YANPD - Yet Another New Project Day - Headless edition

[DCikes88]

Any headless horsemen here?

I got this chinese thing in an exchange, and sincerely don't know what to do with it. Never owned a headless so I know next to nothing about what's good quality hardware, what is or is not possible considering the layout, bridge mounting holes, the exquisite craftsmanship that is the ground-wire pit of despair...

Frets are good. Scratch that, they sucked vast bungholes BUT now they're good. The board needs cleaning and some touching up, as does the body (faux binding with some paint spills, some hazeyness and blemishes on the finish).

I was thinking maybe an 81/66 combo, or even Blackouts if I could get them to Croatia for reasonable money. The "Thing" has a battery compartment on the rear.

On he other hand, I'm quite partial aesthetically to nickel/silver/chrome/satin hardware and pickups with matching covered buckers on these kinds of guitars.

Maybe I'm just getting a bit tired of going full black on every project.

Anyway, what do you think, what would you do, recommend? Anyone with a headless collection to impart some wisdom on a newbie?

Even using as a kitchen board to clobber fat steaks into submission is considered. Just go easy on the lemon, he's been very supportive.

Pics:

 

[Mincer]

I love my Steinberger, but outside of that, all bets are off. Hardware is generally proprietary for each brand, so who knows what it was set up to work with. My thought is try to find info on it, or join some headless groups on social media for a positive ID. BTW, I use a 59/Custom Hybrid and Alnico II Pro on mine.

 

[ICTGoober]

I have something similar that came with a whammy system that was broken in shipping. I "hardtailed" it, but couldn't get used to the slanted frets and narrow neck. Now it's just a blank slate waiting in a gigbag until someone decides to rejuvenate it. Good luck with yours - hope it makes you happy.

 

[DCikes88]

I love my Steinberger, but outside of that, all bets are off. Hardware is generally proprietary for each brand, so who knows what it was set up to work with. My thought is try to find info on it, or join some headless groups on social media for a positive ID. BTW, I use a 59/Custom Hybrid and Alnico II Pro on mine.

Oh, I identified it alright. It is an iMANTIN GT-Stainbuger 4. Not a typo.
A stain-booger.


Considering it's a chinese make-a-million, I doubt the hardware is proprietary since it's probably made for heaps of "brands". But, as always, I might be wrong.
I found a couple of pictures of the "original hardware" online.



I know the pics are terrible, but I work with what I have. I'm hoping it will be enough for someone more experienced to tell me if hardware of a higher quality can be retrofitted, and if so, what should I look for.

Either way thank you for taking the time to reply.
I'd love a Steinberger also, I'm sure, so I'm happy you're loving yours!

 

[DCikes88]

I have something similar that came with a whammy system that was broken in shipping. I "hardtailed" it, but couldn't get used to the slanted frets and narrow neck. Now it's just a blank slate waiting in a gigbag until someone decides to rejuvenate it. Good luck with yours - hope it makes you happy.

Thanks for the good wishes. All I can hope for is to be able to put some decent hardware and pickups in it and make it a usable and aesthetically pleasing instrument.

As you can tell by the (krappy) pics posted above, this thing came with some kind of hardtail. The nut part of any headless is a mystery to me, but there's a photo of it, too.

Suffice it to say, quality of the hardware is severely lacking, but wood seems ok, neck too, atleast for me.
If (and that is a big if) I can trust the specs listed, the body is alder, fretboard is rosewood, and the neck is a mystery.


On the plus-side, it is suitable for unisex.

 

[DCikes88]

...but couldn't get used to the slanted frets and narrow neck.

By slanted, do you mean fanned or multiscale type, or rather some kind of defect?
These seem to be 24 medium plain jane straight frets, and the scale corresponds to my Dinky, so 25.5".
The neck/board seems to be 42mm at the zerofret position, but I'll measure again to be sure.

 

[ICTGoober]

By slanted, do you mean fanned or multiscale type, or rather some kind of defect?

They are fanned, but it's an unusual configuration. The frets are slanted at the nut, and straight at the 24th. It's 25.5 scale length. I've seen these done the opposite way, too - straight at the nut, slanted at the 24th. Most slanted fretboards are straight at the 10th and then slanted both ways.
By the way - mine is a Big John.
Check the factory photo...

 

[DCikes88]

They are fanned, but it's an unusual configuration. The frets are slanted at the nut, and straight at the 24th.

Wow, yes, that is weird. I've never played a slanted fret guitar, but I don't see the point in this one. If the zerofret acts as the nut in a traditional setup (regarding intonation) this would make it a multiscale but in a way that's worse, by shortening the scale length on the higher strings. OR, if it's 25.5 at the high e, then it would make it atmost 26 on the low E, so, again, useless.

Add to that ebay craftsmanship and the low quality headlessness, it's really no wonder you gave up on it.

