Is This the Future Of Guitar Design…or a Gimmick?

Aristides H/06 deep dive. Aristides headless 6 string.
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0:00 Why it’s special
0:50 How it’s made
1:40 “headstock” hardware
2:20 guess the riff
2:34 Neck deep dive
4:21 My biggest issue
5:22 Neck shape
6:30 Heel joint & high frets
8:08 Body
10:57 Strange Tones
12:45 Amazing Tremolo
14:35 gig bag drama
15:00 Price
16:40 Improvements

[@germangabrielreyesferrufin2629]

oh my god i was literally just asking myself when you would upload a new year video lol. btw i think it would be cool if you could review the headless Ibanez Q series (just for fun. they're pretty accessible headless guitars). love your content!

[@andrefludd]

My christmas gift to myself was having all 4 wisdom teeth removed and paying almost fully out of pocket because my NYC insurance sucks. My face was too swollen to show for awhile, but I'm back! I'll do the quest series in 2024 for sure. I also have an updated strandberg video coming.

[@germangabrielreyesferrufin2629]

@@andrefludd i'm glad you're back to good health, i'll definitely look forward for these reviews from you! you've made me get really into ergonomic and modern guitars in general! keep doing what you're doing, much love from Honduras :)

[@robspectre1973]

The QX52 is definitely a nice guitar. Slanted frets play great especially with small hands

[@louiscyfer6944]

​@@andrefluddyour caliper didn't break, that's what it looks like when the battery is dying.

[@andrefludd]

@@louiscyfer6944that’s what I thought too but a fresh battery didn’t change anything.

[@cvv6384]

I really appreciate that you don't focus on just one kind of guitar. You do metal, jazz, classic rock, and all other kinds of guitars and I get exposed to them when I normally wouldn't see them!

[@martyshwaartz971]

the volume jumps between pickup selections are crazy

[@Double_0_7_Strings]

Aristides are my favorite guitars, but I haven’t tried their fanned fret or headless models. I love the rumble you get from hitting chords really hard, and recording guitar parts is like a cheat code. It’s so stable.

[@andrefludd]

Thanks for the studio insight.

[@serazac25]

Happy New Year, Andre! Glad you are back with a new video. An Aristides guitar is definitely one that I will like to have. I wish they will introduce a non multiscale version for their headless models, at least for their 6 string model.

[@Fast2Whls]

Anyone remember Switch guitars? They were single-piece molded (neck, body & headstock) from a composite called Vibracell. I still have two of them. Incredibly resonant; almost like a semi hollowbody. Completely impervious to temperature/humidity; I haven't touched the truss rod even after 20+ years. Composite guitars are awesome if you need to go from a cold car directly into a warm club gig and stay in tune.

[@d3w4yn3]

This was another really great review, in detail that matches my interest in details! You bring up so many pertinent details, and cover so many angles, that you've saved me from purchasing a couple of different very expensive guitars that would not have worked out for me. It is a great advantage to see you think these things through before I spend money potentially reaching the same conclusions and regretting a purchase. So for a free video, man, you have saved me some money!!! No surprises there though, that's why I'm a life-long fan!!!

[@lunamatic9775]

Glad to see you're on the mend after having your wisdom teeth out! Love the focus on innovation and this definitely fits the bill. The few times I've tried fanned frets I haven't really gotten used to them. But several people I know who have them love them, so maybe it's time to take another look.

[@russellzauner]

Aristides has set the bar for environmental stability. When people want an instrument that holds still and the travel to a lot of different climates, the first name you hear for a long time now is Aristides. If I ever went anywhere, I'd probably look into trading something off for a couple; I have always been curious.

[@andrefludd]

Vigiers are the best in that regard imo.

[@russellzauner]

@@andrefludd I guess if you could name a guitar that I could afford less than an Aristides you nailed it lol But if I was going with Vigier I would probably end up with a fretless model because Vigier.

[@simonpark843]

I was hoping you'd upload something...and here it is! Thank you, as ever, for an insightful, informative and enjoyable video. I learn more from these videos than I do from any other guitar channel. Thank you.

[@andrefludd]

Simon my man! Thanks for your kind words. I hope you and your family had a great holiday season

[@simonpark843]

@@andrefludd We did, thank you, and I hope you did also! Thanks for all of the informative, detailed videos.

[@chadshortland6715]

My Aristides 060s was the biggest disappointment in my 21yrs of playing guitar. Wouldn’t stay in tune for more than 10 minutes, and was affected by the smallest change in temperature. And anything above the 12th fret had the strangest, dull, rounded off tone that wouldn’t go away regardless of string brand/guages. Spent hundreds having different techs check it out as well and no dice. It’s possible I just got a “dud”, but for the time and money it takes to get your hands on one, I can’t justify trying a second 🤷🏼

[@user-jh6pc4cr9p]

There is no life to the tone.

