Headstock

The head ( also called the headstock) is the upper part of the guitar or an electric bass, where the tuning machines are attached. The strings are stretched over the saddle to the operating axes of the machine heads.

Today there are two main forms of the head:

• Perforated plates with head behind permanent wings: Mostly in Classical Guitars
• Massive head plates with lateral wings: mainly for guitars and basses with steel strings used ( electric guitar, acoustic guitar )

The head plate, there are also in other instruments such as the banjo or mandolin.

History

Already had the Spanish vihuela, in contrast to the lute a flat top plate instead of the usual swirl box. The swirl - then simple wooden pegs - were put through at the vihuela from the rear through holes in this top plate. Later, with the invention of gear mechanics wanted to retain the typical guitar behind permanent vertebrae and thus developed the two slots perforated top plate with transverse positioning axes, as it is known by today's classical guitar.

For modern guitar with steel strings, especially the acoustic guitar, electric guitar and electric bass, however, they returned back to the original principle of vertically inserted through the plate positioning axes, whereby the wings but now were laterally.

Designs in electric guitars

In principle, two basic types are distinguished:

• 3 3 headstock: each 3 heads are mounted on each side of the headstock (typical eg for Gibson guitars)

• 6-in -line headstock: All tuners are mounted on one side of the top plate

In addition, there are other, rarer types, the va for guitar with more than 6 strings apply.

A further subdivision of head plates is possible via the angle to the fingerboard. There is, for an angled head plates as they are, for example, predominantly built by Gibson. These are compared to the fretboard at a certain angle (usually between 3 ° and 25 ° ) inclined to the other straight top plates are, for example, built by Fender, common. The advantage of this construction is the ability to manufacture the complete guitar neck of a piece of wood.

The top plates of known:

• Gibson: usually with a glued black veneer, inlaid with mother of pearl company name; Tuners three right and left.

• Fender: usually wood-tone ( natural colored ) head plate with glued company name and all tuners on one side.

• Ibanez: usually painted headstock with glued company names and mechanisms on one side.

Headstock of a Fender Stratocaster

1963 Rickenbacker developed a compact head plate for 12 -string guitars with alternating sides and behind permanent mechanisms

Yuri Landman built a guitar with a double top plate, the Moon Lander ( 2007)

Matching headstock

For visual appreciation of guitars offer some manufacturers, such as Fender Japan "matching headstock ". Here, the top plate is adjusted to the finish of the guitar body. Because of the extra work step are models with adjusted headstock but usually more expensive compared to standard models.