What Are The Benefits of Headless Guitars?
Everyone is at a different stage in their guitar journey. Some have played their whole lives. Others are just starting and are only familiar with the archetypal guitar. One common thread, however, may be a hesitation or unfamiliarity with a headless instrument. Why try a headless guitar? What makes a headless guitar special?
Here are five reasons why every musician should try a headless Kiesel Guitars instrument:
1. Lighter in Weight
As players progress through their musical careers, they may notice a gradual issue with an instrument's weight. Because headless instruments have smaller bodies and no headstock, they automatically reduce in weight.
We ran a test to see just how much the weight varies from headless to head-stocked guitars. Taking the weight of three Delos and three Headless Delos, also known as the HD, with swamp ash bodies, the HD consistently came in at around 6.1 lbs, while the Delos weighed approximately 7.1-7.5 lbs, depending on various options.
Many of our popular models have headless alternatives. The Delos has the HD mentioned above. The K-Series has the HK (Headless K-Series). Other counterparts include the Hyperdrive and Lightspeed, the V220 and Type-X, and the Ultra-V and Type-V.
2. Easy Travel
Musicians know that it's hard to fly with a full-sized instrument; oftentimes, the airline will require the guitar to be checked, relegating it to the cargo hold. This puts the instrument at the mercy of both outside handlers and an unmonitored storage area. Even the highest-quality instrument and case can be damaged during this process; however, a headless guitar circumvents this issue entirely.
Because the headless cases are around 9 inches shorter in height and 3 inches smaller in width, most, if not all, airlines allow for it to be a carry-on, meaning that the guitar is allowed in the aircraft's overhead bins.
Another advantage is a smaller case when loading a van or car and carrying it around.
3. Comfortable Couch Playing
Sitting on the couch can be tricky when playing while watching TV or practicing. Sometimes, the player is limited by space, whether that be another person, pet, etc. With other objects obstructing the headstock, an imbalance may occur due to awkward positioning.
Headless instruments mitigate these problems. Without a headstock, there is more room and freedom to play in a desired location while allowing space for others to sit next to the player. Because the body is smaller, it opens up the possibilities of where to set the guitar down, notably in tighter, cramped places. These two features also combine to create a better balance when the guitar rests on the player's leg. Neck dive is drastically reduced, so, in turn, an equilibrium is created between the top and bottom of the instrument.
4. Balance
As previously touched on before, headless guitars have a better balance overall due to the lack of a headstock. Because weight and length are reduced on the neck, the guitar is less likely to fall victim to neck dive.
One of the most notorious examples is the popular "X-style" guitar. Neck dive tends to be one of the biggest downsides for the body shape. Though the Kiesel Hyperdrive mostly rectifies this with the counterweight located in the back of the lowest part of the body, weight becomes a factor, as mentioned before. The Lightspeed fixes the issue with the removed headstock and proportional body adjustments for a true balance without added weight in the body.
Kiesel headstock-equipped instruments are engineered and designed with balance in mind, but headless models excel in this area.
5. Unique Shapes
While there is an extensive lineup of Kiesel headstock models, some of the headless instruments offer a body shape exclusive to this configuration.
Nearly ten guitar shapes are only available in headless. The most unique examples are the Holdsworth, Vader, and Zeus Acoustic, while some of the most popular Kiesel instruments in the entire catalog are the Zeus 2 and Osiris 2.
Furthermore, a few artist signature instruments exclusive to headless builds include the aforementioned Holdsworth, Stef Carpenter, Miller, Letchford, McKinney, and Devin Townsend’s NEO. Finally, one of the three acoustic-electric Kiesel guitars, the Zeus Acoustic, is headless.
There are countless other pros to headless instruments: easier stage mobility, a different aesthetic, and more. Luckily, most of the instruments offered by Kiesel Guitars come with a 10-day money-back guarantee. If you aren't convinced by the end of the trial, you can always send the instrument back.