Strandberg revives its modular UME concept — and this one will have a headstock

Ola Strandberg has brought a shelved guitar concept called UME back to life after meeting a player at the 2026 NAMM Show whose requirements exposed limits in existing instruments. The original UME idea explored interchangeable layers, electronics modules and a replaceable tone block, but Strandberg says the design stalled because the engineering ideas were not yet solving a concrete player problem.

The revived version is now being developed around modular body and neck sections plus adjustable components intended to tune both ergonomics and sound to the player. The biggest surprise is a modular headstock — a deliberate departure for a company identified with headless guitars. Strandberg argues that string length beyond the nut, headstock mass and anchoring geometry can affect feel and tone, and says those factors matter to the unnamed collaborator.

Strandberg also plans to put the body-module design into the public domain so builders can create personalized modules. The company has not yet revealed the mystery player or a finished production model, so UME is best understood as an active design project rather than a product launch.