Forshage Ergonomic Headless Guitar

[davidpmaurer]

beautiful sounds, but i'm not sure that i could get used to the upper bout shape. re: angled instruments, check out ansir music in cleveland. primarily basses, but guitars, too, and some interesting ideas re: parquet backs, too. have you ever tried a torzal neck guitar? especially as i get older and less limber, the idea appeals to me.

[brazilianguitarlover]

Really nice!

[thevdogamr]

how do you tune that thing

[avegailtadiarca]

sorry for being noob here but how do you tune that guitar?

[kerranz]

@avegailtadiarca the tuners are at the tail end where the strap button normally is. Usually one uses ball-end strings held in place at the nut.

[deltron2033]

1:32

[kaskas55]

sounds great.

[lighteningboy]

I was NOT expecting this dude to turn on a RAT pedal, hahaha

[Tommy947PL]

looks awful, sounds pretty good.

id give it 3/5.

[GuitarGare]

I very much like the work that went into this guitar of yours. I've noticed a whole lot more wood in the body than in mine.Mine is very very short, as it were. I'll throw up a vid of mine in response. The ergo club is getting bigger week by week, earth wide....

[WoWintosh]

"The guitar has a very PFLGPFLGPFLGPFLGPFLGPFLGPFLG interesting profile"

What was the meaning of that?

I love these ergonomic guitars, also.

[grundiel]

This guitar scary me. Maybe she decapitated

[foucaultbawd]

" now i do have a strap on "

HAHAAHAHAAAAAAAAAAHOOOHOOOOOOO­OO

that's kinky sir.

[hanzmann4]

0:25 it looks like he has just one arm

[mikedg18]

That is one ugly guitar.

[fraterlucifer888]

what a great guitar

[telluridefan]

thats got a great SRV sound!

[spudzdad1]

I just do not get the ergo design.I have seen many.Why?

[rpguitar]

@spudzdad1 - What's not to get? Notice how it sits on the leg. It will do that even if I let go with BOTH hands. That  1) Puts the neck at an ideal angle for fretting hand comfort; and 2) Frees you completely from supporting the neck's weight, allowing the fretting hand to focus on the mechanics of playing. The headless aspect is primarily for weight/balance, but is not strictly required if the body is designed to compensate for a headstock.

[spudzdad1]

@rpguitar I fully understand thank you.

[DeaderNBetter]

Must be a bitch to drop tune

[TheSuperiorJam]

he sure likes orange :)

[azndarkblade16]

where do you tune it?

[estoywatchingvids]

BEAUTIFUL tone.

[TheViewFromUpThere]

I'm really loving your sound when you're playing the Sultans of Swing riff at 3:45

[sN4Re]

Remember! He has a strapon lol

[ergoguitar]

I love Chris' work, Roger. I saw one he was working on for you while I was at the shop. Just thought I'd trade you music clips recorded with the Forshage. Keep playing!

[rpguitar]

Very, very nice. I listened to your tunes.  Congrats! What a fine and expressive guitar you now have. Would love to know when you were at Chris's shop and what state my guitar was in! I've been waiting for it for a loooong time...!

[ergoguitar]

Hey Thanks Roger! I appreciate your nice remarks. I owe you a debt: it was because of you that I learned of the Forshage guitars, seeing your great demo here and reading "building the ergonomic guitar" website. So, I was in Austin in August and I was there in October, I think, and Chris was really backed up...then I think the kids got sick and he got the flu, etc., etc. I saw the body of your guitar (which looked beautiful), no neck attached. When does Chris think he can get it done for you?

[March265]

Your Guitar Has Been Decapitated!

[rpguitar]

Nope - it was born that way!  Can't remove what wasn't there to start with.

[eelakh]

It sounds very nice but it's very ugly guitar

[rpguitar]

Thank you, I'm beginning to enjoy having it be called ugly. At least nobody is calling ME ugly (I'm sure I'll have spoken too soon!).

[SoundOfAShark]

To be honest i would love the guitar more the more people called it ugly just shows its personally yours unlike the les paul/strat players

[eelakh]

@rpguitar Sorry dude I think symmetric and regular shapes are more appealing to eyes and brain (at least for me). But fortunately you are shaped both symmetrically and regularly thus appealing lol JJ but as I told you it has one of the best sounds and you like it's look so who cares.

[rpguitar]

There aren't that many truly symmetrical guitars. 335, SG, yes... not the Fenders, nor the LP, nor archtops, etc. But sound is King. Take it easy - RP

[shawnphase]

very sexy man!

