Rocking a HEADLESS Guitar!

[@DarrellBraunGuitar]

Something a little different for you guys tonight! Anyone else play a headless guitar? Enjoy :)

[@eroskasa9371]

yes i have tried one before it was SO FUN

[@Bigbud61]

Darrell Braun Guitar Erlewine Lazer

[@JC-11111]

That's nowhere near a 20 inch(508mm) radius. I saw that oo much shadow under the edges of the gauge. So I checked the website and I'm right. Radius is 13.78"(350mm). Not 20"(508mm) radius.

[@inkeri2007]

Yes i have one...AD80 MODEL....kove it...Thanks for the review..

[@mrblank-zh1xy]

Darrell do you teach classes?

[@LazyCat010]

75 years later and we're back to The Log 😄

[@fallingpetunias9046]

Not back on it, David, still on it.

[@Nordster]

aren't neck throughs similar to The Log? (especially the ones with semi hollow wings)

[@Musiknird]

In Sweden we call it the canoe paddle. 😂🛶

[@stanpillis]

😂😂😂😂

[@nischalofchrist]

Damn, that's funny 😁

[@manofbeard]

I really like the overall look and sound of it. I’m into unusual stuff so thanks for giving us a heads up and checking it out.

[@DHTokyo3915]

I see what you did there.

[@mattjc]

Whatever you do, don't drop that tuning crank on a dark stage...

[@Sig721Tau]

Why would a professional guitarist be tuning his guitar on stage? You do know that they have guitar techs, right?

[@andrecheongavocadojudo2114]

Or just store it in the headstock pick compartment

[@Kyouki_IE]

@@Sig721Tau lol you think every guitarist that plays with a band on stage has a guitar tech?

[@moonboogien8908]

@@Kyouki_IE I think it was a joke, guys.

[@Bigbuddyandblue]

Matt Courtemanche This system should stay in tune in all but the most extreme temperature variations. Given that, one could still turn those tuners by hand in a pinch.

[@jonathancadrecha5168]

So no head?

[@majesticpbjcat7707]

Correct

[@hamrbrojx7575]

Hehehehe Nice

[@eldritch6871]

it's a Gibson

[@kiereluurs1243]

No, it's just headless.

[@hamrbrojx7575]

Y’all Ain’t getting it he means the Gawk gawk 9000 😉

[@melomane01]

Pre pandemic, I was flying on a regular basis and I would occasionally bring a travel guitar with me. This would work great as it fits into the overhead bins. If I start flying again in a few years, I will consider this. I have a Kiesel Osiris witch I like a lot and the Hipshot tremolo stays in tune really well.

[@SixString_J5]

stienberger is a solid travel option. I use mine when flying and never have had to check it. It's full scale also and about half the price.

[@melomane01]

Thanks for the info. I will look into this option once this mess is over. 👍

[@iliyanpetrov4720]

@@SixString_J5 , ALP is smaller, when folded up, and does not require double ball end strings

[@joesycamore2899]

For someone like me this is a Godsend. Light and easy to carry. Plus it sounds great. Thanks Darrell

[@arn999]

It's not crazy light though, it's 5.something pounds. Not that far off from 7.something Strats. Still significantly lighter though of course.

[@keefjunior4061]

@@arn999 the bridge and headpiece are pretty substantial chunks. My Strandberg is ridiculously light by comparison.

[@michael1]

Same reasons I picked my wife

[@iPat1962]

Can’t wait to see how you hang it on the wall. 🤔

[@Bigbuddyandblue]

They should have added a pull-out headstock for that!

[@siontseng7586]

i may buy a guitar holder for it and put it on the ground.

[@rodrigozamo]

People with strandbergs have figured, if you flip the hanger upside down, it works

[@zsaz4453]

Lol

[@Bigbuddyandblue]

Rodrigo Zamora 🤣

[@s1ngular1ty44]

I feel like thedooo would enjoy this guitar They have something in common

[@astafire6810]

Nice one

[@mattisixx1699]

Yeah I was shocked when he got a music man instead of a strandberg. I would've done it for the pun alone if I was him

[@RC32Smiths01]

Headless has always fascinated me! Very interesting how they work functionally and physically. Awesome work as always!

