The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
Reply to Thread Bookmark Thread
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Posts 1 to 25 of 33
  1. #1

    User Info Menu

    This is the Balaguer Anomaly. I had never heard of Balaguer before today but apparently they've become a pretty successful little company using the made in Asia/setup in the US model. This model was originally designed by a sister company called Dark Matter that has now been absorbed into Balaguer. Very much like Kiesel in their choices: different woods, different scale lengths, straight or fanned, 6-string, 7-string, 8-string. I was really taken by the body shape. It looks like it would play really nicely sitting down.

    Another headless that most of you probably won't like.-balagueranomaly-jpg

  2.  

    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

    User Info Menu

    Killer travel guitar too I bet.

  4. #3

    User Info Menu

    Given your playing position while seated, I can see how it might work for you.

    That's actually a rather cool kind of guitar. The curves balance off the straight line of the neck, so it looks more artistic and not as industrial-looking as a Steinberger for instance. The saddles and bridge look pretty interesting too.

    I'm not against technology, but I must admit I have a fascination for the headstock. I'm one of those people who thinks it makes a real difference to the look of a guitar. For some reason, when playing I think it kind of keeps my hand from flying off the neck. (I know, that's not rational, but it kind of seems that way to me.)

    The question I have is about the balance. Would it be too light in the neck and require a strap?

  5. #4

    User Info Menu

    reminds me of the old kleins

    Another headless that most of you probably won't like.-klein-500-jpg

    "nothing new under the sun"

    i saw rise of headless guitars...ergonomic guitars...fanned frets...(rickenbacker had fanned fret guitars in 70's!!)..before ralph novack..novax...who i knew too...subway guitars days

    gimmee a nice wood tele

    haha

    luck on your quest tho...different paths are illuminating..keep going

    cheers

  6. #5

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by neatomic
    reminds me of the old kleins

    Another headless that most of you probably won't like.-klein-500-jpg

    "nothing new under the sun"

    i saw rise of headless guitars...ergonomic guitars...fanned frets...(rickenbacker had fanned fret guitars in 70's!!)..before ralph novack..novax...who i knew too...subway guitars days

    gimmee a nice wood tele

    haha

    luck on your quest tho...different paths are illuminating..keep going

    cheers
    Very much descended from the Klein and in a very nice way I think. You can order a chambered body and that ought to solve the balance for playing seated at least.

    The problem with any quest right now is that I no longer have any faith in my ability to plan when I'll be in the US and I really don't want to ship it to Mexico. I was shooting for an event in late October but who knows if that will actually happen. In the meantime I've been recording with my old Gosling and I think I'm getting my best results in years so who knows?

  7. #6

    User Info Menu

    your happiness with your "old gosling" makes perfect sense..as i'd imagine any guitar you had a strong hand in tweaking/setting up (and beyond in this case!-designing/building ) will resonate with you best

    my guitars sound like me..and if they don't...i make them submit!!! haha

    you know instantly when you have a good balanced hammer in your hand...but you still gotta drive the nail!

    cheers

  8. #7

    User Info Menu

    Probably also inspired by the Ovation Breadwinner. Looks cool to me.

  9. #8

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by neatomic
    your happiness with your "old gosling" makes perfect sense..as i'd imagine any guitar you had a strong hand in tweaking/setting up (and beyond in this case!-designing/building ) will resonate with you best

    my guitars sound like me..and if they don't...i make them submit!!! haha

    you know instantly when you have a good balanced hammer in your hand...but you still gotta drive the nail!

    cheers
    That Gosling was a true one-off with everything chosen by me and for me and knowing that it wasn't going to be easy to sell (not many people want to buy blue guitars and this finish says anything other than quiet jazz). That didn't happen often. I'd usually just pick up one that wasn't sold and appealed to me and play it until someone bought it. There was really only one other 6-string that I thought of as having been built for me and I always regretted selling it. Both of the guitars that I think of as having been built for me play almost like classicals or more accurately nylon crossovers: very chunky neck profiles with 1 13/16th inch spacing (plus the obvious ti off of neck pickup only). It really it a perfect fit for my hand.

  10. #9

    User Info Menu

    Alan Holdsworth played headless guitars. That’s good enough for me.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  11. #10

    User Info Menu

    How much do these run?

    Love the shape.

  12. #11

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
    How much do these run?

    Love the shape.
    Like Kiesel it depends on the options you choose but 1600ish seems to work.

