Favorite bass headstock?

[GrooveCaptain]

My favorites are probably the Ibanez SR and Affirma, and any inline "hockey stick". They look really cool, but more importantly are very functional. Straight string pull, and a tilt back design, making string trees and guides unnecessary.

 

[FC Bass]

Slightly better individual pics:


1983 Spoiler


1988 Spoiler


1999 Orion


2010 Elan


2023 Series II Europa

 

[Ghastly]

Audiovox 736

 

[Malak the Mad]

I dunno...Steinberger, maybe?

Seriously, though...I am super-biased, but my personal favorite is a black-painted Fender headstock. Plain or tinted is nice, but I keep falling back on Coco Chanel's advice; "Black goes with everything and is always chic."

And, while we're on the subject of "headstocks", I have to post the headstock that made me want to get a bass in the first place, the Squier Standard P-Bass Special in Satin Pewter Metallic on the left, along with it's brethren.

 

[monsterthompson]

 

[gtirard]

I like the G&L headstock actually

I didn't know G&L until I saw a band live, I loved the tone of the bassist and he was playing a bass I had never seen before, but I was too far away from him to read the name of the brand. I remember going back home and searching Google image for bass headstocks until I recognise it, and read the story about Leo's last company, and I bought a L2000 directly after that.

Also like Reverend and Acinonyx headstock, both original and distinctive but well designed and balanced IMHO

 

[GIBrat51]

It'd be a crime not to say the 4001/4003 in my book. Other than that I'm going to have to hand it to the Ernie Ball stingray. Both unique looking but timeless.

Well...
Much as I like my 4001 and 4003 headstocks - which , being leftys, are... reversed (the 4001 used the right handed headstock; the 4003 has a "lefty" headstock). I don't really have a problem with any of my other 25 bass's headstocks (one of which is headless - and so, doesn't have one). They simply are what they are....I have a Kramer 450B with the "Tuning Fork" head stock; a couple of G&L's; an Eastwood clone of a Gibson "Flying Vee"; and a bunch of others. To me? They simply are what they are...To fill the various spots in my "Bass Herd"? Headstock shape is not a criteria; things like "Short Scale Hollow-body" are. I could really care less what the head stock shape is - as long as it's a left handed, 4- string bass. But, yeah; I do like Rick head stocks...

 

[Iristone]

3 pages and no Thunderbird? It's not like they neck dive because of the good-looking headstock design.

To clarify my post a bit, I really like the eagle beak Thunderbird headstock:

I think the neck dive is mainly because of the large tuners (that look good), not-thin-enough neck, and too-lightweight body. When I had my Gibson Bird it didn't really dive, and this Epiphone bird isn't the biggest diver, either.

 

[Makten]

 

[ctmullins]

Rickenbacker for classic elegance. Gibson for symmetry. Post-57 Fender for cleverness. But not tilting back is a deal-breaker for me. And the Tele shape is absolutely atrocious.

Also, big tuners are ridiculous, and another deal-breaker for me.

But my favorites are Ned’s original and current designs. The epitome of form-follows-function!

 

[vickerekes]

The previous owner (also TB) put matching tuners on this matching headstock, making a cool headstock even cooler...

 

[2saddleslab]

Leo's first.

 

[TonH]

My own design, a mix of Peavey T40 and Fender.

 

[BigJohnAZ]

View attachment 7212020

I was looking to buy a 301 before I got my 4001. Always loved those basses.

 

[antfarm]

Fender with TV or transition logo.

 

[jd56hawk]

Is that real? A unique costom shop design or what? Looks fantastic and almost too good to be true (AI).

Fender Starcaster.

 

[BeyondFiredUp]

Fender Starcaster.

OK, Good to know.

 

[Core Creek]

None. Headless all the way!

 

[BassAgent]

 

[JTNuney]

Like lots of folks, I imprinted on the classic late-50s-onward Fender shape, and for a long time, nothing else would do. I especially hated the older Tele-style… looked like a deflated balloon!

These days, I’ve come around to the Tele-style (after playing a ‘54-knockoff Squier for 15 years), and now the later Fender style seems too big and bloated by comparison… go figure.