Owning a headless guitar for the first time has really made me love my PRS guitars even more. Long story short, the sound and feel of the PRS guitars just resonate, sustain, and envelop you. Once you notice that feeling, it’s hard to go without it.
Now, my headless experience is based on the Ibanez Q52. It may be different with Kiesels and Strandbergs, but here are some things that I noticed:
First, the good:
1) What a fun experience as far as something different!
2) The size is perfect for travel and keeping space to a premium while still having a regular scale length.
3) 5 lbs is so easy on the shoulders.
4) No more headstock crime with bandmates and bonus room ceilings.
The bad, with some of this being personal taste:
1) Ibanez’s Dynamix10 is proprietary, so the bass pickup magnet has to be reversed, which limits options. I disliked the stock ceramics. Both muddy and icepicky to my ears. I upgraded them with the ones that come with their AZ models.
2) Even with upgraded pickups, there was something missing as far as ambience and feeling with the sound. I attribute this to less wood or the quality of the wood, but I don’t have anything to base it on.
3) The strap balance was a little off, forcing my strumming hand toward the neck.
4) The guitar wasn’t very stable tuning wise from day to day. Super minor thing, but something you notice when you have a PRS.
5) Super flat modern fretboards just aren’t my thing.
If you are looking for a travel guitar that biases toward space efficiency, I think it’s a great choice, but go in with eyes open. The travel guitar hunt was fun, but ended up not being a reality for me since I focus on family. I’m actually selling my Q52 to thin my herd and get to a tighter collection. I don’t need a travel focused guitar, and I want that amazing PRS sound.
Now, my headless experience is based on the Ibanez Q52. It may be different with Kiesels and Strandbergs, but here are some things that I noticed:
First, the good:
1) What a fun experience as far as something different!
2) The size is perfect for travel and keeping space to a premium while still having a regular scale length.
3) 5 lbs is so easy on the shoulders.
4) No more headstock crime with bandmates and bonus room ceilings.
The bad, with some of this being personal taste:
1) Ibanez’s Dynamix10 is proprietary, so the bass pickup magnet has to be reversed, which limits options. I disliked the stock ceramics. Both muddy and icepicky to my ears. I upgraded them with the ones that come with their AZ models.
2) Even with upgraded pickups, there was something missing as far as ambience and feeling with the sound. I attribute this to less wood or the quality of the wood, but I don’t have anything to base it on.
3) The strap balance was a little off, forcing my strumming hand toward the neck.
4) The guitar wasn’t very stable tuning wise from day to day. Super minor thing, but something you notice when you have a PRS.
5) Super flat modern fretboards just aren’t my thing.
If you are looking for a travel guitar that biases toward space efficiency, I think it’s a great choice, but go in with eyes open. The travel guitar hunt was fun, but ended up not being a reality for me since I focus on family. I’m actually selling my Q52 to thin my herd and get to a tighter collection. I don’t need a travel focused guitar, and I want that amazing PRS sound.
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