  13. #12

    User Info Menu

    Attachment 71250

    The Forshage Orion line comes from similar design thinking—the neck always up if you stand, though if you sit the control-side bout and horn provide the same angled balance on your left knee, and all with complete fret access.

    This one is walnut, carved, hollow, quite light. It was a 7-string model, with its 1 13/16 fretboard, but Chris Forshage kindly swapped out the bridge, tuners, and ball-end slots in the headless neck-end for 6-string spacing. Shifting from this guitar to a classical neck or to my Turner Renaissance is less of a paradigm shift now.

    There may be another argument, at the tailpiece, for headless guitars. For if you like what trapeze tailpieces on archtops (or Rickenbackers for that matter; you’ll notice a Rick-influenced cat-eye here) contribute to string feel, sonic attack/decay, etc., the headless tailpiece takes on that function too.

  14. #13

    User Info Menu

    Keisel's Vader is not really an ergo body, but it is headless. I actually like it a lot.

    Another headless that most of you probably won't like.-vader-jpg

  15. #14

    User Info Menu

    Ibanez has a line of ergo basses coming out in June. Not an extreme shape but they're lightweight and supposed to maintain the same position seated or standing. Available with or without fan frets. Hopefully Ibanez will announce an ergo guitar line too.

    EHB | PRODUCTS | Ibanez guitars




  16. #15

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by rhl-ferndale
    Attachment 71250

    The Forshage Orion line comes from similar design thinking—the neck always up if you stand, though if you sit the control-side bout and horn provide the same angled balance on your left knee, and all with complete fret access.
    Beautiful one, Robert!!

    Jim has a fascinating guitar-ownership history, and he had a nice Orion for a while, but then went another direction. [I certainly like mine!]

    Marc

  17. #16

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by MaxTwang
    Ibanez has a line of ergo basses coming out in June. Not an extreme shape but they're lightweight and supposed to maintain the same position seated or standing. Available with or without fan frets. Hopefully Ibanez will announce an ergo guitar line too.

    EHB | PRODUCTS | Ibanez guitars



    Interesting. I've done well with Ibanez over the years. I'd love to see them get into headless guitars. I'd probably even be able to get one here in Mexico if they did.

  18. #17

    User Info Menu

    Why is it so difficult to make these deigns without words printed on the guitar body?
    Whatever the design, I really dislike names on the body of an instrument.

  19. #18

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by wengr
    Why is it so difficult to make these deigns without words printed on the guitar body?
    Whatever the design, I really dislike names on the body of an instrument.
    Because there's no headstock to put the logo.

  20. #19

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Soloway
    Because there's no headstock to put the logo.
    Ok. I obviously need more coffee.

  21. #20

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Soloway
    Because there's no headstock to put the logo.
    Hence one of the reasons for Forshage's mini-head design! [and the extra "head" makes the left hand feel more natural in the first position.]

    Another headless that most of you probably won't like.-forshage-orion-finished2-png

  22. #21

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by marcwhy
    Hence one of the reasons for Forshage's mini-head design! [and the extra "head" makes the left hand feel more natural in the first position.]

    Another headless that most of you probably won't like.-forshage-orion-finished2-png
    Best looking Forshage I've ever seen.

  23. #22

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Soloway
    Best looking Forshage I've ever seen.
    I agree! [It's not mine, it's Rob's, but mine is the same design without fanned frets.]. This one is just plain sexy!

  24. #23

    User Info Menu

    Marc, That's the first of Chris' photos. He sent me one after it shipped and it was when I discovered it didn't have the pickguard I requested. Chris shipped me one out and I installed it. I also changed out the knobs to a snakewood knobs to match the bridge,pickguard and fingerboard. It has been my number one since I received it. Chris is currently making me an archtop that will have the True Temperament frets but with a conventional headstock. That has taken longer that I had anticipated but I expect it will be a great guitar.
    Last edited by rob taft; 04-26-2020 at 11:57 PM.

  25. #24

    User Info Menu

    Folks interested in headless and ergonomic guitars will be interested to know that Steve Klein is now building his classic headless guitar design again. Prices start at $4,500.

    Klein Guitars

  26. #25

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by David B
    Folks interested in headless and ergonomic guitars will be interested to know that Steve Klein is now building his classic headless guitar design again. Prices start at $4,500.

    Klein Guitars
    Unfortunately that price pretty much ends the discussion for me.