Headless Basses (2023)
Check out: Top 5 Best Headless Basses (2023)
Ibanez
(EHB1500, EHB1505, EHB1005MS, EHB1506MS, EHB1000S, EHB1005SMS)
Ibanez has long been known for making great quality guitars and basses. When Ibanez came out with their take on headless basses, the EHB series— it should come as little surprise that they would also live up to the Ibanez name. With the EHB series, Ibanez decided to focus on making great sounding basses that are lightweight and very comfortable to play. The lineup features a 4-string, a 5-string in either multiscale or regular, and one multiscale 6-string, as well as one short scale in either multiscale or regular. The necks feature luminescent side dot inlays for great visibility in the dark. The EHB series is a lineup worth checking out.
Strings: 4/ 5/ 6
Scale length: 34″/ 30″/ Multiscale: 33 – 35″ (5)/ 30 – 32″ (5)/ 32.5 – 35″ (6-string)
Frets: 24
Fretboard radius: 19.6″/ 37.4″
Pickups: Humbucker/ Split-coil Humbucker
Neck construction: Bolt-on
Body: Chambered
To learn more, head over to: ibanez.com
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Strandberg Guitars
(Boden: Original 4, Original 5, Prog 4, Prog 5)
The Strandberg Boden bass is the end result of what initially began as a pursuit by Ola Strandberg to create great ergonomic guitars, taking those features and bringing them over to create an equally great bass. The Boden series is exceptionally comfortable and lightweight, features the patented EndurNeck neck shape, and is available in 4 and 5-string multiscale. They make a fretless version as well. Their necks have luminescent Luminlay side dots for better visibility in the dark. The Boden bass is a superb instrument that every bassist should get a chance to try, at least once, for themselves.
Strings: 4/ 5
Scale length: Multiscale 33 – 34.5″/ 33 – 35″ (5-string)
Frets: 24
Fretboard radius: 20″
Pickups: Humbucker/ Single-coil
Neck construction: Bolt-on
Body: Chambered
To learn more, head over to: strandbergguitars.com
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Kiesel Custom Guitars
(Vader, Osiris, Zeus 5-string, Thanos 5-string, Vader 6-string)
Well-known for their high-end custom headless guitars, Kiesel offers great headless basses as well. The current lineup consists of four models, the Thanos, Zeus, Osiris, and Vader— each with a unique body shape and customizable woods and finishes. All of the models go up to 5 strings, the Osiris and Vader up to 6, and the Zeus up to 7 strings. Three of the models are available in multiscale as well. All models feature a two-way adjustable truss rod combined with reinforcing dual carbon-fiber rods, making the neck exceptionally stable. Luminescent Luminlay side dots are also standard.
Strings: 4/ 5/ 6/ 7
Scale length: 34″/ Multiscale 33.5 – 35″ (5 and 6-string)/ 33.2 – 35″ (7-string)
Frets: 22/ 24
Fretboard radius: 14″
Pickups: Humbucker/ Single-coil
Neck construction: Bolt-on/ Neck-through
Body: Solid/ Chambered
To learn more and customize your instrument, head over to: kieselguitars.com
Steinberger
(Spirit: XT-2DB, XT-25)
Ned Steinberger, the pioneer of the first headless bass, the L2, envisioned the advantage of playing an instrument that’s well balanced and much lighter than a standard full-size body bass. The XT model, seen here, is the closest to resemble Steinberger’s original innovative L2 bass. Besides the XT-25 being a 5-string, both models are essentially the same except for one cool feature on the XT-2DB, it features the patented DB-Tuner. This cool feature allows you to quickly drop the E string down to a D, for a change in tuning, and back, just as easily. They feature the patented DoubleBall bass bridge for the double ball strings. We also want to note that it’s possible to purchase a string adapter for the 4-string so that regular single-ball strings can be used.
Strings: 4/ 5
Scale length: 34″
Frets: 24
Fretboard radius: 14″
Pickups: Humbucker
Neck construction: Neck-through
Body: Solid
To learn more, head over to: steinberger.com
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Bootlegger Guitar
(Ace: Honey Clear, White, Black, Burgundy Red)
The Bootlegger Ace bass, just like its guitar counterpart, Spade, is a great compact bass that, despite its small footprint, packs the full and rich sound of a bigger bodied bass. At this size, you can easily take it on the road for a gig or just for your own enjoyment on a trip where bringing a full-size instrument doesn’t make sense— and yes, it is a full 34″ standard scale length. It’s comfortable to play standing or sitting down thanks to its ergonomic body. A hardshell case is included where it lays snuggly and is well-protected for transportation. This is a neat little bass worth checking out!
Strings: 4/ 5
Scale length: 34″
Frets: 24
Fretboard radius: 13.5″
Pickups: Humbucker
Neck construction: Neck-through
Body: Solid
To learn more, head over to: bootleggerguitar.com
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Traveler Guitar
(Ultra-Light maple, Ultra-Light black, TB-4P)
When it comes to having a bass that’s easy to bring along for a trip, Traveler Guitar has you covered. The 30″ scale Ultra-Light bass is the lightest and most compact bass on the market, weighing a little less than 3 1/2 lbs. The Travel Guitar basses are perfect for bringing along when traveling so you can practice when you otherwise wouldn’t want or be able to bring a full-size instrument. The 32″ scale TB-4P bass even has a built-in headphone amp and aux-in so you can practice along your favorite tracks.
Strings: 4
Scale length: 30″/ 32″
Frets: 22
Fretboard radius: 9.5″
Pickups: Single-coil/ Piezo
Neck construction: Bolt-on/ Neck-through
Body: Solid
To learn more, head over to: travelerguitar.com
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