[@cscheid]

Mine wasn’t that bad but I was also disappointed. It did play better than any guitar I’ve had previously, but it just didn’t have any life and I’m not sure why. It was a real bummer because it played so well. As a car guy, an aristides is like… a brand new gt350 mustang. It’s fast, it’s got all the bells and whistles, and with all of its systems on board it can make anyone a “good” driver. But it’s not nearly as cool as an original Shelby gt350 from the late 60’s. I truly believe aristides are great, but they are so surgical in their precision that it takes the life away from the instrument. I have to fight my ESP Phoenix a bit to really get it to sing, and I FUCKING love every bit of it

[@flynnedwards]

Just to address the tuning thing, while the body itself doesn't expand and contract, strings still do under changes in temperature. When you first pick up the guitar, it's a little bit flat, but then as you play it for 5-10 mins, it goes into tune again, provided you have the tuning set for when the guitar is at playing temperature. With this method, the guitar holds tune excellently and you only have to make very minor adjustments to tuning (ofc dependent on climate)

[@cscheid]

@@flynnedwards this was my experience, it’s the strings themselves changing due to temp, can’t really change it. Didn’t bother me much

[@coyotestardust]

Sorry to hear that. The 060s I got is honestly one of the most solid instruments I've ever owned, I only made small adjustments to the setup to accommodate my preferred string gauge and tuning after I got mine (second-hand) and it's been nothing but bliss ever since. It also led me to ordering a 2nd Aristides guitar (7-string) which I've also been very happy with.

[@eddiejr540]

Great stuff Doc…I’m not a big fan of the “fanned” frets either for the very same reasons you mentioned, however my strandberg seems to have a “mild” fan, so I can kinda work around it👍

[@GarbleSlew]

Great review as usual! I normally don’t like dot inlays but black on black looks really nice.

[@MikeDullSharpe]

Polymers, with the right atomic structure, are light AND stable/durable. Carbon fiber is the easiest demonstration of this, but it's hard to make.

[@andrefludd]

Yep! Carbon fiber is also really difficult to work with. Lots of pointy splinters and such.

[@model101jr5]

And as it turns out not good for submarines either

[@arunkarthikma3121]

Oh my goodness! You finally got a sponsorship (that's not a couch)!

[@hardstones17]

I plan to get a build for a T/0 started soon in a couple weeks, very excited to get a guitar that is going to be my forever keeper and to specs I desire. That being said though I am getting semi cold feet when my deposit alone costs the same as a Kiesel with desired specs I would want. The woe's of getting a high end custom I guess.

[@georgeestremera1464]

I'm happy to say that I own the guitar demo'd in this video now and I'm truly happy with it. The wiring was fixed and it doesn't do that weird volume jump when switching anymore

[@Ghaos]

I owned a 070, it was the most perfect guitar I ever owned, the trem is amazing and the tuning was a rock. 3 issues though: A: I don't recommend super high output actives in an Aristides, actives are corrective by nature and are overkill here. B: If you're getting an H with a trem, trust me and make sure it has a Sureclaw, the trem screws are super hard to turn and if you shear off the trem claw screws I'm pretty you'll have to send the guitar back to Aristides to fix it. C: this guitar does not have a tone of it own, so your pickups and your rig will completely dictate what the resultant sound will be. From a playability perspective though, I promise you that this guitar with outplay any guitar you currently own (save for another Aristides), if they were 1000$ cheaper I would have sold my other guitars already.

[@DarkArtGuitars]

Your criticism and suggestions for imporvements are why I watch your channel. I'm not in the market for most guitars you check out, but hearing what is important to someone whith your experience if very interesting.

[@andrefludd]

Thanks for supporting the channel :)

[@blurrymagnet]

Dude, I was just thinking about you and searched your name because I hadn’t seen you in a while, then BAM “15 minutes ago” That’s some intuition!

[@andrefludd]

It's very touching to see a few people notice my 3 week absence. Didn't miss a single Friday upload all 2023, until the last 2 weeks. lol I recongize your picture, but did you change your user name? Was it Rapture something or another before?

[@blurrymagnet]

Also I’ve been buying picks from this guy Patrick Hufschmidt, in Switzerland, that are far far off the beaten path. Given that you’re into ergonomics, I suspect you may get quite the detailed video out of some of these things. They’re made using really interesting materials and thermoplastics, etc. I’d even send you one if you want. They come in so many shapes and sizes and have different utility depending on what you want. I can do perfect consistent pinch harmonics with a lot of these. For context, I don’t use a pick at all. Prior to trying these at least. Now I palm the pick for strumming and wield it for lead playing.