[@flogginga_dead_horse4022]

tone woods lol I played a headless back in the 80's.I am pretty impressed with the way the strings go on.

[@D-Man_Jam]

This guitar is special. It's not just a headless guitar only for the sake of being headless. It's like the ultimate travel guitar. It's small, but still full sized, it's quiet, it's minimalistic, and looks kinda cool.

[@MarcCoteMusic]

This is one of the coolest ideas for a 'travel guitar' I've ever seen. And I do think it's a travel guitar because I can't see most players using it in place of their best instruments when that is convenient to do. I could be wrong, I suppose - but I'd only know if I had the opportunity to play one. Anyway, thanks for the demo, Darrell.

[@jorgecrespo1504]

I have been using headless Steinbergers for years. Own 2 different models, a Spirit GT-PRO Deluxe and a Synapse ST-2F Custom, love them both.

[@garymcaleer6112]

That one is cool, Darrell. Reminds of my electric violin. Many are designed this way. The drawback is that when performing you cannot hear the immediate tone from the bridge. And the short delay to the speaker is irritating.

[@sixstringsshack]

I never come to watch what gear you are reviewing. I always come to listen to your guitar playing. Your solos are awesome man.

[@csnelling4]

Love that guitar, the designers have been thinking outside the box there ❤️thanks for the video Darrell.

[@nagynorbie]

This is a piece o engineering and I absolutely love it. The only thing keeping me from buying it is I'm worried the metal bar would dig into my forearm and be uncomfortable. But this definitely got my attention.

[@dsiewert100]

As others have mentioned, this company also makes the guitars for the Jamstik Studio guitar. That has a standard body, headless, with midi output either through cord or Bluetooth. Fixed bridge. Dual humbuckers. Same little crank for tuning (I immediately got a tee-handle Allen wrench - much easier to use). Even without the foldaway body, it’s still pretty small. This guitar with an iPad or iPhone is all you need for a minimalist setup. If you want a chance to play with a midi guitar, this is nice since it doesn’t need a guitar synth pedal to make it work. Overall a nice unit. Needed a little set up upon arrival. Bridge and midi pickup height needed to be adjusted. And the string height at the pickup end of the fret-board seems a little high. About the same price range as the reviewed guitar. It’s still relatively new to me, but I’ve enjoyed it. We’ll see how well it holds up over time.

[@donald-parker]

I had a Chinese headless with the same bridge for a while. I hated the need to use an Allen key to tune, and I did not find the tuning sensitivity to be very good. Of course, it could be that your model has a similar design but better parts. I ended up selling it and buying a Spirit by Steinberger. Much better tuning/trem design IMO. Originally it required double ball end strings, but I bought a replacement end for the "headstock" that allows you to clamp strings so you can use normal strings. And it fits in my suitcase :). Are they active PU? Not so sure I like the idea of a guitar that can't make any sound without recharging. 9V batteries would be preferred because you can change them in a flash.

[@m7alan7johnson7]

I'm a big steinberer fan. Their term system is next level.

[@TroyLonie]

I've used the same bridge and hated it. I love the idea but these guys should really choose a different one.

[@robertlarrycrum9879]

For my one working ear you are by far the best guy out there for a good idea of what makes a guitar. And for playing? Nothing compares or comes within a country mile. Thanks by bro.

[@RoySmithVideo]

Nice guitar! I have 2 comments. 1) around 10:25 in the sound demos, you can clearly hear the trem springs resonating when you choke off the sound. That's easily fixed by putting some foam in the trem spring, but worth noting for your viewers. 2) I wish you had tested the trem - with the locking strings at the headstock, I bet this guitar is a diving machine.

[@andrewhamel8892]

I played my friends Steinberger GT-Pro a few months ago. Talk about strange feeling. I quickly discovered much of my chording is based on peripheral vision apparently and with the headstock missing my point of reference was ... gone. LOL Also odd to not have some kind of guitar body. Fun to tinker with though. \m/

[@zsaz4453]

Yeah Same Here. i need a headstock.or i Mess up

[@deadbluesky]

@@zsaz4453 with time when you will forgot about the headstock and it kinda give more focus on fingerboard, also the balance of those guitar are so amazing i have a Jackson Kelly this is one of my favorite guitar but the headstock and the fret board is so heavy so the weight is more on the head so i don't play anymore with it live.

