Dick Seacup Posted August 11, 2007 Posted August 11, 2007 Does anyone know why Heritage uses a 17 degree headstock pitch? I'm reasonably certain the answer is, "Because Gibson did." But, that just leads to, "Why did Gibson settle on a 17 degree headstock pitch?" Is there some advantage to using 17 degrees versus, say, 10 degrees or 25 degrees? I suppose if it were 90 degrees it'd just be a six string lute.
GuitArtMan Posted August 11, 2007 Posted August 11, 2007 Well if you take the answer to the ultimate question about life, the universe and everything and subtract 25 from it, you get 17. Sorry, it's the best I could come up with.
Thundersteel Posted August 11, 2007 Posted August 11, 2007 It's because the angle of the dangle is inversly proportional to the beat of the meat! ;D Or so I have heard...
bluesaxe Posted August 24, 2007 Posted August 24, 2007 I'm not postive on this one but here goes my best mechanical engineer summation... Headstock angle is related to string tension in the nut. Due to the shorter scale length (and therefore lower tension) of the LP 24 3/4" scale, they went with a higher angle than Fender, etc with the longer scale. Plus all those string trees are fugly. This keeps the strings from popping out of the nut while strumming hard or with big bends. I used to have a strat that would always pop the high E out of the nut during my best solos > Why not more than 17 deg?? Not sure on that one, other than potential of sticking in the nut due to high tension. I'd imagine the 17 degrees is a compromise between too much and not enough tension in the nut. I'd also surmise that a higher angle would make it more difficult to fret the strings down by the nut. Like I said, I'm sure there are other that can answer this better, but that's my best judgement.
GuitArtMan Posted August 24, 2007 Posted August 24, 2007 I'm not postive on this one but here goes my best mechanical engineer summation... Headstock angle is related to string tension in the nut. Due to the shorter scale length (and therefore lower tension) of the LP 24 3/4" scale, they went with a higher angle than Fender, etc with the longer scale. Plus all those string trees are fugly. This keeps the strings from popping out of the nut while strumming hard or with big bends. I used to have a strat that would always pop the high E out of the nut during my best solos > Why not more than 17 deg?? Not sure on that one, other than potential of sticking in the nut due to high tension. I'd imagine the 17 degrees is a compromise between too much and not enough tension in the nut. I'd also surmise that a higher angle would make it more difficult to fret the strings down by the nut. Like I said, I'm sure there are other that can answer this better, but that's my best judgement. By tension I assume you mean downward pressure. The tension is going to be the same everwhere on the string regardless of the angle at the nut and/or bridge. My guess is somebody at some point said "This looks about right" and when they measured it, it was 17 degrees!
bluesaxe Posted August 24, 2007 Posted August 24, 2007 By tension I assume you mean downward pressure. The tension is going to be the same everwhere on the string regardless of the angle at the nut and/or bridge. My guess is somebody at some point said "This looks about right" and when they measured it, it was 17 degrees! You are correct sir - my bad - downward force on the nut would be a better way to describe it.
Gitfiddler Posted August 25, 2007 Posted August 25, 2007 OK, now I have a dumb question or two about Heritage's 17 degree headstock pitch... Is the headstock angle/pitch more important for an archtop, semi-hollow or solid body guitar? Also, doesn't it interplay with the scale length as well as the tailpiece/bridge construction or type? (e.g. stoptail, trapeze or Bigsby) Like some of you guys, I've always wondered why Heritage made it such an important feature in their ads for their fine instruments.
sweet-tooth Posted August 29, 2007 Posted August 29, 2007 O.K., keywords are "downward-pressure", and this correlates directly to sustain. In order to most effectively "transmit" the strings vibrations to the body and neck of the guitar, the four places where the strings connect to the guitar (tailpiece, bridge/ saddle, nut, and headstock/tuning pegs) need to have certain characteristics and be at certain angles. Of course this changes from manufacturer to manufacturer, and even model to model, but the point is to dial in the right amount of sustain, resonance, tone etc. In the case of "The Heritage" I suspect it has at least a little to do with the fact that GB used that particular headstock angle (after all, we're talking about some of the same guys, right?) but the reason GB used it in the first place is because it offered superior (a matter of taste) sound. Here's why: with more downward pressure to the nut and saddle, more vibration is transfered to the neck and body, resulting in more sustain and resonance. By the way, this is also why Heritage guitars feature such a large headstock (like the GB's of old used to [and speaking of GB's of old, what about the "The" in the name? It looks like Heritage may be hinting at something here eh?]). Larger paddle = more sustain. So why don't all guitars feature this? Design preference really. Many don't know this, but when Leo & Co. were designing the first Tele, they went around to different players asking what they liked in a guitar. They found that jazz players and the like had a strong preference for the design elements of GB archtop guitars, but country players for the most part didn't really get into it. They liked flat-top guitars and all their sonic attributes. So, Leo & Co. went to C.F. Martin and took detailed notes on the construction of their flat-top acoustics, and applied some of those design elements to the first Tele. If you look at the neck profile of a '52 Tele and compare it to the profile of a Martin of that era, you'll be struck by the similarities. The fact that the Tele was the first flat-top electric solid-body on the market was no accident. Those design elements appeal to a certain type, and Leo saw that as his niche. It was a good call on his part I'd say. So there it is. All these seemingly quirky design elements are there for the worlds guitarists to choose what suits them best. Some people love loads of sustain, and some love the flattish twang. And no matter what your preference, your guitar is out there. Next up: Scale length. 25 1/2? 24 3/4? WTF??? Why do I care? (Anyone else want to take this one?)
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