[@andrewgalvin2616]

I fully agree that it should come with non fan fret option. This is why I went with a Mayones Hydra pro instead. IMO this is the best headless guitar made and you should check it out.

[@RyanOManchester]

It's good to see these videos getting 5 digit views again! I don't always have the time to check out every one of your uploads, but they are always quality.

[@andrefludd]

I appreciate you Ryan :)

[@arunthebuffoon4554]

Yeah, these are simply the most thorough guitar reviews on the whole internet. Pure quality.

[@rayschoch5882]

"The future of guitar design or a gimmick…?" Yes. That is, like most new guitar designs, it's both. Novelty is often an effective marketing technique, and novelty certainly applies here. My use of a trem bar is modest, so I wouldn't worry about strings coming out of their assigned notches. More importantly, I'm not a boutique guitar customer. I'm not a good enough guitarist, and there are people in my area who don't know where their next meal is coming from. The cost of a boutique guitar is not - for me at least - justifiable.

[@officialWWM]

I just built a 3D printed guitar and it sounds amazing!

[@jamesmarkham7489]

Great review. Seen these everywhere online but never in person. Is the newsletter close to coming out?

[@andrefludd]

In the next 2 weeks. For sure. Im Switching email providers, websites, etc. so I’m a bit backed up. Thank you for asking

[@mackkenamond1800]

I’m surprised you didn’t mention Parker even though you have one in the background (maybe a later model). My first “big” purchase when I got out of school was a Parker Fly back in 1995, with a date code placing it in December 1994 - I believe they started production in June of 1994. Got it for $1300 USD. Was in the market for a Les Paul Standard but had seen a tech TV show on the Parkers a week earlier, played both and settled on the Parker for the piezo option (has two humbuckers and the piezos). It is still at the top of my list to play and I have a PRS Custom 24 and 3 Les Paul’s (sorry Fender but strat’s and tele’s suck tonally - love my 5-string p-bass 19:58 though!). It’s always intoned, never had to adjust after 30 years. Never touched the truss rod. Came with a gig bag that airline stewards/esses will hang in the suit closet. I have tens of thousands of dollars in my collection, but the Parker is still at the top of my list.

[@andrefludd]

I have a dedicated aristides vs Parker video coming :).

[@PooNinja]

Tone materials ! 🤘🏽 very cool instruments.

[@RequiemDead]

Holy crap, you own the 2112 Aristides! I saw that on insta and fell in love with it, even though I don't like white guitars.

[@dimitriid]

I honestly do not get fanned frets on 6 strings guitars on regular scale lengths: Fanned frets are supposed to be a compromise for baritone guitars, specially extended range ones at which point the extra strings would alleviate those stretches if you get creative with your chord positions accessing the extra strings. But on anything below a 27" scale at the top I would probably at least offer an option without fanned frets.

[@andrefludd]

Same. I’m going to do my best not to piss people off in the fan fret video.

[@Stachtube]

My favorite body shape is also strandberg but I noticed that I often have the lower bout between my legs rather that over my right leg, very similar to how you’re playing in the intro. I wish the protrusion on the bottom of the lower bout was a little smoother, more like an abasi.

[@BillyTheKidsGhost]

The first guitar kit I put together was a headless guitar...it weighs a metric ton and totally put me off headless guitars. I'm sure it comes down to the ''Tone Master'' hardware. Which was a nightmare since the trem arm didn't fit the hole. So I had to tap it and put threads on the arm.

[@TheAndrewc5120]

i've heard stories of the cheapest versions of headless guitars weighing a bunch, which is unfortunate because name brand ones are far lighter than any traditional guitar out there. standberg and ibanez both are floating just over or under 5 lbs for instance. keisels also are around that much. taking 1 lbs off the neck in hardware and wood weight do crazy things for ergonomics and playability. but if your first and only experience is a 10-12 pound monstrosity, i can't imagine that does much for your opinion on the matter haha.

[@gckbowers411]

1:12 "When examining sound waves on a cellular level" Ah yes, sound wave cells.

[@maddyleaf]

The fact that people will get upset by ACTUAL constructive criticism nowadays, is just wild. Thank you for what you do, Andre. I hope they make that non-fanfret version for the jazz players, even though I'm a chug enjoyer 😁.

[@GreenBlueWalkthrough]

Great video and yeah I agree it a a great guitar at a fairly standard price!

