Broken Headstock Join... Argh!!

delb0y · March 2020

The most innocuous of tumbles onto a very soft carpet this morning and this is the result. Strings have been removed and I've not even attempted to look any deeper. It's back in it's hard-case waiting for virus lock-downs to pass and then I can get it to a luthier for a professional opinion, and hopefully, a fix. It's a Manouche Modele Jazz. Highly annoyed with myself - although I still don't know what happened, other than I heard it fall, turned around and this was the result.

Derek

UK

guitarmike · March 2020

It looks like there are no pieces missing.

If your intention is to go see a luthier, then you have nothing lose trying to fix it yourself before that time comes.

Open the crack without doing more damages, Glue, Clamps, Tune, Play.

billyshakes · March 2020

Yikes! Sorry for your loss, especially during the Coronantine...hope you have a backup.

There are several posts on the forum about repairs like this, including one with some serious graphite splices. This one looks like you'd have a lot of surface area for the glue. I don't know where in the UK you are but I believe Killy Nonis has been mentioned before. He's out in Canterbury...met him about 15 years ago at Samois. Super nice guy.

Bones · March 2020

Make SURE you have saved all the pieces. Looks very fixable but....don't try to fix it yourself unless you are a skilled luthier or you don't care about the guitar. If you mess it up the luthier will just have a harder time fixing it (read: more $$$).

delb0y · March 2020

Cheers guys. I've been in touch with a luthier who was of the opinion that it should be straightforward to repair. So it's back in the hard-case until the UK lock-down is over - could be six months. :-(

This is highly annoying because after many years of owning the guitar I've really only just started playing it in anger - working hard on my GJ these last few weeks.

My back-up is a big old dreadnaught - more appropriate for bluegrass. I've just recorded a rhythm track on it and it's very hard to get any snap on the big dread. But hey ho - at least I have a back-up guitar.

Derek

mac63000 · March 2020

https://www.djangobooks.com/forum/discussion/comment/100562#Comment_100562

Dreadnought backup + broken headstock sounds like a perfectly acceptable reason to buy a new gypsy backup ? I don't think anyone here would judge that decision

billyshakes · March 2020

And if you need any further impetus, just tell your spouse (if you have one) that after this is all over, you will have an extra guitar to lend to a mate so you can start your own GJ combo!

AndyW · March 2020

hey @delb0y , remember, you've got that nice little pink guitar, too ;-)

-Andy-

delb0y · March 2020

Indeed I do, @AndyW Currently got the bridge raised up nice and high on that one in order to play slide - so it's probably got a similar action to the broken one.