Crack in Gibson SG Neck/Headstock, how serious?

[amarti0906]

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n152/andrewbm/sg.jpg


This is a 1971 Gibson SG Special. I'm trying to find out if this is a serious crack and if it will spread. And if it does, what are the consequences and how much is it to fix?

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks!
Andrew

[Caretaker]

If it is glued properly(about $100) it will never be an issue. It will affect resale but not playability.

[Frenster]

I'd say leave it alone unless it's affecting the tuning or moving when you wiggle the headstock. If it starts to separate, take it to a qualified repairman. If it's a clean enough break, it's a good bet you'll have a hard time seeing the fix. You can check my site for prices...they're not out of line with what's out there.

[uOpt]

You cannot repair it before it spreads anyway, or if you send it for repair now the tech will have to break it open.

So there's nothing to act on right now.

[levelfrets]

Thats an easy fix for a professional. Some this viscosity Cyanoacrylate will do the trick. It has exceptional capillary attraction for tight cracks like this. You should have it fixed now before it becomes a more serious break.

[Frenster]

Thats an easy fix for a professional. Some this viscosity Cyanoacrylate will do the trick. It has exceptional capillary attraction for tight cracks like this. You should have it fixed now before it becomes a more serious break.


I'm gonna have to disagree with you on that. CA won't have the bond that Titebond or white glue would have...it's too brittle, plus, if it breaks again, it will be much harder to fix...and it stains the wood, so it would be more visible.

[levelfrets]

I'm gonna have to disagree with you on that. CA won't have the bond that Titebond or white glue would have...it's too brittle, plus, if it breaks again, it will be much harder to fix...and it stains the wood, so it would be more visible.

I hate to disagree with you my friend. I can't say that using wood glue for headstock breaks is a good idea. It creeps badly and will break loose with heat. I've had to redo lots of headstock breaks that were done with Titebond or PVA wood glue. It never holds for long (Mostly because customers don't listen and leave in a hot car) I do agree that super glue stains especially on lighter woods such as maple or spruce, but on a hairline crack like this that is mahogany, it will work nicely if used properly. Mahogany is dark enough that the stain won't stand out and the break appears to be clean with the grain. It most likely won't break again and it will prevent further breakage. If its totally broken you should use fresh hot hide glue. I use different glues depending on the severity of the break and this just looks like a hairline crack.

[Frenster]

Ok, I'll agree with you on the hot hide glue, which I usually use for breaks like that, but I've got to say I've run into more problems using CA than not. I find it doesn't hold that well in stress areas and it's harder to re-repair because any other glue won't hold well to CA impregnated wood. YMMV.

Now if it was just a finish crack on some sort of poly finish I'd use CA. On that Gibson I'd use nice thinned out lacquer to get into the crack and make it just about disappear.

[levelfrets]

You are right in saying that super glue isn't as good for high stress areas. This being a partial crack that doesn't appear to be flexible or open, the super glue would simply seal the crack and prevent further breakage. If this crack went all the way across, I would agree that super glue would be a wrong choice and wouldn't take the stress over time. At that point I would then moisten the crack and carefully flow hot hide glue into the area with a heat gun. Its all situational and in reality a decision should only be made with the guitar in hand. You definitely don't want to tell your tech what to do based off of what you have read here, rather than just listen to what they have to say and compare to what we said. I think most of us here know what we are talking about and have good advice but it should always be left up to the person looking at it in person to make the best decision. I hope this helps.