I'll seek out more info about mine. If I can make it work, great. If not, as I said, cutting board, clock, wall-art, bidet cover. There's a lot of use for a piece of wood.

 

[ICTGoober]

Add to that ebay craftsmanship and the low quality headlessness, it's really no wonder you gave up on it.

Saving it for later improvement is NOT giving up. You are the cat giving up on it.
If you didn't live so far away I'd offer you something for it, but shipping would be insanely stupid.

 

[DCikes88]

Now it's just a blank slate waiting in a gigbag until someone decides to rejuvenate it

I must've misunderstood your first post on this thread. My bad.
I'm glad you're not giving up on it, as I'm most certainly not giving up on mine either.
What I said was, I'll keep looking for info on good, quality hardware to retrofit on this body/neck. Seeing as I have no experience with headless guitars, and it's an affordable chinese instrument with it's peculiarities, that may take awhile.

I would really like to make it more than just playable. Quality hardware, great set of pups, and hopefully some gloss on the finish (not much of a satin guy).

If, and only if all of that fails majestically, I might consider giving up on it, or just shelving it for future me to deal with.
But we're as far from that point as possible right now, as I am just starting to search for answers and compatible parts.

So, I guess we've both misunderstood each other, and neither one of us is giving up. It's a win-win-win in my book!

 

[DCikes88]

but couldn't get used to the ...... narrow neck.

I've done all of the measurements.
Radius is 14", neck width is 41mm on zerofret, 51mm on 12th, and 56mm on 24th.
A bit thin, you're right. I'd prefer 42mm or even 43mm, but it's not so bad. I have slender fingers (still).

Just rubbed on some guitar cleaner on the body. The finish pops really nice when "wet", confirming my desire to make it gloss eventually.
And plopped some random pups in, just to visualize it a bit. I think gloss with chrome hardware/knobs would look stunning.

I'm likin' it...

 

[jeremy]

i think chrome would look really good. what are you doing about the bridge?

 

[DCikes88]

i think chrome would look really good. what are you doing about the bridge?

I honestly haven't the slightest idea.
As I've said, never before owned a headless, and would very much appreciate any tips/links/recommendations, for bridge as well as the headlessstock thingamajig.
I don't even know if I'm limited by some measurement, depth of that top thing or width, or does it have to be paired with the bridge.
All I know is I'd prefer to keep it a hardtail.

 

[jeremy]

usually headless stuff uses double ball end strings from what ive seen so you need the right bridge and the right strings

 

[ICTGoober]

usually headless stuff uses double ball end strings from what ive seen so you need the right bridge and the right strings

Not the Asian stuff that features allen screws to lock the strings at the nut.

 

[DCikes88]

Played around with the thing today. I can't give it a proper polish yet because of hand problems, but I put in a few light belly rubs just to visualize it glossed, and plopped some mock hardware...

Conclusion: GLOSS is BOSS. CHROME brings it HOME.

ICTGoober, my dude, rest assured, there will be no giving up on this thing.

 

[JamesPaul]

That mock up looks quite good.

 

[DCikes88]

but I couldn't get used to the ... narrow neck.

It took me a week, but yeah. I've realized this neck will not do. Just too narrow and flimsy. Honestly, I also hate the feeling of not having a headstock.

The body is getting in good shape overall, and I'm loving it visually,
SO, I've decided to get a neck for this thing. A proper neck. With a headstock.

Leaning towards shortening the scale length also, so 24 fret 25" and 24.75" scale necks are being considered, although I'm not completely ignoring 25.5". I've measured and done the math, I'll do it again a few more times but there seems to be enough room for repositioning the bridge to any scale. Ofc I include the eventual shifting of the "nut-point" from shortening the scale in these measurements.

Maple/ebony, maple/rosewood, maybe mahogany. Visually I'd prefer no inlays, simple binding and a prs-style headstock. I'm thinking shorter and lighter neck, shorter headstock. Trying to preserve balance as much as possible.
Italian and german ebay are brimming with great looking necks at around 150$ mark, so now I'm on the lookout.

Whatever work the neck heel or pocket need doing, will be done properly, but I'll choose a neck carefully to reduce the need for sanding, reshaping or shims as much as possible.

I'll be using a Schaller 3ds bridge, it's decent sized and weight, adjustable everything and string spacing, looks great to IMO
We're going full nickel hardware and covers.

Pickups are a long way from now but, thinking of 59n, a2ph-n or even phat cat (can I get that in nickel? I can, right?) for neck. Bridge maybe jb, c5 or cc,

And, yes, I am fully aware this is possibly very stupid of an endeavor, but I like it. It's gonna be fun, that's for sure.

P.S. mocky mc-mockup with a Dinky neck disastrously inappropriate for that pocket...

 

[jeremy]

very unique, i like it!

 

[Mincer]

Is it neck heavy, or does the weight of the body balance it out?