[waldo2384]

Somebody likes orange....

[minuk21]

that guitar sounds really magnificent

[GoldenEars69]

Impressive and versatile instrument! I love the look - after all if there were only LP, Strat and Tele shapes the world would indeed be a duller place.

[slavoy11]

Beautiful guitar and tone. It reminded me a Holdsworth a lot.

[dacapomusic]

Nice sound would have liked to have heard it dry without the delay and reverb... nice playing very sweet

[skruvmaejsel]

what a ugly guitar

[rpguitar]

You know, I get one of these comments every once in a while, and even though I don't take offense to people's opinions, I wonder... why do you bother? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And a guitar is an instrument first and foremost.

[turdsamm1ch]

@rpguitar Kudos to you for not carrying on the negativity. I think that's the problem in general... like this guy, maybe somebody was a dick to him earlier today and he had to deal with it by calling your guitar ugly. lol

The guitar is oddly shaped from a traditional standpoint, but still beautiful. The practicality of it is amazing and the tones it produces are breathtaking. One hell of an instrument!

[rpguitar]

Thanks for the positive vibes man.

[anticsgmr94]

Down at the bridge i think.

[ledzepdude4040]

tuneing pegs are under the bridge, and the bottom.

[KingSsurno]

use the knobs at the bottom to tune it. same with steinbergers ;)

[muzzoid]

knobs on the base of the guitar :).

[6606devil69]

that is true but it stll has a very nice sound

[6606devil69]

in any case the guitare sounds amazing with any switch or nob on and just a question: what do these guitares go for? (as in price)

[6606devil69]

thats what i want to know unless it never goes out of tune witch could be an advantge to this guitar

[BryanBetts]

an amazing guitar! beautiful tones and gorgeous construction. sweet playing also!

[tgnz24]

I think this is a cool looking guitar!It probably would look better recessed though.But still cool.Great playing and sound!

[Encrypt888]

So ugly guitar. Sorry, but ugly

[DarkSamurai]

looks like an ovation breadmaker

[rpguitar]

That would be Breadwinner. It's inspired directly by Klein, which may or may not have been influenced by the Ovation. WHO CARES... it's a great guitar.

[jhbullsfan1]

what kind of amp are you using?

[ARoon1090]

just looks like a klein

[10oooo01]

Looks hideous (in my opinion)...sounds fantastic. I like the idea of the headless though.

[KreatorOfDeath1985]

ugliest damn guitar ive seen i love the sound though

im making a headless neck thru

[MrMarcus7447]

Hi Roger,

Thanks for the wonderful demo... I really enjoyed it; both your playing and your showcasing of the various tones. Could explain what it is about this guitar that makes it "ergonomic"? Is it just that it sits comfortably on your leg while you play or does it have other benefits? I've had some tendon issues in my left hand and am looking for something to help with this. Would one of these guitars have any benefits from that perspective?

Thanks again,

Regards

Marcus

[ChristopherMcCandles]

man i swear your guitar playing is incredible do you have any iTunes tracks or anything?

i mean this is really great playing

[rpguitar]

Very generous compliment - thank you! I do have 3 albums on iTunes (search for Roger Placer).

[Ifyousayso666]

You tune it by turning those tiny nobs on the ends. That's what she said. "I have a strap on, but it doesn't neccessarily need to be there"-That's what she said. The possibilities are endless. That's what she said. LOL

[gjm1971]

Amazing sound !

[fuckthejanitor]

how do you tune it and change the strings? and is it easy?

[kevinhughes]

awesome. how much and where can I get one?

[nirviral]

how do you tune this?

[Irishwunder01]

keys you turn

[cedartowndawg]

@ 4:49

that sounded like the intro to Set Your Eyes To Zion by P.o.D.

Really slick guitar though

How much do they cost?

[rpguitar]

I'll have to check out that song... they cost about $2.5K USD, made to your custom specs.

[cedartowndawg]

Thats sounds very reasonable for the styling and sound quality it produces

[zodiacloveteam]

That's gotta be a better deal than a what second hand original Klein would cost you, and you had this to your specs.

[zodiacloveteam]

Actually I forgot you do already have an original haha

[rpguitar]

Yes, and it cost twice as much. :) I prefer the Forshage, hands down, although the Klein does have a mystique in a way.

[lazychump]

that thing thing looks comfortable as hell...

