So glad to see this review! I got a HEX in South Korea, and every guitar tech here in Nashville has asked me when these guitars are going to hit the US market because they feel like $1000+ guitars. I'm so happy to share with them that these guitars are finally here! For the past year, this brand has been the only one I’ve been using in the studio and on the road, and I don’t think that’s going to change anytime soon.
@@semin811 I am particularly grateful for the low hardtail, passive pickups, and the 42mm nut. That combination can be difficult to find in a "metal" guitar, the Schecter Omen Elite-6 being one of the only others I know, and this provides a headless alternative with neck geometry which is extremely similar to said Schecter.
I just bought a Hex headless like 2 weeks ago (I live in South Korea). It is incredible! I've gigged it twice and had no issues. It's literally flawless when it comes to the neck and frets. Even the pickups are good...and it so cheap. I want them to make a 7 string.
@BrightErawat I've gigged it twice and it didn't go out of tune at all. No more than a normal guitar would with temperature changes from lights and such. The tuners are very precise too.
I haven't played this brand of guitars but here is my experience with headless guitars. I purchased an Ibanez Quest guitar because I have a back condition and also because I don't enjoy retro guitars at all (Also Fender and Gibson cost almost 10 times the price of an Ibanez quest. Though I do think I would like to change the pickups for the Quest guitar. They are excellent but I like high gain and they get muddy. The clean tones are beautiful though!) To get a guitar that weighs less than 3.5 kilograms is a miracle because it means I don't end up unable to play after only playing for 30 minutes. They are so easy to play, they sound fantastic, it's wonderful for preventing injuries and because it's so light you can play it sitting or standing. I also own a Strandberg but I would not recommend them as the Endurneck is not for everyone. It's a trapezoid shape and very uncomfortable for me to play. I'll most likely be selling that one. So essentially if you like a modern looking guitar that stays in tune almost all the time without having to retune very much ( hugely convenient) , you want a guitar that isn't going to knock into walls or knock into people while you're playing together, and you're looking for something to prevent you from causing your shoulders, neck, back and most of your body from pain .. then headless are for you! :) I hope this is of some use to you! If not, then have a jolly good day!
The melodic content of the opening jam was beautiful, the use of counterpoint, parallel, similar, contrary, and oblique motion between two melodic lines brought tears to my ears. I will be humming and whistling that main melody all day!
Do you have any experience with any other headless guitars or is your comment relating to other more conventional guitars? Were you sent one to review or did you buy? Genuinely interested.
@@georgeoh-well8116 i've played quite a few headless guitars w/ Strandbergs and Mayones being the most expensive options. I've also played lower priced options and no-name/lesser-known brands. the guitar was indeed sent to me by HiLS for a review, with the only compensation being keeping the guitar. Legitimately, I pick this guitar up almost everyday AND I've used it in several other videos just because I like it so much. One small repair I've had to make is simply checking the grounding for the pickups. BUT, this has been something I've had to do more expensive instruments so I'm not too beat up about it. It's also something I only noticed after shooting my demo, which I should have on my channel within the next two weeks. hope this helps
This is the best thing I've seen in the budget market for quite a while- since the Classic Vibe line came out tbh. That's probably just me though- because I've been lusting after a Strandberg for so long and couldn't afford it and viola- here it is, a poor man's Strandberg. Can't snag one right now- I just bought the Keely Darkside which blew my budget for this month- maybe next month, if Strandberg doesn't find some way to cease and desist that is. Why aren't they phreaking out? Has Gibson taught them nothing?
The asymmetric "headstock" shape is a bit strange. Could be good for travel. They're very reasonably priced. I like that they have a normal roasted maple neck. Before this I think the cheapest headless I would have gone for were the Ibanez quest series guitars. Very cool.
The flat "bottom" and rubber "feet". My complaint with most headless guitars is that don't stand up nicely like my Steinberger as well as not playing nice with stands or hangers.
Ibanez Q series are a great option for headless guitar too, with the Q54 with HSS pickups seems to be a great option for an alternative to the strandberg brand
Thanks, I’ve looked at those. But they’re twice the price of these. For $1K, I’d probably just get the Boden Essential so I can get the Strandberg neck.
They look good and the only feedback I can give is they need to move the Jack socket as you can’t otherwise stand the guitar up with the jack in (unless you are using a right angle one). I currently own 5 headless guitars and have definitely figured out what does and doesn’t work. Key to headless is a good bridge, especially the quality of the tuning screw threads, if the metal used is inferior quality, the tuners can definitely cause problems.
I just ordered a green one! I had a Strandberg Boden and I loved it, except the fanned frets. So I sold it and, for half the money I made, I can have this... No Endureneck, I know, but for me the ergonomics of the body are what matters the most
@@MartinStrang it is lovely. 2kg (a bit less than a Strandberg Boden NX6), the neck is very comfortable, the frets are perfect, the shape is very ergonomic, the pickups are good. It's really, really impressive
Digital John's progression as a guitarist/musician on Anderton's is highly reminiscent to me of another notable alumnus, Rabea Massaad. Both display to me tons of highly interesting and melodic sensibilities, far more than just typical modern chug chug chug playing, which is also fine BTW. Great to see! And that QC sounds glorious indeed. A future head to with these, the lower budget Strandbergs and the Ibanez offerings would be great.
