Gibson LP Headstock Repair

[telecaster911]

Well, I might as well get this under way.

Here are a couple of pictures just before the repair. On one hand, it probably would have been better if it were all the way off. It was just a little more difficult pumping the glue in.

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o18/telecaster911/100_0647.jpg

Here's one showing the two pieces of the puzzle that had to be inserted.

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o18/telecaster911/100_0648.jpg

The glue syringe with Titebond

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o18/telecaster911/100_0646.jpg

Pumping the cracks full of glue. When the glue oozed out, I covered the section of the crack with my finger until eventually the glue oozed out from the very end of the crack. I could get the syringe all the way to the bottom of the cracks either from the direction you see or through truss rod counterbore area.

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o18/telecaster911/100_0649.jpg

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o18/telecaster911/100_0650.jpg

Then I carefully inserted the pieces covered with their own glue and slowly pulled the headstock back into position.

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o18/telecaster911/100_0651.jpg

Once I was satisfied that the pieces were were they should be, I clamped the joint using stiff elastomer blocks that followed the contour of the neck and hopefully providing clamping power along that profile. At least that is my plan. It looks to be doing what I thought.

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o18/telecaster911/100_0652.jpg

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o18/telecaster911/100_0658-1.jpg

See how nicely the glue oozed out along the entire crack.

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o18/telecaster911/100_0654.jpg

I wasn't satisfied however with the angle of the headstock. Clamping didn't really pull it fully back (it was close, but it wasn't quite there), so I devised this truss on the fly to hold it fully into position.

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o18/telecaster911/100_0656-1.jpg

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o18/telecaster911/100_0655.jpg

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o18/telecaster911/100_0657-1.jpg

That's it for now. We'll see what we have on Saturday or Sunday sometime. Then we'll do the finish work to hopefully have a relatively unnoticeable repair.

Check back after the weekend:aok:

[Mark Wein]

Very cool. I can't wait to see how it comes out. I like your "truss"....

[telecaster911]

Here are a few progress pictures.

Right after I unclamped...

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o18/telecaster911/100_0664-1.jpg

After some scraping and sanding. It is really coming out way better than I thought. The odd strip of wood is from the previous POS repair that someone did. The pieces on either side of the anti skunk stripe were the loose puzzle pieces (see earlier pics). I think he's going to be very happy with the repair. Picking some finish tomorrow, I still have to get the rest of the black off from the earlier repair. I want to try to match the neck finish instead of black coverup. We'll see though, he needs it in 2 weeks.

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o18/telecaster911/100_0665-1.jpg

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o18/telecaster911/100_0666-1.jpg

[Phil513]

wow, that came out really great! Nice job. You got skillz. :aok:

[Prages]

If you can match that anti-skunk stripe, you'll hardly be able to tell it's been fixed, even with a translucent finish. Great job!

[Mark Wein]

That looks great!

[Ronk]

Sweet.. that came out really good. Nice Job

[Chihlidog]

Wow.....that really does look good. Now I know who to take my guitar to if I ever need a repair :o

[telecaster911]

Here it is after the first staining. I laid some up just on the stripe, but it doesn't seem to want to take it. Tomorrow, I'll add more to darken it a bit and try to get the stripe to take more.

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o18/telecaster911/100_0667-1.jpg

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o18/telecaster911/100_0668-1.jpg

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o18/telecaster911/100_0670-1.jpg

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o18/telecaster911/100_0669-1.jpg

[telecaster911]

And what amazes me the most is all the pieces of wood in this guitar. It's a Custom and there isn't a one piece anything in it. :facepalm:

[Help!I'maRock!]

And what amazes me the most is all the pieces of wood in this guitar. It's a Custom and there isn't a one piece anything in it. :facepalm:

why is that a problem?

[telecaster911]

why is that a problem?

It's not a problem, but I would have thought that the back would have at least been one piece.

[telecaster911]

Well, here are the finished pictures of the repair.

Finished, before putting the machine heads on.

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o18/telecaster911/100_0672.jpg

Heads on...

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o18/telecaster911/100_0674-1.jpg

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o18/telecaster911/100_0675-1.jpg

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o18/telecaster911/100_0673.jpg

Some closeups of the repair. The splint repair was prior to this repair, the second break went out somewhat around the splint.

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o18/telecaster911/100_0679.jpg

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o18/telecaster911/100_0680.jpg

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o18/telecaster911/100_0678-1.jpg

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o18/telecaster911/100_0676.jpg

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o18/telecaster911/100_0677.jpg

The finished guitar...looks like it should be hanging on Baimun's wall.

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o18/telecaster911/100_0681.jpg

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o18/telecaster911/100_0682.jpg

[telecaster911]

From this...

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o18/telecaster911/100_0647.jpg

To this....

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o18/telecaster911/100_0680.jpg

[Mark Wein]

Wow. You're better than some of the folks that do this for a living around here :thu:

[Phil513]

Very well done dude, nice work, im impressed to say the least. :aok:

I dont like the stripped finish on it too much, but i guess thats his deal. You did a fine job on the neck.

[Ronk]

Nice job man.

[Chihlidog]

Wow, seriously impressive. Can barely tell it was repaired. How many times have yo fixed broken necks? I'd guess you were a pro from seeing this thread but the way you talk you havent done a million of them.

[Prages]

That really turned out great. If not for the splint, it'd be really hard to see the repair. Very nice.

[telecaster911]

Wow, seriously impressive. Can barely tell it was repaired. How many times have yo fixed broken necks? I'd guess you were a pro from seeing this thread but the way you talk you havent done a million of them.

I've never repaired one in my life... first one.:cheese: I've always been really good with being able to fix anything though.

[Ronk]

Did it setup well afterwords? Sound good?

[telecaster911]

Did it setup well afterwords? Sound good?

Yea, it was great, no setup issues. Nice action, no buzzes. It sounds good, it has a dirty fingers in the bridge and a pearly gates in the neck. I did that work for him too.