[Davemech]

wow, the looks are a bit funky, but I must say, not many guitars impress me this fast. This is one amazing guitar with a lot of different sounds and they all sound great. I love it! When I ever have the money I'm going to try and buy one :) Thank you for this demo

[AlphaCentauri00]

What acoustic strings do you recommend for a beautiful jazz tone?

[rpguitar]

I play regular nickel electric strings on this guitar, but in general, I like Thomastik Infeld Bebop series strings on a full size archtop. Usually the set with high 'E' equal to 0.12".

[ArtistInside1314]

how do u tune it

[rpguitar]

Like any headless guitar, the tuners are at the tailpiece end.

[scarred123]

very nice. not crazy about the shape but the wide range of tones is amazing. top notch craftsmanship

[Bappy25]

it'd be pretty cool if it had humbuckers at the end of the guitar (the headless part)

[amarr1]

that would be awesome

[hellogoodbye353]

I love this guitar but the upper register looks difficult to play in. Could you post a video showing how you play beyond the 15th fret?

[GuitarSnipper]

It's different and it sounds good. You play great with it.

[shepoopi]

Chris Forshage is a genius! Plus, he is a really cool guy.

[rpguitar]

I see you live in Austin. Drop in on Chris and check out the ergo acoustic he is building for me. :)

[shepoopi]

I'll have to do that. His new shop is very nice. I haven't been up there in almost a year. I've known Chris for probably 10 years or more.

[oud25]

i like 3:23

[Deiwea]

dude! Your guitar has a really dreamy sound! brings a tear to my eye because it sounds so awesome!

[nununez]

really interesting video, thx!

[erieger1]

incredible.

I'm liking sultans of swing at 3:45

[seandog1234]

Thats like my dream guitar.

[thenewguy461]

jesus, u could play anything on that thing. how much did it cost?

[jesuswiisus]

awesome tone and i love the shape

[dickey335]

Cool. Sounds like your living in an "Orange Dream".

[dickey335]

Beautiful guitar. Orange must be your favorite color! (door, shirt, guitar)

[rpguitar]

...espresso machine, phone, rug, couch, pillows, etc. (yeah) :)

[scraggo]

I'm glad I stumbled on your video - that guitar shape is amazing...I was thinking "why isn't there a more ergonomic guitar body shape?" and there it is. I'd get one, I'd want to find a cheaper one though, lol

[jdragon1012]

masterpiece. thats all i have to say.

[hipyaboyya]

i looks ugly

[rpguitar]

Thanks to your unfortunate typo, that statement is quite likely true.

[gammypage]

lol

[jesuswiisus]

he he nice catch

[Tototwice]

hey ROGER, THAT WAS VERY FUNNY........... just wanted to say that I have been tuning in(lol) and u have some nice tunes on YT also I see u have very expensive taste! God Bless U if U can afford it.......... KEEPON STRUMMIN............Dallas(rea­l name,NOT THE CITY)

[AlucardZero]

LMFAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[jdragon1012]

hey roger its me jdragon i left several coments and i really want to say hi. also im very exited because i got a gibson les paul supream and the new gibson robot guitar

[NicholasGreen91]

its gorgeous!

I WANT ONE

[RHall83]

VUT ZE HELL!?!

[giantsocks]

iseali brother?

[eman737]

nice dude

[oasysco]

Nice demo, Roger. I enjoyed hearing you play as much as the demo for the guitar.

GregD/oasysco from rRMGJ

[rpguitar]

Hey Greg! Cool of you to stop by. Thanks for the nice comment. Take care - RP

[guitaress1]

It kind of puts me in mind of the Holdsworth Fatboy, maybe that's it's more conservatively shaped ancestor, without the headlessness. Like the H2 yours gets a nice fat tone, and pretty quilted maple, plus a lot of extras. Thanks for posting.

[rpguitar]

Hi - I can see why you'd make the Fatboy reference. It's actually based more on the Klein electric guitar, with more of a jazzbox orientation. Nice f(ph)at tone indeed!

[guitaress1]

Hmm, interesting. Well maybe the Klein gave H the idea for his! When did the Klein come out? I like the way on this one the neck goes at a high angle when you're sitting with it. It's hard to get that with a regular guitar without using a classical sitting stance.

[ONTHEEARTH12]

how do u tune a headless guitar lol

[rpguitar]

Um, the tuners are at the other end, on the bridge/tailpiece hardware. Not exactly a new phenomenon!

