Classic, jurassic and tragic headstock design

[ctmullins]

Hey ctmullins, I think this headstock meets every one of your points.

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Yes, very elegant! I visited this manufacturer's website, and while the bodies are a little busy for my taste, there's no doubt that he's a very capable luthier.

 

[spiritbass]

Don't have a tragic image. Budman gets my vote for a modern classic:

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[Gard]

Yes, I am prejudiced, but I still think it to be one of the classics of all time:

 

[ad9000]

Classic: perfection

boat paddle, but my favorite bass, so..

great bass, horrible headstock.. is it supposed to be a toadstool, or what?

Classic '60s kitsch

 

[rustynuts]

A bit on the dirty side, but still one of my favorite headstocks....

 

[82Daion]

Two of my faves:

 

[sears]

Kramer pitchfork! Kramer pitchfork!

 

[T.O.Bass]

Not classic, but definitely classy.

 

[martyman5000]

Back in the 80's I tried defretting my original neck and ruined it...I asked my parents for a gift of a new neck and they send me one of these...it was a very well made neck just ugly.

 

[fitbass3p]

Fenderish, but just different enough to distinguish itself:

 

[Eric Perry]

My favorite... And my bass...

My least favorite (by far) are the Skjold headstocks. They seem like killer instruments, and Pete seems like a great guy, but I cannot overlook the 'stock. Sorry, Pete.

 

[huido]

Back in the 80's... etc. etc.

You're so right... that headstock is so 80's... How could you see something like that and not start thinking Glam/Hair Rock.

 

[BassAgent]

Indeed...

 

[jimmyjammer]

Indeed...

"Death to false metal!... and gumby headstocks"

Do those pants get itchy?

 

[Alembic83]

I've always considered the Aria SB series headstock classic:

But this Aria headstock goes down as tragic in my book:

 

[Linkert]

Tragic:

 

[John Bassist]

I used to like that Gibson Ripper's HeadStock. It was like that guy from "The Goonies", "Sloth"
He had such a strange e broaded head...

But, after seen the Sadowski, Fodera, F-Bass and Rickenbacker's headstocks, I realized how lame I was...

 

[mongo2]

Tragic:

I like my Bongo but the headstock does look like they took a design cue from the the can opener blade on a Swiss Army Knife.

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[Phalex]

Classic:

I couldn't find a good shot of a bass headstock, but this has to be one of the most confusing conglomerations of mechanics, metals, and wood I have ever seen. IMHO of course:

 

[Beepo]

Did they pay Status a fee for using that design?

I believe the Lodestone basses are designed by the same guy who designed the Trace Elliot T-bass, which is the same guy who now runs Ashdown Amplification(the "follow-up brand" when Trace Elliot went out of business). Status built the T-Basses, but the design came from this guy at Trace. I do not know if Status is involved with the building of the Lodestones.

Here is one of my favorite headstocks, from my beloved Fodera Imperial. Very classic, functional design IMHO. I also think the Tyler Headstocks are some of the coolest in the business, now that is what I call a brave design! It somehow works for me though. I also like Sadowsky, Dingwall, Fender

Bad/ugly headstock designs IMHO come from Alembic(all of them), Alleva Coppolo(looks clumsy, never liked 5 tuners in a single row), Ibanez SDgR(too small).