Anyone have any experience repairing a broken neck?
I was given a nice Cort Earthwood acoustic, but it's missing it's headstock. Well, I should say, the headstock isn't missing, but it's not attached. I would like to save this guitar, but if I can't it's no big deal.
I'm looking for advice. I've done a lot of guitar repair, but never a broken neck or headstock, and figured that this would be good practice if nothing else.
The break is about an inch and a half above the nut. It's probably at about a 30 degree angle. I am missing a lot of wood from the break. In other words, the two pieces do not fit together well.
I have already steamed the fingerboard off.
I thought that I might either
A: lop off part of the neck with a 45 degree angle, construct a new Half neck and headstock, and reattach. or
B: Build a new neck - dovetail and all I would reuse the truss, and fingerboard.
All in all, I am open to anything OTHER than taking it in for repairs. Like I said, it was given to me for free, and I don't think that I want to spend that much money on a free guitar. I've already got the tools and I can justify the $50-60 for wood, But I can't justify several hundred dollars for a neck repair on a guitar that I didn't break.
if there are not too many voids when the two broken halves are put together you may be fine.
I had an oud that had the neck break; where the body and neck meet.
the luthier(maker) glued it back together and added colored filler and polished it back. maybe added some clear spray.
I wouldn't think that would hold up under string tension. it does.
maybe you should just reglue before you get out the dove tail jig.
bummer all round, tho.
What I would do, would be to cut/sand down the broken pieces to where the wood is decently solid (very little to no voids from the missing pieces) Glue and clamp them together. Then reshape the joint and head stock to something half decent looking. Of course this probably won't work if you're trying to retain the look of the headstock/neck. :?
Also it's better to have the pieces cut off/sanded at an angle as it allows for a stronger joint.
Of course this probably won't work if you're trying to retain the look of the headstock/neck. :?
Don't really care what it looks like when it's done. Just want to see if I can do it more than anything else.
It was given to me free and pre-broken, I thought it might be a fun project.
Here's a few that I found.
This is probably the strongest way to re-use the existing headstock:
http://www.guitarspecialist.com/headstocks.htm
If you wanted to make a new headstock:
http://europa.spaceports.com/~fishbake/broken/broke.htm
Here's another head replacement
http://www.cooginstruments.com/PDF-files/Amezcua%20Guitar%20Repair%20Log.pdf
I wrapped a newspaper ’round my head
So I looked like I was deep
Kent_eh
Thanks for the links. They will come in very handy
Dave