[jdragon1012]

you seem like a really good guy and it only took 8:16 to figure that out, rock on

[rpguitar]

It's my pleasure, and thank you for the nice comment. Peace - RP

[jlevyx]

That is one gorgeous guitar, and even though I'm not a jazz player, I like delicate clean tones, and I really appreciate you sharing this with the online community! take it easy roger

[jdragon1012]

you should showcase some other guitars rojer.

[jazzisgood82]

Nice guitar, but I can get similar tones out of a Stratocaster.

I've been playing the guitar almost 20 years, so I know what I'm talking about when I say that tone is as much in your hands as it is the equipment that you use.

Without good usage of effects that guitar wouldn't sound good at all.

[rpguitar]

Tell you what, put a Strat on your leg in playing position and then let go of it. Tell me what happens. Ouch! OK, that's partly why I ordered a Forshage.

[skok65]

I got rid of my BC Rich Warlock because of that. If you didn't hold the neck while you were standing it would drop towards the floor. Great sound on this guitar and the way it's shaped for sitting looks comfortable. Now, if only someone could design one that could be played comfortably while lying on the couch. . .

[boatman96]

thats what my washburn v did

[skok65]

Totally annoying, wouldn't you agree? And you (generally speaking) can't sit and play a V. I almost bought a Washburn (not a V), but ended up with a Hondo Explorer with a maple fretboard that I played for years. That was my first decent guitar.

[boatman96]

i sold it for an amp

[jdragon1012]

your guitar is awazingly versital and effective but i still like my lp studio and my beloved strat. however your guitar is defenatly going on the chrismas list.

[rpguitar]

In my buying and trying of many guitars, I have learned that the "best" instruments are the ones that are the easiest and most inspiring to play. That doesn't always equate with cost, looks, or any other conventional measure of value. :)

[rpguitar]

At the time the base price of this model was $2500 USD. I was able to customize it heavily to my tastes. Thanks for your comment.

[jason007s]

extremely versatile guitar, its awesome how much did that cost you? its excelent

[jdragon1012]

where did you obtain all your knowledge about the forshage headless electric guitar?

[rpguitar]

I learned about Chris from a person on one of the jazz guitar forums. I was interested in headless, ergonomic guitars and found that he made a hollowbody with this unique design. I gave him a call and the rest is history...

[rpguitar]

Thanks for the compliments. What can I elaborate on for you?

[jdragon1012]

roger i'm very intriged with your felosophy of musical compusition. i would like to talk with you so plz respond with my comments.

[jdragon1012]

please tell chris that his guitars are amazing for me. ok roger? and tell him that the reason his guitars are so well known now is because of your talent

[jdragon1012]

i pride myself in knowing all players of music yet i was unaware of your talent. your guitar is beautiful but it was you that amazed me

[jdragon1012]

your a great person and player. I pride myself in knowing all great players yet i was unawhere of your talent. your guitar is beautiful but the amazment came from you

[jdragon1012]

roger there are many vid posters that never respond to comments and for you to be so deticated is something that is very special.

[sonofkikkoman]

damn thats a really awesome guitar!

[HarmonicMinorJ]

Wow is that nice

What a great design!

[bboyliangwei]

it's so wonderful.. wow.. how much would that be?

[jmfsylva]

Hi Roger,

What's about acoustic sound of this guitar ?

Thanks Jean-Marie (France)

[jmfsylva]

HI, very nice guitar

I look for a Klein electric guitar, for a long time now...very hard to find...

Do you think Forshage Guitar, like your's, can make a similar instrument ?

Thanks

Jean-Marie (France)

[rpguitar]

Yes, I do think so... that was partly the point of this design, which is Chris Forshage's own after playing a Klein. I own a Klein too though (!), and they are quite different in some ways. If I could have only one, it would be the Forshage.

[gumdropster]

So how much did you pay for it?

[rpguitar]

About $2500, which is half the going rate for a Klein - if you can find one.

[acousticore]

It looks alot like the Klein Guitars.

[audiotrax2000]

Wow, that is SWEET! It looks kind of weird, but it sounds fantastic. What kind of amp are you using? Thanks for sharing this. :)

[rpguitar]

Playing through a Fender Princeton Reverb (circa 1979), with some delay - probably a bit much for the demo... didn't notice at the time.

[theinck]

it looks a bit funny, but the sound is awesome though. i love the pickups sound. it can get some amazing tones too.

[maidenfan12]

Holy shit, that thing looks and sounds AMAZING! Such a good instrument.

[rpguitar]

That's about the best first comment ever. I agree, it's really a wild and very satisfying guitar. Thanks for watching! Peace -Roger