movement. Not a shocker, and haven't found any ill effects with the 3 or 4 songs I've played on it so far.

Changing strings was fairly uneventful. The unwound are a bit more of a challenge to push the ball down into the catch, I think I figured out the trick - but it went fast and I didn't run out of tuner prior to getting up to pitch, which happens on my Legator if you aren't really careful. HILS has a YouTube for changing strings and it has all the tips you need AND the guy speaking has perhaps the most serious "tone of voice" of any headless guitar string changing video, ever. He's worth a listen, if you ask me.

Only time will tell if the locking head and bridge parts will hold up. I was careful not to overtighten.

Other than the value for the price, this think definitely resonates and different than I'm used to, but you really feel it in this sub 5 lb guitar. Acoustic tone is decent but not spectacular.

On to the pr0n:
HILS Next Front.png


Comparison with Legator (and yes, I fixed the Legator hanging crooked :grin) :
Headless Comparison.png


HILS Next Front 2.png


Hard to see, but there's a side contour to the bridge (this is with the old janky strings, too).
HILS Next Bridge.jpg


They didn't index the knobs, there's 1 complaint lmao.
HILS Next Controls.jpg


You can see how "grainy" the board is, but not noticeable playing
HILS Next Fretboard End.jpg


Yes, it has 2 feet!
HILS Next Bottom.jpg


The neck screw holes are a tad sloppy, but not that bad.
HILS Next Back.png



Neck is roasted darker than I was expecting!
HILS Next Neck.jpg


Fits just fine in my wall hangers
HILS Next Headstock Rear.png


More pictures in next post!
 
Last edited:
Can see some tooling marks on the board in places, but this actually makes it look way worse than it is. My phone camera accentuates some things a bit much.
HILS Next Locking Block.png



HILS Next Neck Joint Back.jpg


Slight bit of a gap here
HILS Next Neck Joint Top.png
HILS Next Truss Wheel.jpg


SS frets are reasonably clean and crowned, no sharp ends
HILS Next Fret Ends.jpg


HILS Next Frets.jpg


Pickups sound pretty similar to what I heard on the Anderton's video. Fairly hot but not overpowering, reasonably clarity and balanced. Are they boot33k? NO. But they sound great and give plenty of pinch harmonics, when asked to.

Lots more I wanted to say, but lost it for now, I'm out of energy for the night! Hit me up if you have any specific questions.
 
Last edited:
Looks pretty decent for $500! I don’t know jack about headless guitars, but that’d be a good entry point for people with an interest in them. I can certainly see the transportability aspects of it being a benefit.
 
Looks pretty decent for $500! I don’t know jack about headless guitars, but that’d be a good entry point for people with an interest in them. I can certainly see the transportability aspects of it being a benefit.
It's really a whole 'nother experience playing one, hard to explain - of course it obviously feels much smaller, overall. Balances differently, resonates differently. Easier to get your hand where you want, fast.

I think everybody should try one , if you can get past the aesthetic differences - you may find you love playing one.
 
Played some more late last night before bed. The thing that stands out most? It vibrates/resonates like a madman, you can feel it coming up the strap on your shoulder.

IMHO, pretty much a no-brainer if you want to try a headless and don't want to spend 1.9K+!
 
It's practically a straight shot now! :banana
Unrelated, but...
You call yours Ichabod Crane, which I love...

I think mine will be Jane Mansfield, smaller than you think, still headless.

...too soon?🤷🏻‍♂️
 
Back
Top