Headstock preference - Single Sided, or . . .

Headstock Preference?

  • Total voters
    93
Mivo said:
Too late! ;) What are the functional advantages of the one-sided headstock?
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String angle coming out of the nut. . .there is only 1, not two.

Also, depending on the player, there is naturally more room for the left hand in the first position, which actually presented itself on a current build with a traditional headstock.

Single sided is taking a far back seat, though I can't say I'm surprised.
 
Mivo said:
Too late! ;) What are the functional advantages of the one-sided headstock?
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Kekani said:
String angle coming out of the nut. . .there is only 1, not two.
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Maybe you can see it better here. The sting goes straight from the nut to the tuning peg with no additional sideways break angle. This also happens with the asymmetrical headstock.


ujZNglHm.jpg
GeZ4EZwm.jpg
 
And, going off topic, while looking for those pictures I came across this inlay that Aaron did for Ko'olau and had to share.

cZ5rgFwl.jpg
 
And back on topic, sort of, the John Kinnard Z-stock really grabbed my attention at the guild show last November.
It seems to combine a lot of the best features in terms of design functionality. And it looks pretty good, too.

FGLi5f5m.jpg
EThnpp1m.jpg


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geetee said:
Maybe you can see it better here. The sting goes straight from the nut to the tuning peg with no additional sideways break angle. This also happens with the asymmetrical headstock.


ujZNglHm.jpg
GeZ4EZwm.jpg
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Which is one of the reasons for my asymmetry on the traditional- I've made adjustments compared to the image on the right.
 
Rllink said:
I like the more traditional look. The headstock with the tuners on one side makes the ukulele look like a mini Fender guitar, and I don't like my ukuleles to look any more like a mini guitar than they already do.
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I agree with that. I just think Fender when I see that look. And Fender doesn't say ukulele to me. Maybe I'm just old fashioned. Nothing wrong with it of course and there are some great ukes made with that look.
 
In general I prefer the traditional 2x2 headstocks. But, I prefer the single sided 1x4 tuner headstock on your ukes, it's part of your signature style, IMHO.
 
Doc_J said:
In general I prefer the traditional 2x2 headstocks. But, I prefer the single sided 1x4 tuner headstock on your ukes, it's part of your signature style, IMHO.
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Thanks Hodge.

Actually, therein lies the great dilemma, or equalizer. Although I tried to focus the poll on specifically my builds, there simply are not that many of mine around to make a comment such as yours, regardless of the heavy slant of this poll. 36:2:1 at this point. Any builder in his right mind would know what to build, and what to minimize based on this poll, so far.

So the dilemma (and equalizer) is in determining what I should build. Truth be told, if it's not a client order, I try to let the build "tell" me where to go. I think I do more 2x2 (thanks for that definition Hodge) because of what I "thought" would be more "acceptable", which this poll is certainly proving.

Hard part is when Hodge comes in and makes a "signature" statement. Not saying that his comment outweighs others, but it's certainly a variable I should consider, especially since he's had one of mine in hand, and not just a 1x4, he had one of the rarest ones - MGM Thinline. But that was, admittedly, a niche instrument, and not for everyone.

That said, I'm still valuing not only the results so far, but also the comments, which are much appreciated. I know if I listened to my Slackey braddah, I'd have to bug Paul (Okami) to make me my slotted headstock template (which I'm still waiting for actually) :cool:
 
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I do not care for tuners with buttons on the side in any configuration. I like John Kinnard's diagonal placement but would prefer it more graceful on the top edges. The turning of all four the same direction to adjust is very convenient. I have a dog in this fight, so I shall let it be known that I am a distributor for PEGHEDS. There is no lighter weight 4:1 tuner made. I have had to do some repair work on some ukuleles, so plugging existing holes and redrilling on a diagonal (and putting a thin veneer front and back to cover the mess) and make them all turn one way seems to be well received as an option. I just removed a set of Gotoh planetaries off of a $650.00 ukulele. Four pegheds weigh about the same as one Gotoh. The difference is very noticeable.
 
I don't have a good reason for liking traditional over one sided. I definitely like gear tuners over friction pegs and nothing I build is ever traditional.
I guess I too am just a sucker for symmetry.
 
I honestly feel a single-sided headstock looks hideous on a uke! :)

Also, would look terrible on an acoustic guitar as well.
 