[@cameronneal4]

Glad to see you mention Baena

[@vesuviradhakrishnan]

You should check out some Headless Agile guitars from rondo music, the normal scale lengths may be more comfortable since Multiscale ones are very angled like some ormsby's

[@BillySoundFarm]

That was a real smooth transition to the skillshare pitch, didn't break up the flow at all

[@andrefludd]

They’re a good company. I legit learn a ton on their platform.

[@model101jr5]

Love learning but man never enough time lol

[@kieronjones7971]

I love my H/08, its so well made and takes an absolute beating. Sustain for days.

[@FabirukaS]

Just watching that you have a "tremol-no" on your abasi. I've been wanting on getting one for my floyd loaded guitars but not sure if it is worth it. Would you recommend it? Because I don't use floyd but i don't like the other blockers that are kind of invasive.

[@andrefludd]

100% worth it. I’ll eventually be putting one in every tremolo guitar. I discuss it briefly in my prs saved my guitar video.

[@murdastick]

Liked for JT. I really want one of the 9 string variants!

[@sebastianblanno7806]

Andre! Love your videos. I have a not guitar question for you. Is that a Hinomi chair you're sitting in? If so, how is it? They bombard me on Instagram, but I really do need a new office chair. Hopefully this makes it to you. Thanks!

[@andrefludd]

I have a full video on my channel :). And you can get a discount by using my link

[@johntravoltage959]

I have some other issues with fanned fret designs, but big extended chords (in my case, on an 8 string fanned fret 26.5" - 27.5") are much easier for me, especially in classical position. Feels more natural for me to rotate my wrist outwards with the frets and it lining up neatly, rather than keeping my wrist at the same angle the whole way along the fretboard. To me it almost looks like you are rotating your wrist in the wrong direction, making your fingers almost perpendicular to the frets rather than parallel, which is how I've been approaching it. At the same time, rotating your wrist outwards especially for certain playing positions/arm lengths etc. can also become problematic to and not the most comfortable.

[@HLBmusix]

Position 1 and 5 sound like coil tapped, or it is the other way around. Position 2 and 4 are boosted, like modded boosted. More voltage to increase the pickup output. Just like the lexi mod

[@andrefludd]

Thanks for that

[@ywtcc]

Getting the scale length right is the overlooked part in choosing a guitar, in my opinion. Sure, there's advantages to having longer scale lengths, but it gets tough to play on the lower frets, especially for people with not especially long fingers. Personally, I prefer 24.75" or thereabouts. A multiscale that goes up to 26.1" seems really daunting! Like playing a baritone. I have a 24" and it plays fine - it's a little cramped on the upper frets, but most of the time I'm not using that part of the fretboard. Maybe a short scale multiscale would make more sense for playability on the lower frets, possibly using different strings to compensate if the string tension isn't ideal.

[@goldfishpartyy]

I have mixed feelings on my H/06, but I'll probably never get rid of it. The unibody has sold me on always buying a neck-through guitar. Those Parker guitars went way up on my radar as a result. It picked it up because i wanted a single coil in the neck and a humbucker in the bridge. It's a simple HS configuration, and it's a custom wiring by Lundgren. I feel like that's not something i can easily replace. Big points in favor of the guitar for me. The fan on the frets I would say, in practice, is less extreme than the strandberg boden prog I have. My reasoning is that, due to the neutral fret being in the middle, the average angle of a given fret is less extreme. You get to extremes at either end of the fretboard, and that aligns perfectly with the reason you would have multiscale in the first place. Something about the body and materials makes it the most resonant guitar of its class I've ever had. Even acoustically, its clear and present. But it needs to be retuned every time i play it. It's a fixed bridge, even. I've gone through 4 Strandbergs over the years and have barely had to touch the tuners once the strings wore in just a little. It's incredibly disappointing that my favorite guitar provides such a low quality experience in this regard.

[@ZL1LoVeR]

Doing individual molds for different neck shapes might not be the only way to do it. They can have a chunky mold and then carve away/sand to the desired shape/thickness

[@JackTaylorGuitars]

Dope guitar dude, thanks for explaining everything I need to know before I sell a kidney to get one 😂 Hope you and Mystery Girl had a fantastic holidays!

[@andrefludd]

Jack my man! Happy holidays. We need an album update

[@JackTaylorGuitars]

@@andrefludd Thank you bro! Sat working on the solo section for the fourth and final track of the EP. All being well, I’m just gonna drop it within the next couple of weeks. An album is also in the works. I’m saving a spot for you 🙇🏻‍♂️

[@RollDamage]

it looks like the guitar was initially set up with fishman fluence pickups and the wiring for the pickups would look like the wiring on the battery pack area but also the emgx in the bridge is passive if i am correct and the neck is active witch is really weird and could explain the extreme volume difference when switching. Great review though!