[@zsaz4453]

@@deadbluesky i have a King v same Problem Iam just a sucker for headstocks.i Like to see If its Ibanez or LTD or Jackson.iam Just used to it i guess.but i give a Strandberg a try If i have the Money together.

[@deadbluesky]

@@zsaz4453 i know i was the same about brand now on the headless the brand are on the body Kiesel just near the bridge, just go try one in a music store you could get rock hard... Im rock hard with Kesiel headless they sound so good and the balance and the overall weight is like you can play 10 album in a row without back or shoulder pain.

[@zsaz4453]

@@deadbluesky Kiesel makes them too?hm.sounds good

[@SalamaSond]

Been playing this guitar for a couple of years, and I love it. Headless is especially good if you play in cramped places.

[@thomasdundon4093]

I was wondering whether it's comfortable against the body or if the empty frame felt strange. Also, you asked for other headless suggestions and I'd love to see a review of a Strandberg especially their True Temperament fretting system.

[@srinath2262]

no way!!! it comes with a pick storage!!

[@rodrigozamo]

I don't know how anybody else has come up with that yet, that was brilliant.

[@TMGQ]

weed storage

[@zaphodrahja]

Thats its best feature , the rest sucks

[@ryanpierce5460]

I play a lot of 80s and early 90s hard rock. I am now interested in a guitar like that. Love it!

[@paradiswest4395]

I really liked the high gain demo. Sounded great!

[@tdtom1376]

would have liked to see a string change done. seems to tick the compact design boxes though.

[@Adharmaha]

This thing looks and sounds amazing. Would love to see how it behaves with even heavier metal tones. But even without that, it's an absolute engineering delight. Thank you for a really good review. I can picture myself using one of my Vox microamps plugged into this, and out to my headphones in a much more convenient setting than the usual.

[@Bigbuddyandblue]

I have a Steinberger spirit headless. And yes, bringing it camping for campfire jamming with a Roland Micro Cube battery powered amp is a fun little portable rig you can easily take anywhere. It’s stable and can takes a lot of abuse and stays in tune. This looks like a much higher quality instrument though.

[@jimmyjames2022]

Nice twist on a "travel guitar", looks more comfortable than a stick type. Pack an Amplug2 and you're set. US price is decent, but shipped to Canada, not so much.

[@ryanm9274]

Darrell! I just got this guitar and discovered something! If you hook headphones straight into the guitar, toggle between the volume knobs for the guitar and for the headphones (turn headphone volume up and guitar volume down). Then it actually does sound like it's playing through an amp...mostly. love all your videos. Keep up the great work!

[@scottgallagher6095]

Not related to the video, but ive binged ur channel the past few days and ive learned so much, amazing stuff, best guitar youtube channel ive come across

[@GreenishBlues]

I can’t wait to play the intro to iron man on this

[@AutismRocksOfficial]

Just went to the website. All the guitars sold out. Only basses available. 😕

[@OGSontar]

That's pretty sweet! Not a bad price, either, considering your comments on the build quality. Novel is nice, but that build quality is so important. Even if you don't play out, you want your guitar to feel good and play good. This one looks like a winner. Thanks for the review!

[@lautarosolissalazar1190]

Wow! ...just Wow! Love that little guitar!

[@hehebwoai3056]

I have a few questions: 1) can you play it in classical position? 2) can you replace the pickups? 3) how much?

[@bradbloom5649]

It’d be potentially cool if you can utilize the 1/4 output & the headphone output simultaneously either as an in-ear monitor or to run two independent signal paths.

[@dragonhouse3100]

I built a headless guitar, and it’s pretty neat. That bridge is pretty standard on budget headless guitars, and I bought one to install. I was pretty disappointed in bridge quality for how much I spent on it. A lot of things stripped out or just broke. Otherwise headless guitars are cool, they and their parts are just expensive at the moment.

[@RaxFx]

for headless, you should definitely look into the Strandberg guitars

[@ripit.3457]

yes, but *i can’t afford 2.5k+*

[@Simplicity070]

As someone who just recently bought a prog 7 from them, its worth every penny

[@cmdkaboom]

the fret board setup is just like the Jam Stick Midi Studio Controller... seems like same manufacture made both those fret boards.. down to the magnetic tuning tool stored in the bottom.

