Broken gibson acoustic headstock ... repair advice - UPDATE

4114Effects · July 2015

So a friend of mine has just dropped his Gibson Acoustic - resulting in this:

He's asking if I can fix it. Looks like an easy enough fix to me, nice clean break - straightforward glue and clamp?

Cheers!

ICBM · July 2015

Not a clean break really - it may not be that easy to work glue thoroughly into it, and there's some crushing and splintering - but repairable.

It may need splinting as well as just gluing to make a really strong repair - that's a job for a luthier unless you're experienced at this sort of thing.

And why has he not taken the tension off the strings already?!

4114Effects · July 2015

Thanks for the advice. He's taking it to the Gibson authorised repair centre in Manchester instead. Probably for the best. :-)

IvisonGuitars · July 2015

4114Effects said:

Thanks for the advice. He's taking it to the Gibson authorised repair centre in Manchester instead. Probably for the best. :-)

.....Where they will just Titebond it and clamp it and no doubt charge for the privilege ;-)

4114Effects · July 2015

Probably. I have explained that to him but it's what he's comfortable with I guess :-)

ICBM · July 2015

Depends who does it. They will probably contract it out to a good local luthier. It's probably an advantage if he ever wants to sell it to be able to say it's been done by the authorised Gibson repairer.

4114Effects · August 2015

Here's an update for anyone who's interested. He's managed to claim through the insurance, who are paying for it to be repaired at a Gibosn service centre, for just over £600! Anyone else think that's a tad on the high side for a headstock repair?

ICBM · August 2015

Yes. Sounds like the typical car accident damage insurance scam which is why we all pay so much for insurance and why so many older cars are unnecessarily written off after minor bumps.

"Insurance job? Double the price."

Unless they're going to replace the whole neck - but even that sounds a bit high if they could get a replacement from Gibson, rather than making one by hand.