[@RollDamage]

my mistake the emg x just has a different preamp but it still does differ from the neck so might still be a cause for the drastic blow out in volume

[@loydthabartender5794]

Cool video. I am definitely interested in hearing more about these guitars. My biggest issue is that for guitars that are supposed to be for metal, the metal tones I hear out of them in pretty much every video just aren't that good to my ears. There's always this intense frequency spike around the 2100hz-2500hz range that I just don't like. You can sort of hear it at 2:24 although this model has EMGs and a trem so it's not as pronounced. Idk, they all sound too bright to me. The idea of non wood guitars is so cool though. I purchased an RUF Shrodinger and I'm going to be doing a review on that one really soon. It's a super cool guitar. My one issue with composite guitars is that they are generally more expensive and not as easy to get your hands on. Until that changes I do not think they are going to replace wood guitars.

[@andrefludd]

This particular guitar is for sure crazy bright. Neck pickup, zero bass guitar on my amp, and the volume rolled down. That’s how I got my clean tones. These same settings on my other guitars would produce a totally different tone.

[@zoomzoom3950]

Modern metal cares about tone? How can you tell?! Paint it all matte/satin black, drop tune as far as you can go, plug it in to your Uberschall Ultra MkII, and chug! And fire the bass player since they're no longer needed. 😁

[@Jewdly]

If it had a glass fretboard like the Fly, I would be interested.

[@elephantfootrisers]

I bought a new Tau based on your video. I also have Strandberg but I don't like the fanned frets. The Tau is wonderful but I wish it had a trem. Keep up the good work.

[@andrefludd]

It's awesome isn't it? I play mine all the time.

[@elephantfootrisers]

@@andrefludd I really didn't expect to like it as much as I do. Never even heard of it before I saw your vid so hats off to you. Thanks again.

[@57stratkat]

Switch guitars did this first with a material called Vibracell. Also had a Richlite fretboard. Sustained for days. Unfortunately, they had funky body shapes and people weren't ready for the idea of a "plastic" guitar.

[@felderup]

as much as i've been needling reactors to do 'leolo', i've been needling guitar people to do a balanced rewire, i'm too lazy and unknown to bother doing my own video on it. since someone already screwed up the wiring on that one, a complete balancing would only improve things, i don't think it'd work with active pickups though. got a soldering iron, ganged pots and some spare passive pickups handy?

[@nj1255]

I see that I'm not the only one who prefers an EMG X-series in the bridge and a regular EMG in the neck. I only have 7-strings with EMGs in them though.

[@andrew66862]

I'd love to see you review a big old Chet Atkins style Gretsch with a bigsby. Or some other humongous old monster.

[@andrefludd]

I love Gretsch. I have a review coming soon of one, but not the full hollowbody one I wanted.

[@sinkopation]

I would LOVE love love for a brand like schecter to release a guitar with the strandberg form factor. Of course I would prefer a guitar not made in Indonesia but right now the guitar world is stuck in the same old body design philosophy which leaves people with no real affordable options. Suppose there's Performaxe...

[@mentalitydesignvideo]

I think it's Single Neck - HB Neck - Both Single - Bridge HB - Bridge Single and you might need to adjust bridge P/U height/tilt.

[@funkyfurballs1078]

Like the ergonomics and materials are interesting but not a fan of headless and fan frets. Thanks for the video!

[@pedroleal7118]

Hey Andre, tottally agree, fanned frets are not the best for extended chords, and there are other situations...Have a great New Year, plenty of good things! Take care!

[@andrefludd]

Same to you! Hopefully you can share more of your experience on the fan fret video I am planning

[@russellzauner]

Maybe someone needs to try a reverse fan fret - against all conventional wisdom

[@pedroleal7118]

@@andrefludd Hope so, see U there! Take care!

[@electrikjam7661]

I KNEW you would be going here eventually!

[@DE-GEN-ART]

my caliper does the same thing. iv been told the mechanical dial model is more resilient

[@andrefludd]

Using $7 tools on a $3,500 guitar. I should know better than to cheap out on gear. Lesson learned.

[@user-wc5fc6cv3h]

I have a Strandberg and a Kiesel and another one headless. The tuning is the worst part for me. More difficult to tune. They both stay in tune, but to get them in tune with those round tuning keys cylindrical it’s tough. How is it on this new guitar you speak of?

[@azbyn692]

What do you think of the Jackson Warrior shape? It also has cutaways for both the standard and classical position and allegedly balances nicely. And as a bonus, it's pointy and has high output pickups. Could go well for a certain series about metal guitars ; )

[@andrefludd]

It looks pretty cool. Def will have to try one for the metal series.

