These had long, thin headstocks raked back at nearly 90 degrees-possibly to facilitate easy reach to their tuning pegs. Pitched (angled) headstocks can be traced back 15 centuries to the medieval oud and its younger cousin the lute.

Won’t break when you toss it and miss the couch.

I can imagine the advertising bullet points: You’d think guitar makers would have gotten the message by now. Known for durability in combat, the bolt-on maple neck stands as de facto judge and jury for less-robust designs. After all, Leo Fender and company put that quarrel to justice long ago by constructing an industrial-grade, fretted Excalibur from rock maple-with no headstock pitch to boot. Critics are swift to point to extreme headstock angles or weaker materials, like mahogany. Quite possibly responsible for the net worth of 10,000 guitar-repair techs, this venerable device has decapitated even more guitars than UPS and United Airlines combined.

But even Pete Townshend can’t hold a candle to the infamous creation known as the guitar stand.

When we think of world-champion guitar breakers, Jimi Hendrix and Kurt Cobain come to mind.

Ibanez headstock history