Anybody here prefer the 1990s-2019 headstock shape over the new 2020s???

[Sonny Wolf]

As we have seen Gibson has re-vamped the 2020 Epiphone line and now the Les Pauls and SGs have an updated headstock design based on 1950s era Kalamazoo Epiphones.I think these headstock are okaaaay but I'm not overly thrilled with them either.Something about how wide they are at the bottom where the two E string pegs are sort throws me off a bit.The Gibson headstock is wider at the top at the D and G tuning pegs and it narrows nicely downwards.If I were Gibson I would just build the Epiphone Les Pauls and SGs with the classic Gibson headstock and simply keep the Epiphone logo as some were done for the Japanese market in the 1980s.I don't think that would hurt Gibson sales the same way Fender has the same USA headstock shape for it's Mexican and Asian Strats and Teles.I actually liked the 1990s-2019 Epiphone headstock shape with it's clipped corners.It looked elegant and I prefer the slimmer shape over this new wider 2020 shape.

The new 2020 one:

The 1990s-2019 one:

The Japanese market one with the Gibson headstock:

 

[BGood]

Nitpicking central ...

 

[Sonny Wolf]

Nickpicking central ...

Ha!Ha!Of course...that's what discussion forums are for!!

 

[Biddlin]

Nickpicking central

Plenty of nits from which to choose, eh?

I actually liked the 1990s-2019 Epiphone headstock shape with it's clipped corners.

Me too. Especially the Les Paul Standards.

 

[reelaroundthefountain]

I like both myself especially the clipped ears on the SG’s but I also think regardless of how we feel about the headstocks, the new line up is way too good on paper to pass on for the money.

 

[Supersonic]

I wonder if people will start complaining about wanting the old clipped ear headstock back now?

 

[Norton]

Nope.

The clipped headstock is an amazing thing when it’s used as it was intended in the 40’s and 50’s. As a heavily ornamented oversized headstock.

When you down scale it and leave the binding off it loses it's impact...and is a pale neutered version of itself.

The Kalamazoo headstock was solid back in the early days of Epiphone and is super solid today. But I’d you made it 25% smaller it would look weird too.

 

[Davis Sharp]

I have no preference as I seldom look at the headstock when playing. I don't really know the difference between the "open book" and the "sloped dovewing," so maybe I'm not the right person to ask.

 

[pomaranc]

The proportions are way off, in my opinion it is just a bad design and reminds me of a bad fake or a badly made epi to gibson headstock conversion. I do like the new lineup and the new headstock doesn't make me want to buy a new guitar any less, but if I had the choice I would prefer the old one 100%.

 

[Shadow Explorer]

I like the Japanese stuff tbh.
If I ever buy an Epi again, it will be a gothic explorer.
Clipped ear on a custom looks classy though!

 

[Antigua]

I like the old headstock for the fact that it's slimmer at the base. I've always thought the Epiphone head stock looked nice, especially the ornamented versions on the Sheraton and other deluxe models.

 

[Joel]

The new one's fine.
So is the old one.
As far as I'm concerned.
I have two Epi's. Both have different headstock.
No big deal.

 

[SirMilo]

I probably prefer the clipped headstock shape over the newest one, at least for now.

My personal policy is that as long as it doesn't look phallic, I really don't care what a headstock looks like. If I were concerned about headstock appearances, my Peavey wouldn't have made the cut and I would be missing out on an excellent guitar.

 

[Raiyn]

I like the look of both. The only issue I ever had is that the new headstock appeared to add to the overall length of the guitars making aftermarket case fitment a potential worry.

 

[Matthew Medofer]

If it was up to me.... I'd rather have the Japanese gibson headstock with the epiphone logo....
I feel like if it's gonna be any part of a gibson...
It gotta have the gibson headstock
But having read wat was written
If the 2020 is the original epiphone headstock that the original epiphones had then I'd probably be more drawn to that one just because it's more conducive to the original line of epiphone guitars...

 

[Alfajock]

I quite like the differentiation from Gibson currently, and proportionally the new one looks a tad short and dumpy to me compared to current options, but its no big deal either way. Clipped and dovewing current styles both look good IMHO

 

[Norton]

The “new” Kalamazoo headstock profile is a pretty accurate version of a Headstock shape Epiphone used in the 1940’s-50’s.

In general...the shapes Gibson has been using until this point weren’t very accurate, and were kind of all over the place. Not that it functionally matters.

The clipped wing Les Paul/Sg headstock is downsized by quite a bit.

On some sheraton’s it’s the close to the “original” size. But on Some...it’s quite a bit smaller. Go figure. The size difference is enough to require different cases for the same model of guitar.

They started using a pretty accurate headstock on the bonamossa 355’s and on the Vivian Campbell guitars and probably the more accurate 60’s “reissues”.

I like the direction being set by this 2020 lineup. Hopefully they keep making improvements.

 

[Juke Box]

I think this new headstock will help Epi LP sales a lot. This will be huge. I was checking out the LP Standard, Jrs and LP Classic on the Epi site and they were all sold out already. What does that tell you?

However I'm not sure about the new style on archtops. I associate the archtops with the old design headstock.

 

[Don Ricardo]

Except for certain models, the epi headstock was always the deal-killer for me. I own a Poppa Chubby Korina V that came with Epi P90s. It has the traditional V headstock. I installed stacked SD P90s with new pots. I like the sound and playability better than some of my "real Gibsons" (LP Heritage and 70s LP DLX). I like many of the Elitist headstocks.

The exaggerated size and shape is like a giant forehead on a smokin hot babe... wait, can you still say that?

OK, it's like if Roger's head (American Dad) was placed on your favorite celebrity's body.

 

[Juke Box]

That looks more like a Fender headstock