[@zoomzoom3950]

FWIW, I own a few Warriors and Rhoads; the Rhoads is my main floating trem guitar brand/model. The Warrior rear / bottom body cutout lets you put the guitar in a more classical/fusion position when seated, and the front lower bout balances it nicely on your other leg; it also does well in the traditional horizontal hold position. Mine are painted neck through, and have the same / similar neck as the Rhoads neck through. I prefer the Rhoads shape over the Warrior esthetic, but I have to use a short guitar strap to position the Rhoads in the classical/fusion position which I don't need for the Warrior. The warrior body shape is more comfortable and versatile than it looks. The Rhoads is uncomfortable as it looks, but I still prefer it.

[@zanzabar4ky7]

I would bet the pickups are wired backwards so the bridge is on 5, and it has an afterburner in there for a boost on position 5

[@flaitom]

man, your metal tone is sounding awsome

[@andrefludd]

Thank you! I’ve been studying a lot on the topic. Going through dozens of IRs etc. still a work in progress

[@EvilDragon666]

It's too shrill and doesn't have any mids... I wouldn't call it an awesome metal tone unfortunately ^_^;

[@ColwynLovesCars_Pie]

Is that the RUSH Starman on the octive marker???

[@williambarabanitz3858]

Would like to see Kaman bring back the Deacon/Breadwinner duo - good stuff all around. Guess they were just ahead of their time...

[@eternum7056]

I was close to ordering one. But they don't do custom scale lenght. I'm a 25,5 seven string player and there's no option from Aristides. Same with headless guitars

[@riangarianga]

I agree about having more neck options would be desirable, especially at this price point. Actually I would like to find a shorter scale neck (let's say Gibson scale), much more comfortable for my hands and favourite string feel. But these days everything seems to go the baritone way, so I can't really buy headless guitars, but I badly want a good one that suits me!

[@kotekutalia]

26.1 inch scale length doesn't make a baritone. It's so miniscule difference to standard guitars. I own a 26.5" scale Ibanez RGD

[@riangarianga]

@@kotekutalia I didn't mention a specific number, and claimed «that's a baritone scale». I said «everything seems to go the baritone way», and that meant extending the modern standard scale established by de Torres at 647/648 mm, later on made popular by Fender on electrics, later also used by most electric guitar manufacturers. In any case, there aren't any established standards for baritone guitars, either acoustic o electric, but just usual formulas. Regardless, we shouldn't really be judging anyone's personal preferences. The difference is *not minuscule for my hands*, +1.1" = +28 mm. That's a lot of added length, it already sends the 1st fret 16 mm further away from the nut, as compared to a standard fretboard. That's why frets need to be fanned at both ends of the Aristides. Such topic should be important in the comments section of a channel that regularly covers ergonomics - and where the owner explicitly mentions having issues with some fanned fretboards, even having big hands. For me it isn't a matter of length, but a matter of proportion: I'm not comfortable either with the finger alignment of ~610 mm scales (what you would measure as 24"), because it would just be like referencing the first fret of a standard-scale fretboard as you new nut, and ignoring the actual nut. Additionally, thick necks really get in my way, I personally wish all necks would have Ibanez Wizard measurements. I shouldn't be justifying any of this, it's just my preference based on my experience, and anyone else would probably prefer something different. That's the great thing about having options. Also, like anyone else, I'm entitled to request manufacturers to produce something approaching my ideal specs, actually I already did. However, I'm glad to learn almost anything suits your hands, and you have plenty more available choices than I do.

[@pellabandgeek]

I work in quality control- buy Mitutoyo calipers if you can swing it. They're the best and will outlast the majority of others.

[@l0rd_breeigo-sama954]

Video about some of the Extreme shapes, like the V, Explorer, Firebird, iceman, warlock or any others?

[@andrefludd]

I have That planned for the summer.

[@l0rd_breeigo-sama954]

@@andrefludd very Nice, imo my favorite is the ibanez FTM 33 model. Currently the most comfy guitar i own. But i also really find Vs comfortable.

[@mike__durrett]

Given that they're injection molding, I think it's more similar in time and cost to a more traditional custom shop offering multiple neck shapes? Not an expert but I would think it'd at least be comparable.

[@bobbyd79903ify]

♿️perspective. 70y now. Played 65y. Jazz/fusion. Looking for my final guitar. Recovering fr paralysis, i need lightest, fastest. So it's down to a used Parker Fly vs H/06, if it weighs less. ???

