From “melted cheese” to a “witch's nose”, Jared Dines unearths the 25 ugliest guitar headstocks in the world
The YouTube star does the design dirty work, so you don’t have to
Whether it’s offering tips for beginners or for becoming a better guitarist, Jared Dines loves a good list.
Now the YouTube electric guitar star and Sterling By Music Man signature artist is back with another roundup, and while this one may not improve your chops, it’ll certainly make you look better while you’re playing.
Welcome to the Top 25 Ugliest Headstocks in the World, in which Dines unearths some truly bizarre, and in some cases horrid, design choices.
“I know we’ve all seen a headstock or two where we’ve all just thought, Well, gee golly, that sure exists then, don’t it?” Dines says.
“Some headstocks out there just leave a lot to be desired. I scoured the corners of the internet to try to find you the ugliest headstocks. So buckle in and get ready.”
Dines then proceeds to scroll through an impressive range of unimpressive headstocks, from a Yamaha with a “witch's nose,” to a Langcaster with “a Nike logo, just a little overweight,” to a James Tyler that he says is “like me back when I was 14 – just not pleasant to look at.”
There’s also some entries from heavy hitters, including a Gibson Moderne and a Fender Electric XII, as well as an unnamed brand with a headstock that “looks like melted fake plastic cheese.”
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Finally, Dines has to throw in the towel. “I can only gaze upon so many ugly things in one day,” he says. “Trust me – I own a lot of mirrors."
Rich is the co-author of the best-selling Nöthin' But a Good Time: The Uncensored History of the '80s Hard Rock Explosion. He is also a recording and performing musician, and a former editor of Guitar World magazine and executive editor of Guitar Aficionado magazine. He has authored several additional books, among them Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck, the companion to the documentary of the same name.

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