11 Degree Angle Headstock

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Written by Frank J. Pasquale

This is the most common headstock angle on the market today.  It is the angle utilized by Gibson, Ibanez, and Jackson guitars.  We offer it due to its popularity and quite frankly, it looks really cool.

The origin of this angle traces back to the Les Paul.  The Les Paul was a solid body version of a Gibson acoustic guitar which had an 11 degree angle on the headstock.  This was needed to create string tension across the nut to keep the strings in the nut slots.

The 11 degree angle headstock worked very well with the Les Paul’s fixed bridge.  Eventually, the tremolo units were introduced on the early Fender Stratocaster guitars.  The 11 degree angle was too steep to use on a tremolo unit because it would cause too much tension across the nut and bring excessive wear which would cause the strings to snag and become out of tune.  This is why Fender used flat headstock angles on their guitars.

In the mid 1980’s, Floyd Rose introduced a radical new concept called the “locking nut”.  It clamped the strings at the nut and kept them stationary so they wouldn’t snag and lose their tune.  This concept alone revolutionized the way guitars were designed.  Since the strings clamped at the nut keeping the tension throughout, guitars no longer needed angled headstocks or string trees to create tension.

The 11 degree angle does not enhance advantages over a 7 ½ degree angle but it holds a larger disadvantage.  The angle is steeper therefore leaving the neck weaker and more prone to movement during changes in temperature and humidity.  Nonetheless this is a commonly requested headstock angle.  When I ask a client why they want this angle the answer is typically the same…”because it looks cool!”

Who am I to argue with that?