Headless guitar

A guitar with no headstock, where tuning is done at the bridge end or through a small mechanism at the body.

Removing the headstock takes weight off the far end of the neck, which changes the way the instrument balances on a strap and can reduce neck dive on a heavy body. It also shortens the overall length, so the guitar fits into a much smaller case, which is a practical advantage for travel. The tuners are built into the bridge or a clamping block, so string changes involve a different routine from a conventional instrument.

Example: a headless guitar of normal scale length fits in a case barely larger than the instrument itself, which makes it popular with touring players.

Headless guitar

See also