The 25 Ugliest Headstocks of All Time

By Jackson Maxwell
published

Jared Dines collects the biggest swing-and-a-miss headstocks from Gibson, Fender, Yamaha, Vox and more.

Headstocks are always one of the most divisive features on a guitar. 

In fact, in my years at GP, I've found that one of the most animated subjects of discussion in the comments sections of any story on a new guitar is that of the headstock – "it's hideous!!," "love it!!," a crude GIF of someone vomiting followed right up by someone saying they're buying the guitar as they type that very comment... you get the drift.

Some headstocks though, just... miss the mark. Here to collect 25 of the most unfortunate of those headstocks is guitar YouTuber Jared Dines. You can check out his list in the video above. 

Included are swing-and-a-misses from Gibson, Fender, Yamaha, Vox, James Tyler, Langcaster and many more. 

I've always loved the offbeat design of the Fender Electric XII's headstock, which has a prime spot on Dines' list, myself, but to each their own...

For more of Dines' videos, stop by his YouTube channel.

Jackson Maxwell
Jackson Maxwell
Associate Editor, GuitarWorld.com and GuitarPlayer.com

Jackson is an Associate Editor at GuitarWorld.com and GuitarPlayer.com. He’s been writing and editing stories about new gear, technique and guitar-driven music both old and new since 2014, and has also written extensively on the same topics for Guitar Player. Elsewhere, his album reviews and essays have appeared in Louder and Unrecorded. Though open to music of all kinds, his greatest love has always been indie, and everything that falls under its massive umbrella. To that end, you can find him on Twitter crowing about whatever great new guitar band you need to drop everything to hear right now.