[@spoonermanhd2607]

Same intro that life of boris used to have

[@zsoltveraszto3167]

What do you mean?

[@yoyothe3rd]

FINALLY SOMEONE ELSE NOTICED

[@overtonesnteatime198]

So weird. I heard it as i read this...

[@ArturBrzozowski444]

Whaaaaat? Was it in GTA taxi series?

[@Bird_of_Hermes_05]

I see you are a man of culture as well

[@paulhearn8771]

I bought the fixed version of this bridge off of wish and built a a body the shape of a strat pickgaurd with enough room on the back for the bridge and now i have a travel guitar thats 4lbs and 28 1/2" long. for a cheap chinese($45) bridge it holds tune great.

[@bldallas]

Impressive. I’m generally not into “weird” guitars; prefer Telecasters and Les Pauls. Even though it’s full length, I would still look at it as either a travel guitar or a practice guitar. In other words, I don’t picture anyone gigging with it. The technology is damn cool, though. It would be nice if they built in some gain, reverb and other options for the headphones. Great video, thanks!

[@papasmamas1]

The guitars u show are always so cool. And I appreciate ue high q cam a lot. Great content man.

[@fuzzcous]

The tremolo looks like it's based on a Kahler. Pickups sounded better than expected, a V version would be wild. Very cool.

[@VladThanatos]

$660 is surprisingly low.

[@micheleatkinson5001]

Thanks for posting so I didn't have to look it up

[@hchoe741]

there's a reason. the parts are low quality. that headless system is the exact same hardware used on chinese strandberg ripoffs sold on ebay and alibaba. the electronics are cheap and if i had to guess, its made overseas, maybe china or indonesia.

[@goodboid]

@@hchoe741 Did you pull all these "facts" out of your butt?

[@ImPoppy_1]

good boid well I have seen that bridge on those cheap headless knockoffs, but I don’t know if it’s of a different quality

[@andrewawakened628]

I agree - that's a low price for such an innovative design

[@milklover4253]

i've been rocking headless guitars for a few months now, once you get used to it you're not going back

[@franckrichard8077]

Thanks for the demo. After watching your video, I ordered mine a few weeks ago.... I was not expecting a toy (due to the price tag), but rather a usefull tool in order to play during my holydays and travels.... instead I got a REAL GIGABLE GUITAR, very well engineered and manufactured. A lot of thoughts were put into designing this gear. Mine is a special version in satin black. The sounds are very good, it'as a very versatile guitar. My only complain is the lower strap button location, too close to the folding mecanism, preventing me to use my strap. The bridge seems very well designed, but I would have liked to have a manual written in ENGLISH ! luckily there are some vids on you tube, teaching you how to tweak the thing. The guitar is rather heavy, due to his small size, but it is very comfortable to play and the gigbag (made by Music Area ?) is of high quality. A very good buy !

[@romanpeterrak]

I bought an ALP AD-80 a few years ago. It is actually a pretty decent hard tail guitar. I want to upgrade to a floating term version (no active pickups). What model did DB review in the video? He did not try or comment on the trem. Did you get a floating trem, and how is it?

[@MyDogRunner]

Nice review! Thank you for your thoroughness!! Cool guitar!

[@akeeperofoddknowledge4956]

Looks very similar to one I designed in the late 70s but never built. Nice to see my ideas actually work! And no, I'm not implying anyone stole my ideas! I never built it and never shared the ideas. Kudos to Ned Steinberger and these guys for actually building them!

[@andynickel9930]

Really enjoy your videos man! Always positive vibes and great reviews.

[@fallingpetunias9046]

I love how gadget-y this one is, but I wouldn't trust that magnet wrench holder. If I didn't already have a nice travel guitar, I'd definitely be interested. The bass variant looks nice, though. I might steal their ideas if I get to building my own mandocello

[@BrettRW]

What travel guitar do you own?

