Headless bass bridge on a non headless bass

[Anonymous7]

Has it ever been done? Any advantages? Disadvantages?

 

[AndyPanda]

I don't remember the brand - but there was this goofy brand in the 70's that had the tuners on the bridge end but there was a headstock without any tuners - and the headstock was semi-detached from the neck - like it had a rod or something holding it on but it wasn't a solid piece of wood from neck to headstock. Wish I could remember the brand. A bunch of guys played them and said they were really good - but they looked really funny to me and I just couldn't understand what the purpose of the headstock was for (just mass?) when the strings didn't go to the headstock.

 

[lz4005]

The Ritter Roya Concept. Tuning knobs are on the back of the body.

 

[AndyPanda]

I managed to remember the goofy brand I was talking about ... Bunker. Here's a picture of the bass I remember - but I see (and remember) now that it wasn't a bridge with tuners ... they put regular tuning machines on the body instead of on the headstock - and see what I mean about there is still a headstock but it is sort of detached and I don't know why they bothered to put a headstock on at all (a place for their logo I guess). The guys I knew that played them said they were great! But they were just too weird to look at IMO.
Edit: just googled it and the idea was that the neck didn't have string tension - the headstock is connected to body by a metal bar and the neck just floats without any dead spots caused by normal neck/trussrod design.