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NBD: headless, short scale and passive - Hils NEXT HNB3

N

Naviiin

Jun 2, 2019
621
1,485
Netherlands
#1
I'm a very P kind of guy: give me a pickup and simple controls and I'm at my happiest. But I've always been very interested in headless design, because the ones I've played were very lightweight and balanced well. I just couldn't get on with their active preamps, modern humbuckers and flat fretboard radii.

Luckily there's South Korean brand Hils, who came to the rescue with this HNB3. At around 550 bucks it offers a headless design and a single passive humbucker with volume and tone control. And a 30 inch scale, so I'm blazing across this fingerboard. Also weighs next to nothing, and even has feet that it can stand on. I haven't plugged it in yet, but already liked the resonance.

Fit and finish is close to perfect, aside from a small toolmark on the fretboard and a little black mark on the ivory matte finish. But that's nothing that I haven't seen on Ibanez EHB models that cost twice as much. And I'm very forgiving because it plays like a dream.
 

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#7
#8
They also make Headless multi-scale that get good reviews. It's 33"-35" so the treble side should be a bit fatter sounding. Very much a Stranberg Abasi look. Pickup size may limit replacements. But SS frets with 12" radius and about 7.5 pounds (3.4 kg). They are direct sale and you have to pre-order. I haven't seen one in person. If they put out a 6 string I may be looking closer. They have not updated post 2025 NAMM yet.

Headless 5.png
 
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#10
Naviiin said:
I'm a very P kind of guy: give me a pickup and simple controls and I'm at my happiest. But I've always been very interested in headless design, because the ones I've played were very lightweight and balanced well. I just couldn't get on with their active preamps, modern humbuckers and flat fretboard radii.

Luckily there's South Korean brand Hils, who came to the rescue with this HNB3. At around 550 bucks it offers a headless design and a single passive humbucker with volume and tone control. And a 30 inch scale, so I'm blazing across this fingerboard. Also weighs next to nothing, and even has feet that it can stand on. I haven't plugged it in yet, but already liked the resonance.

Fit and finish is close to perfect, aside from a small toolmark on the fretboard and a little black mark on the ivory matte finish. But that's nothing that I haven't seen on Ibanez EHB models that cost twice as much. And I'm very forgiving because it plays like a dream.
Click to expand...
Interesting approach to making it headless - it appears that the string-stop is bolted on what appears to be a chopped standard hs. If you can provide a three-quarters close-up shot it would help clarify it.
 
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#12
JIO said:
Interesting approach to making it headless - it appears that the string-stop is bolted on what appears to be a chopped standard hs.
Click to expand...

basslayer said:
That looks great. Similarly wondering the nut width. Also, do you know if there's enough headstock to hang it?
Click to expand...
I think they call that (hangability) out in the Anderton's video as the reason the neck is slightly flared at the end.
 
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#13
Naviiin said:
Luckily there's South Korean brand Hils, who came to the rescue with this HNB3. At around 550 bucks it offers a headless design and a single passive humbucker with volume and tone control. And a 30 inch scale, so I'm blazing across this fingerboard. Also weighs next to nothing, and even has feet that it can stand on. I haven't plugged it in yet, but already liked the resonance.

Fit and finish is close to perfect, aside from a small toolmark on the fretboard and a little black mark on the ivory matte finish. But that's nothing that I haven't seen on Ibanez EHB models that cost twice as much. And I'm very forgiving because it plays like a dream.
Click to expand...
Looks great!! What has been your main base prior to acquiring this one? Have you played the Hils through your amp yet, if so, how do you like the pick up?
(Like other posters, I’m also curious about the neck width at the nut…)
Thanks for sharing your new axe!
 
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#16
sixesandsevens said:
I think they call that (hangability) out in the Anderton's video as the reason the neck is slightly flared at the end.
Click to expand...
I don't think there's anything wrong with that approach, and IMO it doesn't really need a cute name to justify it. If anything, it's a tip to builders who want to convert a standard hs neck to head-less.
 
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#17
All right, I gave in and preordered a black one. I figure it's the 2025 equivalent of getting a MusicYo XZ-2. @Naviiin thanks for measuring the nut width, that put me over the line as it seems to check all the dimensional boxes for what works for me these days. Now I wait.
 
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#18
JIO said:
I don't think there's anything wrong with that approach, and IMO it doesn't really need a cute name to justify it. If anything, it's a tip to builders who want to convert a standard hs neck to head-less.
Click to expand...
Hangability? That was just my word to summarize the reason behind the Anderton's guys' excitement at being able to hang them in the shop like other guitars.
 
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