Is it true what they say about headstock repairs?

[WornNeck]

...or is it like everything else, "it depends", and if so, on what?

 

I have an opportunity to buy a LP special with a repaired headstock. I've heard opinions on both sides of the question, ie, depending on the nature of the break and the quality of the repair job, the neck will be as good as new or better and will never be a problem vs. breaks are bad news, never buy a guitar with one, no matter what kind of deal you can get, etc.

 

Assuming I don't care about collectibility value or cosmetic appearance, (which in this case I don't), I'm looking for some more opinions. Also, is there anything to look for as far as evaluating the quality of a repair job, ie, anyway to predict how the repair will hold up over time? I suppose if it is obviously sloppy looking or crooked or something, I imagine the luthier didn't have too much pride in their work. On the other hand, could a repair that is cosmetically beautiful be internally flawed?

 

Thanks in advance for all responses. Viva la forum!

[BillWelcome Home Studios]

Originally posted by WornNeck:

.... is there anything to look for as far as evaluating the quality of a repair job, ie, anyway to predict how the repair will hold up over time?

absolutely not. and that is the problem. My view? don't ever buy a guitar with a headstock repair. Your milage may vary.

 

Bill

[Big Red 67]

You would have to put force to it to test it. It would break if the repair was bad. This would be a problem for the seller.

[Eric Iverson]

I just had a guitar repaired with what the repairman said was one of the worst breaks he'd ever seen! But he put a lot of time into repairing it, and it seems to have been a very fine job. You can see, looking at the headstock, that it had been repaired, but it plays and feels like it used to.

 

I may well go back to the guy for a setup on the guitar, and maybe have him install a Fishman Matrix pickup!

[Chipotle]

http://www.theinside.net/misc/LPbreak.JPG

 

I bought this LP special for around $350 on ebay with "repaired headstock," although there was no picture of the repair. The guy shipped it UPS ground in a gig bag loose in a large cardboard box with about 3 packing peanuts. Naturally, the headstock was broken again. I bought a clamp and some glue and it's been good for 7-8 years or so. Obviously, my repair might be considered a bad one!

 

The LP Specials are great guitars. If it's a good price and you like the guitar, I'd go for it. However, it might not be the guitar you pass down to your children. My other Les Paul has a less dramatic crack, and I've had it for over 10 years with no problems.

[marvar]

I remember reading about the guitarist in the 80's band LOVERBOY, one of his main guitars broke at the headstock, was repaired, and sounded better than before- he therefore broke the headstocks on all his other guitars, hoping for the same change in sound.

Seems like I also remember reading something about one of John Fogarty's guitars, broken headstock, repaired, sounded better than before.

[A String]

I'm with Bill@home here. You just don't know what you're getting. I had an acoustic where the head stock came off. The guy who repaired it for me used dowels to fix it. Still didn't make a difference. The head snapped off the first time I restrung it.

 

I'm not saying this would be your fate, but why pay money and take a chance?

[Big Red 67]

You have to be very carefull doing this repair! If you get it glued without voids then it can break some place else but not at the repair. Glue is stronger then wood.

[Dr. Ellwood]

Well many years before we where smart enough to use guitar stands or put our guitars back in their cases on a set break, we used to lean them on the amps! on slippery no carpet floors! anyway my buddy Bill's SG Custom slipped and hit the headstock and snapped it off clean SPRONG!! a horriable sound! he took it to a repairman and I swear you needed a mag glass to see the break.. he played that guitar for the next 25 years and it was a perfect playing instrument. That's the only example I know of personally. I know the repairman pinned it somehow internally.

[Ol Boy Rivers]

PERSONAL PREFERENCE HERE I had an old purple Lespaul that i didnt put strap locks on. Snap goes the headstock when i get to bouncin'. Took it to a guy and he said he fixed it. Guitar never stayed in tune, Allways had a dead tone and all. Played a Fixed taylor up at the music store. Guy had just put new strings on the sucker and it had to be....Litterally the worst sounding acoustic i had ever played. Flat, Muddy, Uuuuucky. I say NEVER BUY A REPAIRED INSTRUMENT that has had Broken wood. Bad luck, Bad Karma, Bad idea. Thats just me, though.

[Sleaze_Disease]

I've got a Jackson Randy Rhodes that has had the headstock broken in half, the typical pointed headstock injury. Whoever repaired it, I feel, did a really nice job on it, and it still sounds good. I guess it just depends on how it's fixed.

[Braxat]

i didnt even know guitars could be repaired from the headstock until now. cheers!

[Bbach1]

I was dumb enough once in the past to not use strap locks. Had the strap come off and the headstock crash to the floor. Got a really bad crack in my Les Paul headstock and lower neck area. It was twisted, craked badly and looked unrepairable to me. I took it to a luthier in Minneapolis and he did a fantastic job. Cost me close to $250 with shipping to get it back to me, but the thing looked like it had never been broken and played as well as before. After a year or so, I sold it on eBay with a full description of the break. The person who bought it emailed me and told me he would never have known it had been damaged if I didn't tell him. On careful inspection, you could see a slight difference between the new paint and old paint on the back of the neck.

I guess it kind of depends on the break as to the quality of repair that can be made.