[@tsushantasingh]

You can store it in the pick up pocket at the nut

[@WPAPi3.14]

Darrell, as long as you are doing headless...please do a Traveler brand, I have the original ESCAPE (acoustic), but they ha a ton of new. Electrics and hybrids!!! The are incredible. Mine has been with me throughout teaching in Asia. India, Kuwait, Indonesia, Malaysia, Egypt, Vietnam, Thailand, Borneo, Thanks Darrell!

[@jalmodov7817]

This is the first headless I've ever seen that doesn't look hideous. I actually would like to play this one.

[@roberthiggins986]

After watching your video and another I trust, I ended up getting this. The strings were really high as delivered, but for someone unfamiliar with setting up a guitar, this was VERY easy and within 20 minutes, it played really well. Very good but “neutral” tone and even without using effects, playing it through four of my amps and straight through the PA, it sounded slightly different, no surprise there. I didn’t need to bring a regular guitar amp since this sounds great through the PA. Thanks for your review…I use this semi regularly now.

[@DimebagDarrenLowe]

first shortfall, we should be looked at NO less than a USB Type C port on the charging for the internal battery, which makes available fast charge .. maybe on mark 2?

[@luisignaciolazarosolana2739]

Very interesting ! I have got that same bridge installed on a travel/headless guitar I made. It would be interesting to know your opinion on how it works in the mid term reg tunning! Nice video

[@charlesharper7292]

Pretty cool, I expected the cost to be at least twice it's advertised price. Affordable, very techie... Sounds great. I.... like it!

[@2112bigd]

Back in the 90’s I had a Steinberger R Series guitar. Really great guitar and I regret selling it.

[@trevelyanjoelpakkari1720]

HI Darrel while this is very cool, I am very excited to see the FlameCaster build

[@shanebrain]

very cool and handy for on the go guitarists...

[@AngelMartinez-qs3cf]

Guitar is nice! Reminds me of the Steinberger GT-PRO Deluxe Outfit, but with more bells and whistles....

[@aviruptheguitarist]

I am in love with this guitar ❤️❤️🎸

[@WattchomanBrandySavage]

clever design. looks good, sounds good!

[@patogli]

Interesting, I backed the Jamstik Studio a while ago, and it has the exact same bridge and head (or no head). Only now I inspected again all and it is built by ALP!

[@astroandyborgloh]

Hmm, the headphone-out could make a second output, to go to a second amp, or to have an extra-clean sound like a piezo, that you can mix with the signal of the output jack. If the headphone-out does not "kill" the output, of course.

[@yourworstnightmare8061]

That clean neck pick-up is JUICCCEEEEEYYYYYUUUHHHHH

[@RodrigoRockChannel]

Looks like the perfect travel guitar, that would help a lot a touring musician considering nowadays airline lugage restrictions/costs. RJ Ronquilo on one of his tour vlogs showed a kiesel headless model (I guess it was similar to the Allan Holdsworth model) that looked really cool too.

[@cliffykus]

Sounds great and looks fkn cool 🤘

[@Malachiah]

I have a 'Silent Guitar' from Yamaha, and the sound is amazing - altough, on a sad note, I keep having to adjust the peg screws so the upper frame doesn't wobble or detach accidentally with use. But it's a ten minute adjustment, so no worries. This guitar doesn't seem to have the same problem, as the frame comes fully attached. (YAY!!) Besides, it's a fully electric model! (For those not in the know, the Silent Guitar is a piezo-electric) And headless!! (The Silent Guitar isn't) And you can store your own picks in a small drawer!?? (The Silent Guitar doesn't have any of that) And with a headphone jack for when you want to play silently!?? (No, at least that the Silent Guitar does have, but it's definetely one of the trademarks of a travel guitar) Full points for the review, but there is that one tidbit that makes me disagree with you, Darrell. As the saying goes: if it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it is probably a duck. It applies really well here, and all points scream to me that this is a travel guitar.

[@marquetries781]

New N°1 Bucket List purchase!!! So many gadgets & so much gimmickry around, but this seems to both make sense & really deliver on quality👍🏻 (+did I hear some Petra?!!)

[@KevinORourke25]

Finally! A Darrell Braun video that won't cost me any money. My wife thanks you Darrell. Kevin O'Rourke

[@veemon9280]

Very interesting. The foldable body was a genius idea

[@rockingroli2057]

My kids play a Steinberger by Gibson. Really handy guitar with good tuning stability if the trem is locked. Would also make an interesting review, I guess

[@archdomster9446]

This looks awesome. Maybe my next guitar.