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The headstock is one place where the luthier gets to place his/her stamp on the instrument and make it iconic or identifiable. So in that regard I say do whatever pleases you. There will always be people who prefer it and others who do not anyway.
Personally, I read someplace that the headstock of an ukulele is supposed to evoke a wave. This makes sense to me, as an ukulele is a Hawaiian instrument.
That kind of stuck with me and I always look for that on ukulele headstocks. Many people get very creative, and yet I can still see a wave in there and that pleases me when I do.
The flat-topped ones and headstocks that do not evoke a wave in any way are less appealing to me, or rather make it seem like less of an ukulele to me, and maybe just some other type of instrument.
I am all for innovation and creativity, but when that creativity also incorporates a nod to tradition, it makes it even cooler to me.
Look at a Moore Bettah headstock or Beau Hannam, both elegant examples of something different yet still evoking a wave.

By the way Kekani, I DO see waves in both of your headstock options in the original post, so both are good with me! :D
Are you a member of the Ukulele Guild of Hawaii? Meeting tomorrow at Bishop Museum at 5:30pm if you would like to join the Guild.
 
Pueo said:
The headstock is one place where the luthier gets to place his/her stamp on the instrument and make it iconic or identifiable. So in that regard I say do whatever pleases you.

By the way Kekani, I DO see waves in both of your headstock options in the original post, so both are good with me! :D
Are you a member of the Ukulele Guild of Hawaii? Meeting tomorrow at Bishop Museum at 5:30pm if you would like to join the Guild.
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I always support the guild. Ask them tomorrow.

Funny that a you mention waves. Since you're from here, you should know who this is.
image.jpg
 
TheCraftedCow said:
I have a dog in this fight, so I shall let it be known that I am a distributor for PEGHEDS. There is no lighter weight 4:1 tuner made. I have had to do some repair work on some ukuleles, so plugging existing holes and redrilling on a diagonal (and putting a thin veneer front and back to cover the mess) and make them all turn one way seems to be well received as an option. I just removed a set of Gotoh planetaries off of a $650.00 ukulele. Four pegheds weigh about the same as one Gotoh. The difference is very noticeable.
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I would agree about having a dog if this poll were about tuning machines.

As this poll is showing at this point 42:2:6, given a margin of error, and even comments that support non-geared tuning machines (or ones like pegheads), if I were to conclude anything at this point is that I know what I should do if I were to build "for the masses".

Fwiw, clients ALWAYS ask for the 18:1 open geared Hipshot tuners, as opposed to the 14:1 seal geared Hipshot (Schaller style). I like working with Jason, and he's THE reason why I became a Hipshot distributor.
Funny, every year at the Guild Exhibition, I'm ALWAYS asked what kind of tuning machines I use.
Funny, no one ever follows up on trying them (except one of the factories who now uses them for their customs). It's one of those unknowns that I'm keeping as a feature. Popular like Pegheads? Not even close. But I like it that way, and more importantly, so do my clients. I like to keep good company (LRBaggs and Graph Tech are in that group - no big secret).


bearbike137 said:
I honestly feel a single-sided headstock looks hideous on a uke! :)
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I actually have 3 instruments with "male" names. Ugly Monster, Beast, and Excalibur. The first is mine, the 2nd I nick-named when I strung it up, and the 3rd was named by the owner. If you think single sided headstocks look hideous, you should see the headstocks on these, with 10 tuning machines (Hipshots on the 2 recent ones of course). Not part of this poll, though. :p
 
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I'm surprised how few people considered the ease of tuning the single sided headstock, & I never even considered it because of the straight pull on the strings. :)

Ah well, I'm happy to be different. :p
 
uke1950 said:
I'm surprised how few people considered the ease of tuning the single sided headstock
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For me, it wouldn't make a difference. Turning the left sided knobs this way and the right handed tuners that way became habitual quickly. (Turning on cold and hot water works this way too in my house.)
 
uke1950 said:
I'm surprised how few people considered the ease of tuning the single sided headstock, & I never even considered it because of the straight pull on the strings. :)

Ah well, I'm happy to be different. :p
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My electric guitars have both types of headstocks and I find them to be equally easy to tune.
 
ease of tuning... I don't think either is very difficult, and don't think it matters for that.
But I do prefer 2x2. It generally makes a shorter headstock, which I like.

Aesthetically, besides being more electric looking, it makes for a very sharp angle, which seems to clash with the otherwise round smooth lines of a uke.
 
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