Love the Headstock.. It does happen!!

[pushover]

There are many many comments about the Heritage headstock, and how many people find it ugl.. err.. shall we say.. hard to get used too.  In my case, actually it has sort of grown on me..

 

There are of course people who really like them, and I met some today..

 

I had a guy come around to try out a guitar I'm selling, and he ended up asking many more questions about my Heritage guitar than the guitar he came to try out. He'd never heard of Heritage.. but I guess he's young.. and that might explain it.. He ended up getting the whole H story, and being a big g-word fan he really wanted to try the Heritage to see what the differences might be.  He was very impressed with the overall feel, and quality of the guitar.

 

Anyway.. it was both he and his wife that came around, and when they saw my Heritage the first thing they both said was: Ooohh I love the headstock. That looks soo kewl...

 

See.. it does happen..

[brentrocks]

Well, I have to vent on this subject....I feel that it is a big fault of places like Guitar Center, force feeding today's youth w/ gibson and fender.  When they tun on the TV, all you see id G & F!  All todays rock stars play,  G & F!  Those images are burned into their brains...then when they see a real guitar like a Heritage, they turn their noses up like it s a Harmony Special.

 

It is nice to see people that like the Heritage Head!  I personally like it better than gibson.  Someday people will realize and appreciate Heritage guitars and forget about the overpriced G & F!

[Kazwell]

There are many many comments about the Heritage headstock, and how many people find it ugl.. err.. shall we say.. hard to get used too.  In my case, actually it has sort of grown on me..

 

Yeah, it took a while for me to get used to the headstock as well. Funny thing is, now when I look at a G-word headstock, they look old fashioned and outdated.

 

There is also a function the shape of the headstock plays. The strings don't pull outward (as much) from the nut to the tuning posts as you get in the original G-word design.

[Thundersteel]

The headstock shape never really bothered me. I don't think it's ugly at all.

[tulk1]

The headstock shape never really bothered me. I don't think it's ugly at all.

 

Same here. Never bothered my. Now Dean guitars!! Those bother me. But the Heritage headstock serves both form and function.

[doggy1972]

Deans are hideous. Most of their guitars just scream METAL KID!!!! Im sure they are quite good guitars but, you just couldnt.

[Kazwell]

Oh yeah. Dean is the worst. Tele's have had a long standing reputation as an ugly headstock. I read somewhere that they look that way because the shape allowed them to cut more necks out of the same piece of wood. They knew going in that would probably take some crap for the look. Still became an icon. Good example of function trumping form.

[yoslate]

I read somewhere that they look that way because the shape allowed them to cut more necks out of the same piece of wood.  Good example of function trumping form.

 

There's a photo in Tony Bacon's book on guitars (the title escapes me) of an exotic older instrument (maybe a 19th C. Mexican vihuela?) which has a headstock identical to a Tele's.  I've always thought of Telecasters as an exquisite example of form following function, and I love that headstock.

[JeffB]

I never liked the g****n headstock. Always looked over done, to big and pretentious.

Looked like an old mans guitar. I can say that now without offending. It happened to me just recently. (these things are cool)

When I saw the Heritage headstock I thought cool, looks better than my Hamer.

[Spectrum13]

For my taste it could be a little shorter with a MOP "Heritage" on the rosewood boarded. If the additional wood after the D & G tuners add to the tone, then it would be OK. Playing is believing. The reputation of any fine guitar should originate from covering up the headstock and playing it. To compare what the hero's play and headstock shapes and marketing hype is just not in my decision making matrix. Forming a less than favorable opinion due to closed minded thinking enables F & G to pump out large production numbers. We all own limited production hand made works of art at half the cost of a G. If production were 17,000 per year and the staff reached 200 quality, rarity and mojo may well be compromised. Our HOC 438 all have charactor, intelligence and share a unique appreciation for a very fine instrument. I would not like to see this forum membership expansion include some of the knuckleheads that were programed into buying guitars and making other life choices through marketing departments informing them what to wear, think and buy so they can fit it and/or be cool. Those people have nothing to say that I need to hear. 

[doggy1972]

My H is a killer guitar. Doesn't matter whats on the head. Sure I picked it on reputation and, it wasn't perfect when I got it but, Ive honed it into a real treat. You need good raw ingredients to start with and Heritage offers this in spades.

[Peter Cl]

There is also a function the shape of the headstock plays. The strings don't pull outward (as much) from the nut to the tuning posts as you get in the original G-word design.

 

Actually, the top and bottom strings have practically dead straight string pull. It's a good design.

 

Along similar lines, the Gib Pat Martino model looks to have straight pull on all 6 strings

[jacques]

Fellow Heritagians! (I totally forgot what name was chosen way back in July-August 2007 when the forum was starting - never used it anyway).

 

As soon as all the other nut heads understand Heritage guitars are as fine as we already know, (and stop expressing their aversion towards the headstock) it will be the end of our shared Heritage identity :afro:.

[les paulverizer]

I have to admit that I've never been extremely fond of the Heritage headstock myself; kinda looks like somethin's missin', but I think that has a lot to do with bein' used to the iconic Gibson headstock, which I like very much.

Havin said that I think it is kinda sleek and also it serves the purpose of differenciate it from its....cousin! 8)

As for the straight string pull mentioned earlier, that's also true, and a good thing too!

Anyway, has anybody ever noticed the similarities between the Heritage headstock and the Aria ProII...?

[fxdx99]

eye of the beholder - I've always thought Heritage's headstocks to be elegant.  Not a 'they don't bother me', but 'yeh - that design has form and function.  Well done!'  I like Leo's, too, much for the same reasons.

[111518]

I think the Aria connection has come up on an earlier thread, and also the connection to the Gibson "snakehead" mandolin.  Heritage has used the scroll mandolin headstock on at least one guitar that we've seen pictured on HOC (the centurian), so maybe they did borrow a traditional shape and put it in a new context ...but that's just my speculation.

 

[doggy1972]

One word here

Hamer

[Spectrum13]

Looks just fine for 8 strings. Thank you for proving my point...too loong for 6 ;D!

[111518]

Here's a better shot of a snakehead mandolin headstock; to me, this shot really displays a family resemblance with the Heritage design (including the use of "the" and the tilt of the inlay --though more dramatic here than on Heritage).  These headstocks have the reputation among vintage Gibson mandolin players of yielding better sound than mandolins that do not have the taper/straighter string pull.  I post this just for information's sake ... I'm not defending or critiquing the look of the Heritage headstock, which to me is just part of the Heritage vibe and connection to an older tradition.  (Would a telecaster with a different headstock be a telecaster?)

 

Maybe the headstock had to be long to make space for inlaying "the Heritage" mostly across the headstock instead of along its length, as on the mandolins ...and on Hamers, if I'm remembering those headstocks correctly? 

http://gregboyd.com/images/instrument_images/354_c.1924GibsonA-1SnakeheadMandolin_PH.jpg[/img]

[Kazwell]

The wrting style or font, or whatever you want to call it on that mandolin (along with the "the" as you mentioned) looks so similar I would even venture to say that that IS where they got the idea for the "The Heritage" logo. And the tapered headstock as well.

[davesultra]

I like the Heritage HS, simply put it's "Function over Fashion". I really never thought that the 2 additional pieces of wood glued on each side of the G*bs*n HS added much from a tonal standpoint. I also love the Tele HS!