[@m7alan7johnson7]

Hey Darrel! Love this guitar!!! I've owned a few Steinbergers over the years and this just takes that to a new level. I don't care for the tuners. Just feel you couldn't tune on the fly. Great review!

[@bretagnemaison5455]

Hi Darrell, I like that ALP. I'm looking for a traveller guitar, how about you do a shoot out of say headless, ALP, Steinberger, a cheap China knock-off (if such a thing exists) and then travellers with headstocks like Hofner maybe? Thanks, Mark

[@herbertroxas]

Really cool guitar with nice features!

[@MOTORHEAD8835]

Damn that’s cool! I really have no need for a guitar like that , but I kinda still want one anyways!! 😂 Cool review Darrell!! 👍🏻🎸

[@themadmattster9647]

wish they'd reissue the transtrem for Steinberger guitars. One of the reasons I like Van Halen's 5150 is because of some of the crazy stuff EVH did with the transtrem

[@shanegrable9714]

Steinberger!!! Do a steinberger!!! Curious about the trem system!!!

[@rayschoch5882]

I love it! Unconventional look, sounds good, and weighs less than 6 pounds. Better yet, it's reasonably priced on their website. I've never played a headless guitar, and I need another guitar like I need the proverbial hole in the head, but I might have to check between the couch cushions for spare change to see if I can get one of these. Good, thorough review, Darrell…

[@hrodgarthevegan]

I really like this! Metal for the metal head 🥰 I've seen some other take down guitars that you can take off the neck, but seems like a hassle to manage strings and reassemble?

[@SHTMusik]

I have wanted one of those for years.

[@JoeyRapps1]

Trem use/tuning stability on that crank bridge?? I couldn't imagine moving the tuning machine part around where the strings are held by tension in those brass reels would be such a hot idea. Do they clamp the string at all?

[@nottoosuckyreviews5211]

You put a little bend in the end of the string after cutting it to reach a couple inches past the bridge, then put it into the little hole on that brass spool. It catches and then tunes up similar to a normal tuner.

[@ISpillSprite]

Have you ever looked at a gittler guitar? Really interesting design, especially the neck

[@waldemarpierzchalski]

Can you do alnicos from 2 to 8 and ceramic comparison like you did with Darkmoon set but using single coil instead humbucker? Let's say P90?

[@pulkitjain8366]

Your pic case looks very nice

[@onkelpool]

Pretty well tunable guitar! But it looks like I saw a slot for the tremolo lever? Or I'm wrong?

[@Kyouki_IE]

Bit of an odd question but, what type of ring is that at 3:56? What type of material is it?

[@BinauralBacker]

Is the headphone pre-amp pretty clean? Could save you in the weird scenario you don't have a DI and you need send signal to two places at a time. You could maybe also do some weird wet/dry signal stuff with that.

[@justie1220]

Bruh, where’d your head go?? 😂😂

[@justie1220]

Jokes aside, that’s a hell of an interesting guitar

[@Shretty69]

So no head?

[@awo1fman]

Chibson got it.

[@koffieverslaafde627]

Mark Haury sure, but how ‘bout gibson after touching the headstock?

[@awo1fman]

@@koffieverslaafde627 You have to know about Chibson to get the joke. (My joke about Chibson, not the OP.)

[@RetroPlus]

Very interesting guitar, i really like these types of instruments

[@Techdeck758]

Last night I dreamt I was playing a headless guitar and now I am watching this. It’s really cool.

[@archdomster9446]

Hey Darrell, thanks for to the review. I’m thinking of getting one, but it seems that your guitar looks different from the photos in the Amazon link. Yours has a natural maple finish on the back of the neck (was it satin finished?) but the one in the Amazon link is black and glossy. I just want to make sure I’m buying the same guitar as what you’re playing. Thanks in advance.

[@dommadonia9207]

WOW! A air guitar with a headphone jack. AND PICK STORAGE!!! Holy headstock Braunman very innovative

[@ericthompson3551]

These features are really well thought out. I'll bet they went thru quite a few prototypes.