Headstock Neck breaks

[Dell18]

I've been noticing over the last year or so that there's a ton of repaired neck/headstock breaks for sale. I ALMOST did my H150 in giving my daughter a goodnight hug this week. Whew. Personally as a collector of a few things I stay away from stuff like that but as a guitar player that gigs I know stuff happens and buying a quality repaired guitar may save a ton of $ and you still get a perfectly fine guitar that plays great. Just thought I'd get your opinions on why there's so many breaks floating around and how much you think should be deducted from a similar non break price. I pretty much look at it like that's a killer Ferrari, but it was totaled once. Big price drop. Am I wrong?

[Singerman]

I've always steered clear of guitars with this particular injury, but ultimately it depends on how badly it was broken and how well it was repaired. It's a risk with a set neck guitar, on a tele or strat not such a big deal because the neck could be easily replaced.

 

Last year when I was searching for a Heritage I had the chance to buy a 1980s Gibson 335 with a re-attached headstock for $800, the seller said it had been stable for 16 years. It was probably a great deal, but I had my heart set on a Heritage and didn't want to divert funds to something that wasn't what I really wanted. But if my absolute max budget had been $800 and I was confident the repair was solid, then just maybe.

 

As for price, I would have to be able to get the guitar for about half of what it would otherwise cost before I would consider it.

[houndhome]

I have three guitars which have repaired headstock breaks,a 1963 SG Junior,a 1967 Epiphone Casino(both broken and

repaired before I bought them) and a 1964 Hofner Committee bass(bought with the headstock hanging off,which I had repaired).

All three I have now had for a number of years with no problems whatsoever,and all three were much cheaper to buy(about half)

than normal price.As players no problem and a cost effective way of buying a good guitar,but obviously if sold then you will lose,and

there is the chance that the repair might be troublesome if not done well.

[HANGAR18]

That is the only bad thing about that 17 degree neck pitch.

But if the right glue is used and it is clamped tight enough, it will be fine.

Yes, the resale value will take a hit even if it is stronger than it was before the break.

How much of a hit? I don't think it would cut the price in half. Maybe no more than 25% reduction in value? (I'm guessing.)

[DetroitBlues]

My first 140 was a '85 with a headstock repair. It was a good repair and I had no issues with it. Usually if the person who repaired it knows what they are doing, you'll never have an issue other than the resale value hit. Some people will discount the repaired guitar by nearly 1/2 its resale value. Others mark it down maybe 25%.

[brentrocks]

I have owned a ton of guitars with headstock repairs. Never had any trouble.

[yoslate]

I've worked in a shop wherein headstock breaks were pretty (too) common. Seen a bunch done, and I've done a few myself. In theory, the repair is pretty simple. In practice, the technique and care (and this boils down to the tech doing the work!) taken in the prep make or break (sorry!) the repair. The nature of the original break, direction/angle, how the wood fibre tears, prepping the break's surfaces, applying glue without voids, and (sheesh!) figuring out how to clamp it all require a lot of care, and sometimes creativity. I've spent a lot of time doing dry runs, trying to figure out how best to clamp a break, so that it sets correctly. You wouldn't believe the physics involved. Nothing quite like jigging up a dry run (clamps and heavy rubber bands in a balanced tension, opposing one another) only to turn around, and hear a loud snap, bands, clamps, and headstock all ricocheting around the shop.... Sometimes the repair can be done very nicely. I've seen Tom do them, headstock snapped completely off, and you'd be hard pressed to tell it'd ever been broken. I've seen others, a little ugly, that were "mechanically" excellent. Did one like that on a '56 Gibson J 50. It was a re-break of a break that had originally been done by Dr. Frankenstein. A terrible repair! But the owner wanted us to try because the guitar had a "heavenly" sound. Spent hours cleaning the break, and trying to figure out how to jig (and eventually pin) the break. Hours! The owner is a friend of mine, and he checks in every now and then to let me know that it's stable, and how much he enjoys that guitar; does all his writing on it. Ultimately, caveat emptor....

[JAM]

There wouldn't be a hit on re-sale because you paid a discounted price to begin with.

 

In many cases, you'd even make money on a repaired instrument at selling time if you kept it long enough.