Now someone tells me, after I bought a GTRS W900 last week on the basis of "at least it's the best headless for the money" discounting the electronics. Good to see they are using the hardtail bridges that can be intonated in situ, though the flip side is no multi-scale fanned frets. Not sure if they have a single-coil mode, the GTRS W900 doesn't (and it calls itself "Smart"), but at least it's easy to add (you can just pull out the pickguard and everrything is attached to that).
a version of this with two passive humbuckers would be irresistible. the active sounds great but i've had bad luck with active's dying on me so i'm wary of them even tho i do like the sound and look
What am I doing here? I’m not interested in headless guitars. Oh, right. It’s a fun hang with the Andertons crew, and the playing is always epic. Cheers!
What is so good about headless guitars? Like what’s their main selling point? I’m a noob when it comes to them but kinda interested for some reason, cheers 😂
I mean, for myself I purchased Ibanez Quest guitars because I have a back condition and also because I don't enjoy retro guitars at all. To get a guitar that weighs less than 3.5 kilograms is a miracle because it means I don't end up unable to play after only playing for 30 minutes. They are so easy to play, they sound fantastic, it's wonderful for preventing injuries and because it's so light you can play it sitting or standing. I also own a Strandberg but I would not recommend them as the Endurneck is not for everyone. It's a trapezoid shape and very uncomfortable for me to play. I'll most likely be selling that one. So essentially if you like a modern looking guitar that stays in tune almost all the time without having to retune very much ( hugely convenient) , you want a guitar that isn't going to knock into walls or knock into people while you're playing together, and you're looking for something to prevent you from causing your shoulders, neck, back and most of your body from pain .. then headless are for you! :) I hope this is of some use to you! If not, then have a jolly good day!
They're extremely lightweight, and ergonomic. I own a strandberg, a Kiesel headless, and I swear by both of em'. You're absolutely missing out by passing them up.
Trying hard not to ignite a comment flamewar - just broad principles that are true'ish regardless of whether you personally (dis)like the design... Headstock+tuners is surplus weight in the wrong place, out on the end of a long lever (the neck) that induces neck dive, counteracted with a heavier body. Chop the head off, move the tuners to the body end ... Better balanced, less prone to neck dive, no counterweight needed in the body so lighter overall, more compact size. The sitting thigh cutouts have been applied to some non-headless (headfull?) guitars, so the comfort/ergonomic aspect of that isn't solely unique to headless anymore, and these don't have the Strandberg enduro neck carve (for egonomics) so let's skip that rabbit hole. But overall they are solving what they perceive as problems from different angles. Whether you perceive those problems needed a solution for you, only you can decide.
This weirdly are very similiar to HEX N400 which is also a made in china headless guitar that cost more or less the same. HEX is a korean guitar company and i'm assuming that both HEX and HILS order the guitar from the same factory OEM or it's actually the same guitar but with a different name depending on the region
from the photos it looks like there are both screws and tuning pegs on the bridge my guess is that intonation works same way as for any hipshot-style bridges, i.e. with philips screws and then the string winds from the saddle onto the tuning peg somehow, underneath the bridge or mb it goes through the tuning peg as i don't see where string ends are
@@HILSAmerica thanks for answer, but, I just looked closeup of your bridge, and as i can see, when you are tuning, you are moving bridge saddle. On Strandberg, for example, during intonation you set bridge position, and when you make tuning you are moving string ball, and string is going over fixed bridge saddle position, as in all guitars.
No, they're not. They're extremely cheap strandberg knockoffs that are horrendously setup, and use terrible quality parts. Eart's headless models are the "Bullet Strat" of headless guitars.
@@tylerdurden6352I, a strandberg owner, couldn't be more wrong about instruments that are cheap imitations of their genuine counterparts? Care to rephrase that, brah?
well, that's debatable GW2 pro - maybe, neck looks nice and it seems to have more or less "standard" bridge plain GW2 - the bridge is fishy, with questionable ergonomics and durability durability can be remedied by buying a spare bridge from ali or banggood, ergonomics is a bummer though (at leas for me, ymmv) HILS bridge looks very much like a hipshot, which is a great plus imho don't know about it's durability though, and not sure if replacements are available the biggest advantage for HILS is probably... the seller, with warranty and stuff
Cannot seriously compete with my Steinberger Spirit with alnico PAF's for me. I dislike the look, the colors and most of all the high-gain ceramic pickups. Oh, If forgot, I have not the best experience with these Asian made bridges and headstock systems, while my Steinberger bridge keeps the tune much better than any other guitar, I ever had during decades. Next thing is, whit a rosewood fretboard you meanwhile will get serious problems, if you want to import this guitar to the EU! Apart from all this, looks ugly to me, sounds ugly to me, nothing for me! Crappy copy from a copy from a copy look. I like real Strandbergs, and if I had the money, I bought one, but these guitars have as little similarity with the real thing, as a Chinese budget Strat has with a USA masterbuilt, or even less. But it certainly will find it's fans, just as every hype does, only not me.
