Save my dumb guitar headstock?

[bifurcation]

Hey all,

I found trashed First Act guitar and thought it would be fun to make it into something cool.

Here's the current headstock:

...which I think is the ugliest thing ever.

I've been playing with recutting it, and my favorite design is this:


Question: Would this just rip itself apart the second I strung it up?

Just for fun, here's some of the other designs I've been playing with:

 

[cwsquared]

I think if you round the inner corners to match the outer ones, it will look better. But it is an interesting idea.

 

[spi]

I say embrace the ugliness, knowing that whoever designed it thinks it looks pretty wicked.

Out of your mock ups, I like the last one best.

 

[Barry]

Maybe you could alter the last one to look like a bite

 

[Mentaltossflycoon]

Hey all,

I found trashed First Act guitar and thought it would be fun to make it into something cool.

Here's the current headstock:
View attachment 32884
...which I think is the ugliest thing ever.

I've been playing with recutting it, and my favorite design is this:
View attachment 32885

Question: Would this just rip itself apart the second I strung it up?

Just for fun, here's some of the other designs I've been playing with:
View attachment 32887View attachment 32886View attachment 32888

I feel like the Travis Bean look would be pushing it on a nicer instrument made of decent lumber but the first acts I've had in my hands barely hold themselves together as it is before any kind of modification. I'm not saying don't do it, but I remember seeing a sign at the repair window at a music shop years ago that said "no longer repairing first act instruments." She said she was snapping flute keys while bending them back in place after kiddos dropped it in class. They ended up having to replace instruments a few times and they were just done with the brand.

 

[HamishR]

I'd be tempted to move the tuners inboard to straighten up the string pull over the nut and kind of reverse the taper of the headstock so it's narrower at the top than at the bottom.

 

[Feral Feline]

I like the last design, too, but I'd drill/cut/route so that an "A" remained in the middle, like those used for Anarchy:

 

[cwsquared]

I like the last design, too, but I'd drill/cut/route so that an "A" remained in the middle, like those used for Anarchy:

I had a similar thought, but... just wasn't sure.

 

[peccary]

That second one reminds me of the old Kramer aluminum-necked basses.

 

[music6000]

This would be your safest option with that truss rod headstock.