 

For argument's sake, let's say the market discount for head-repaired guitars is a fairly stable and universal 25%.

 

As non-damaged, non-repaired guitars of the same model appreciate in price, so too will the price of repaired ones, albeit 25% lower.

 

Cheers!

 

Jim

[Blunote]

Purely out of curiosity, how much would it cost to have an experienced luthier replace the neck with a new one. Or for that matter, is that something Heritage would do for a price?

[bolero]

around $500 I believe

 

I have 3 guitars with repaired headstock breaks: 1 acoustic & 2 electrics....they all play fine

 

I kind of like them actually, you don't have to worry so much

 

plus it's a good feeling to bring something back to life, that was once forsaken

[schundog]

 

around $500 I believe

I have 3 guitars with repaired headstock breaks: 1 acoustic & 2 electrics....they all play fine

I kind of like them actually, you don't have to worry so much

plus it's a good feeling to bring something back to life, that was once forsaken

Yeah, um, accidents CAN happen... I agree with what's been said here; while not optimal, the broken headstock 170 I bought from Brent 2 years ago is solid as a rock, and I got a good price on it because of the break. Here's a few that are upstairs at 225 Parsons Street; I don't know if the boys just don't have the heart to destroy them, or if they had plans to ever fix them, but I'll bet they still are right there next year... and the next.....

 

[JAM]

 

 

Yeah, um, accidents CAN happen...

 

 

!!!!!!!!

[sonar]

I too have owned repaired broken headstock guitars, including an older H-140 and a Les Paul Recording model.

 

The H-140 was beat and crudely repaired, but It really sang (wish I still had it). Usually a big savings can be had, in my experience.

[chico]

my HFT445 has the repaired headstock crack (done right at the factory where it broke in production). I love it, if there is an emotional attachment one can get to that "one" guitar, its that one for me.

 

hey, even my favorite (wood) baseball bats as a kid would break, we'd drive a nail into it, and away we went to the sandlot and keep using it..

[Redsand]

 

 

Yeah, um, accidents CAN happen... I agree with what's been said here; while not optimal, the broken headstock 170 I bought from Brent 2 years ago is solid as a rock, and I got a good price on it because of the break. Here's a few that are upstairs at 225 Parsons Street; I don't know if the boys just don't have the heart to destroy them, or if they had plans to ever fix them, but I'll bet they still are right there next year... and the next.....

 

 

This picture is both depressing and fascinating to me and leads me to ask the question......would Heritage sell any of these broken beauties?

 

The reason I ask is that I've got a visit to 225 Parsons St planned for the end of the month and would love to buy a guitar while I'm there, preferably a playable guitar but are on site purchases at Heritage even a possibility?

[ridethatbike]

The nice/ironic thing about a well-done broken headstock repair is that it is the strongest part of the guitar after that. Maybe factories should pre-break all the headstocks. lol

[DavesNotHere]

The nice/ironic thing about a well-done broken headstock repair is that it is the strongest part of the guitar after that. Maybe factories should pre-break all the headstocks. lol

A couple of us had that conversation with Marv at PSP and he agreed with the break being stronger if it’s repaired properly. I jokingly suggested that maybe he should break all the necks before he shipped them. He just laughed and said “I don’t think we would sell many guitars like that.”

[HANGAR18]

The nice/ironic thing about a well-done broken headstock repair is that it is the strongest part of the guitar after that. Maybe factories should pre-break all the headstocks. lol

Ed Roman said that in one of his ramblings years ago.

I'd just as soon not have mine pre-broken.

[bolero]

ps buying used is a risk as usually you don't know WHO did the repair or how it was done....which is important

[TalismanRich]

This picture is both depressing and fascinating to me and leads me to ask the question......would Heritage sell any of these broken beauties?

 

The reason I ask is that I've got a visit to 225 Parsons St planned for the end of the month and would love to buy a guitar while I'm there, preferably a playable guitar but are on site purchases at Heritage even a possibility?

Heritage won't sell you a guitar unless you go through a dealer. They WILL let you order a custom build from a dealer and pick it up at the factory. Several HOC members have done that. Last year at PSP, Eljay did that with his 357.