[@andrefludd]

Parker fly weighs less but I have a Parker Fly vs Aristides coming soon

[@pablocompli]

Emg as "boutique pickups" is mental

[@shinokugt]

This was originally a custom built for someone else that he bought used. Aristides guitars usually come with Bareknuckle, Lundgren, or Fishman pickups.

[@TheHammersmashdave]

the art of shredding by Pantera, nice!

[@DISSONVNT]

That's interesting, I find multiscales more comfortable.

[@andrefludd]

Yep. It’s always going to be a personal feel thing. What is your favorite multi scale neck?

[@Robstafarian]

I used your link to buy my Hinomi H1 Pro V2, and I have had it about a week. This is one of the best products I have ever bought!

[@andrefludd]

I never promote anything that isn’t great. So happy you like it.

[@iamtomdiesel]

Subbed for the Parker love

[@andrefludd]

I have a few Parker videos coming out soon :)

[@void_snw]

I think it's funny that they do the whole tone-material thing.

[@andychen4212]

I wish I can have one in the future, because it’s too expensive 😅

[@eunisLymn]

the art of shredding.

[@juanvillamon2953]

Art of Shredding!!! What happened to the Metal experiment?

[@andrefludd]

Let’s just say…I’m practicing a lot of riffs and leads by a certain cowboy from hell in preparation for the next entry. I also have a boutique Evertune guitar that has been tied up in customs for the last 3 weeks.

[@MetalHeadMarc]

"This the art.....SHRED! Its simply emotionnnnnnnnn"

[@Robstafarian]

The word is "damping", to reduce vibrations, not "dampening" as in making moist (though guitars can do that).

[@DavidKrautscheid]

there are some things in this video that i dont like: first at all the pickups sound the same no matter which position on the switch you use. secondly i missed a demonstration in diffeerent styles of approuch and genres. 3rd i would be interrest how the pickups sound like on different volumes

[@andrefludd]

Thanks for your comment. It sounds like you are looking for a video about EMG pickups. That's not the focus here.

[@interwebuser]

Okay, while I understand the issue with neck shapes, I'm really disappointed with the fact that you can't choose between fanned or straight, and even (albeit small changes) scale length. My reasoning being, you can change this, the fretboard is done separately of the rest of the guitar, so by playing with which fret is the perpendicular one, you can shorten the scale length and still keep the slanted bridge in the same spot and angle on the body. I got a strandberg recently and absolutely fell in love with it and the headless design as a whole, I've looked at aristides as the maker of my first custom, (and probably last guitar I'll ever buy) but the scale length has to be 25.5 or shorter, that is something I'm not willing to negotiate, wouldn't care that there would be extra space in the "head" due to the shorter fretboard, just give me 25.5-25 and I would open up my wallet.

[@model101jr5]

Exactly why I like my kaizen 7. I don’t see the need for extreme fans unless your some virtuoso (which I ain’t)😊

[@jatna77]

How painful are the tuners to use?

[@andrefludd]

They turn great. But tuning a headless floating bridge will always be a pain in the ass. Just comes with the territory.

[@Robstafarian]

What you demonstrated moving from position five to position four is why modelers may never suit me: one of the benefits of tube preamps is that giving them a hotter signal is a good thing.

[@andrefludd]

Interesting point. I never considered that.

[@edesbalazs]

Is it the modelers fault that a guitar has such a wild range of levels? IMO problems are better fixed at the source, rather than adjusting everything around them.

[@Robstafarian]

@@edesbalazs No one is talking about faults. This is about design limitations. Modelers' analog-to-digital converters (i.e. ADCs) have input limits, hence analog circuits are positioned before them such that the input signal can be attenuated to prevent clipping (exactly like a mic preamp in an audio interface). Clipping the input of an ADC creates unpleasant distortion, like clipping the output of solid-state power amp, and the problem is made worse with digital modelers because said distortion corrupts the modeler's digital processing at its source. Tube preamps, by contrast, clip differently such that (arguably) pleasant distortion is created and clipping the input is desirable: this why both high-output pickups and boost pedals exist. This guitar's pickups and wiring were clearly designed, whether by the manufacturer or a user, to drive a tube preamp's input strongly.

[@EvilDragon666]

The point with a modeler is to set the input gain so that you DON'T clip the input converters! So that means you set it up with your hottest output from the guitar, and THEN it reacts exactly like a tube amp would. (For the most part this means you should peak with a 1V sine peak to peak signal at around -14 or -13 dBFS, this will give you enough headroom to support the hottest of the hot active pickups like SD Blackouts which can reach close to 3V output into the front of the amp.)

