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Originally Posted by Easy2grasp
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01-14-2023 02:53 AM
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Originally Posted by Easy2grasp
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Headstock repairs are fairly common, especially with older instruments, and if done right, they can be just as strong as the original. I've seen many vintage guitars with professionally repaired headstocks that hold up well over time. It's important to get clear photos and ask about the luthier who did the repair. A well-done repair shouldn't impact playability or tone. If it's a Kalamazoo-built Epiphone, those are sought after for their craftsmanship, so it might still be worth considering. Definitely get as much info as possible before pulling the trigger! My credentials? I’ve been working for 7 years at Joe’s Vintage Guitars.
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Yes, I have. Not vintage but a few years ago I bought a 2000 black ES335 with a head "issue". It's one of my faves.
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Originally Posted by Jimmy blue note
This applies not only to guitars but also to pretty much everything else.
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The stupid way Gibson & al. insist on building their necks, instead of adding invisible reinforcements during construction, broken headstocks are unavoidable. We don't actually know how common they are, because a good many never even reach the retailer. These are auctioned off to fixers. A well repaired neck is stronger than new, so it shouldn't bear such a stigma.
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Which brings up a question. How do you know that a vintage guitar's headstock wasn't previously repaired by a skilled luthier? If it's not noticeable, there aren't very many honest souls out there who would be willing to sell the guitar for 50% less if the buyer has no way of telling if it had a repair job or not.
I know even highly reputable stores that sell vintage archtops that aren't very forthcoming about the issues with the guitars they sell.
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Originally Posted by Gitterbug
Awhile ago I bought a regular Epiphone Casino with a repaired headstock. It is totally fine. I do with they would make that part of the neck more sturdy, but it seems like "volute" is a dirty word to some folks!
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Just so we get a bit of perspective when we are talking about the effect of repairs on electric guitars.
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Originally Posted by supersoul
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Originally Posted by Gitterbug
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Originally Posted by Gitterbug
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I think the day they (Gibson) caved in to the "no volute on my guitar" crowd players lost.
There are some who say a volute does not prevent head breaks, and they're correct. A volute strengthens the most likely place to break, and any force beyond that will simply move the break to the next weakest spot. That's the "weakest link in the chain" story we all heard about since childhood.
Some say a volute is ugly and that's a matter of perspective, I for one don't sit around staring at the back of the neck to care, but there are some volutes that are positively beautiful that I just might stare at.
Some say that a volute gets in the way of their playing? I'd like to see their technique :-)
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Some good comments and info in this thread - not much I can add, except to re-emphasize that the durability of a peghead repair depends on who did it and how it was done, and in some cases, the type of break.
The insertion of splines is a good technique - maybe not cosmetically ideal, but pretty much guaranteed to restore stability. The application (or re-application) of an extended rear peghead veneer also works well. I've done this style of repair on five guitars and they've all held up well - including the repair on my old L50, which was done about 30 years ago and still shows no sign of failure.
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Originally Posted by hotpepper01
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Originally Posted by MCampellone
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Originally Posted by Tal_175
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Here's how my guitar tech reinforced the broken neck. The wood pieces extend almost all the way to the fretboard. He managed to find matching paint, so the end-result, while not quite Campellone Class, is acceptable for a budget-priced guitar. The fracture line on the shiny black topside was just patched over; I may address it later but not immediately, as there's a new string set on. In the world of RC model airplanes, "standoff scale" means realistic look from a distance of 6 meters. You've got to come a lot closer to notice that the guitar has been repaired.
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Originally Posted by Gitterbug
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Another Campellone headstock repair.
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And another Campellone headstock repair.
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