What could have caused this damage?

relic245

I've taken the scratch plate off my tele for the first time today and as you can see there are splits in the wood. The piece is completely broken off and falls out. The other one just seems to be a deep crack. 

I bought the guitar second hand about 5 years ago. The pickups have been swapped out and a couple of other mods - callahan bridge, upgraded wiring. Everything seems to have been done very well, the wiring is exemplary. Everything points to the guitar being very well looked after, hardly a mark on it. 

The guitar had a setup last year from a well respected luthier so I'd be surprised if that was behind it. However if he'd seen it I would have expected him to mention it. 

So I'm very confused how this could have happened.  Any ideas? And should I glue the broken piece back in, or just forget about it and enjoy the guitar as I've always done? 

King85

Guitar being dropped head stock first literally upside down maybe, that would shove the neck into the pocket and potentially damage it in that way.

If it's been shipped and an impact has occurred in this way it could easily have gone unnoitced i guess.

TeleMaster

I've no idea as such how that could happen but the cut on the left is very straight. I'd get that set solid if I were you. 

stickyfiddle

I'd be surprised if you could do that damage while the neck was bolted tight, as the heel would have to move as well. 

I'm slightly at a loss. Maybe the effect of a too-tight fit of the neck into the pocket?

MikeS

Looks like It's taken a knock whilst probably in transit, head first. If you unscrewed the neck you might see slightly enlarged screw holes, and you might not. The shock and stress from the dunt has been enough to break the pickup cavity. You would never have known that was there unless you took the pickguard off.

Of course, more than likely with it being a partscaster, Is some eejit has forced a neck thats too big onto the body and cracked it.

ICBM

That's very definitely an end-on impact and not shrinkage or an overly tight fit.

meltedbuzzbox

Whilst its annoying I honestly wouldn't worry about it. 
I really dont think it would make any difference sound wise. 

relic245

MikeS said:

Of course, more than likely with it being a partscaster, Is some eejit has forced a neck thats too big onto the body and cracked it.

I wouldn't really call it a partscaster. It's a fender tele that has had new pickups, loom and Bridge fitted. 

relic245

meltedbuzzbox said:

Whilst its annoying I honestly wouldn't worry about it. 
I really dont think it would make any difference sound wise. 

It doesn't make any difference, it's still my favourite guitar.. 

Philly_Q

MikeS said:

Looks like It's taken a knock whilst probably in transit, head first. If you unscrewed the neck you might see slightly enlarged screw holes, and you might not. The shock and stress from the dunt has been enough to break the pickup cavity. You would never have known that was there unless you took the pickguard off.

Yeah, I'd be interested to see if there are any signs of movement within the neck pocket, if you took the neck off.

ICBM

Having looked at it again, to me it looks like it's actually been pushed very hard on the treble side of the headstock - maybe partly end on, but possibly just side-on. The neck has then pivoted on the treble side corner - where the wood is cracked but not displaced - and pushed the bass side corner inwards, driving the piece into the pickup cavity.

This is actually a fairly common thing on Teles, they seem more prone to breaking there than Strats, probably because the truss rod access channel is routed right through, but also possibly because the squarer neck end does put more pressure on the corners - the rounded Strat one will distribute the force more evenly even if it rotates a bit.

The neck pocket is rarely a tight enough fit to stop movement completely on Fenders, even ones not made in the 1970s. 

andy_k

A common mod on teles and strats is to loosen neck screws slightly, while strings are under tension. This pulld the neck as deep into the pocket as screws / holes will physically allow. The intonation would then need setting. Your tech may have done this during set up?.
This could then mean that even putting the guitar down, in an upright position could provide enough of a shock to the guitar, under string tension to snap / crack a particularly dry, or straight grained piece of wood.
Never seen it happen, just saying it could theoretically.
How is your intonation? have you maybe put it down in a hurry?
There must have been direct contact inside the pocket, so the bits will probably not glue back into place with the neck on, and this could easily have happened just a consequence of time, and a change in conditions.
I would ask the guy that did the work for his opinions, non judgmentally, just to see what he says.
I would think it would have been noticeable when it happened, sonically, but these things happen and it can be fixed easily.

relic245

andy_k

How is your intonation? have you maybe put it down in a hurry?

The more that I think about it I may have given it a whack on the headstock a while ago. I'm half remembering that I did, was very worried then releaved when all seemed well, then put the whole thing out of my mind.

Really not sure but it's possible.

Thankfully the intonation is stil good and it still plays and sounds lovely.

I think once lockdown is over I'll take it back to the tech to have it fixed and set up again.