[@Robstafarian]

@@EvilDragon666 A modeler set that way only acts a tube preamp with regard to reducing output from that maximum. One cannot set up a modeler to use it like a tube preamp as I use mine: "normal gain" with a normal output setting, then flick a switch for more output-while being free to roll off the volume in any output mode (except ones that bypass the volume control). A tube preamp's design does not enforce presumptions like the ones you outlined, hence one is free to run three Wilde L-500XL humbuckers in series if one so chooses. As I stated previously, using a modeler is quite the opposite of using a tube preamp.

[@cjhenry41]

Dear Dr. Flood, the future of guitar design was set in motion long ago, and we shall call that "a Telecaster", (Ok also my PRS CE SE you talked me into,,(thank you, it is insane, and is one of the only guitars I've played where the trem made me want to burn it with fire, Floyd Rose is a criminal.), but today I';m going with Telecaster

[@acactusnamedjosh708]

Look, I get parker not having a wall hanger compatible headstock until they got bought out, but aristides? those should have at least a little nub for wall hangers. C'mon!

[@drunit8122]

The Art Of Shredding by Pantera off the Cowboys From Hell Album

[@rolfhjmark5956]

Tak!

[@andrefludd]

Thank you! Very much appreciated!

[@zkkzkk32312]

Instead of a non fan fret, a less dramatic fan would actually fix and save your hands. Like how subtle the strandberg fan frets are, only 0.5 inch apart I think.

[@kotekutalia]

Strandberg has a shorter overall scale length (25" to 25.5"), also fan fret is not offset at the nut. Here it's 25" to 26.1".

[@zkkzkk32312]

@@kotekutalia Doesn't matter where the offset is, a difference of only 0.5" will be more comfortable than 1.1". That is my whole point.

[@daniellowry660]

Thx for covering the flaws 8n the fan fret design. And it shouldn't matter if it's a jazz guitar or not. A guitar is a rhythm instrument and you should be able to comp something other than power chords on it. And don't let the fact that it's a headless take away from that fact. Alan Holdsworth had no issue grabbing crazy chords on his headless designs

[@andrefludd]

100%

[@TheAndrewc5120]

i'm not super duper familiar with your channel. is there a reason you steer clear of ibanez guitars? i think their current line of headless guitars (q series) are pretty amazing. middle of the road price for headless guitars (right in the middle of cheap amazon knockoffs and strandbergs) and decent enough indonesian manufacturing that i've not seen any unmanageable setup issues.

[@andrefludd]

I love Ibanez. I just haven’t had a chance to deep dive them yet.

[@belbol1547]

This is my dream guitar. If I ever feel I'm good enough and I have some spare cash, I'll get a nicely customised one. Btw, Andre, your site is not working. I can't access the course.

[@kotekutalia]

I'm literally selling 2 of my best guitars to get this one

[@andrefludd]

I’m sorry about that. The site will be down for a few days as I transition platforms. But you still have access to the course via Andrefludd.podia.com. I wanted to send out an email but that was also is messed up until tomorrow.

[@klaymeister]

Guess the riff is something off Pantera's first album but I can't remember it ahh!

[@andrefludd]

Sounds like you need to revisit the album. It is worth it haha.

[@edryba4867]

When demo’ing differences in note volume, ya can’t do it on KZbin. Their audio “processing” (actually nothing but LOTS OF compression between them and you) All the string levels come out the same. It’s very difficult to differentiate with a signal that’s so heavily squashed. If you had something like a website where YOU have the final say over how the audio gets flattened on an iPad* * hey, it’s what I’ve got…

[@kotekutalia]

I KNEW you would notice this guitar brand and I'm glad you gave it a second chance after I watched your 1st Aristides video. Just looking at Aristides makes me hate Gibson. It's like comparing a F1 car to a Ford truck.

[@model101jr5]

There’s room for everything out there. I have a les paul and a kaizen Ebmm. Each evoke different licks for me. It’s all good to me. Wanna try a tele next

[@kotekutalia]

@@model101jr5 I love Tele/Gibson sounds. It's just the weight and other outdated physical non-ergonomic properties they have.

[@model101jr5]

@@kotekutalia o I get ya but it’s kind of a nostalgia thing like o so and so back in the day did this iconic album with one of these. Least for me it is

[@henriquebraga4815]

Have you ever heard of GOC guitars? They have guitars that are like strandbergs

[@andrefludd]

I have but I haven’t heard great things about them. But I’m open to having my mind changed

[@MARTY61384]

Sounded like a mix between parkway drive and pantera that riff

[@andrefludd]

It’s a Pantera riff!

[@MARTY61384]

@andrefludd hell yea buddy. I enjoy your content u have been very helpful on my musical journey and appreciate what your doing.