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Gibson necks.


LarryUK

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After seeing a post on Facebook about a broken neck which had what I'd say had an excellent repair (Before and after pics).

The conversation has moved onto the neck itself and why Gibson hasn't changed the design. I know they've just released a new style, but it isn't on all of them. Why did they stop the volute? I liked it, so why not bring it back?

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I knew two Gibsons in person that had their pegheads snapped off before I bought my first one used, and they have been effective reminders for me to take care until today. They both were Norlin era S-G Standards with three-piece mahogany necks and volutes like the one I bought used soon after and own since then. Both of them were through bad stage accidents kicked out of their stands and hit the floor with their top sides. Their headstocks didn't hit anything but broke due to inertial force from the fall. The volutes were of no help. [crying]

 

Just saying... :unsure:

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I find Gibson tends to introduce things and take things aware very slowly so that they can keep continuing the revisions each year and say its the best one yet. I'm sure it will be back at some point, but who knows when.

 

Out of interest, who's the luthier? I've not seen a break repair this good before

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I find Gibson tends to introduce things and take things aware very slowly so that they can keep continuing the revisions each year and say its the best one yet. I'm sure it will be back at some point, but who knows when.

 

Out of interest, who's the luthier? I've not seen a break repair this good before

 

I'd be interested in the luthier's name too. Looks brand new!

 

Oh yeah: I believe I've a decent grip on English for a Swede (Capmaster, a native German (right?) gets the trophy, though)... But what the hell's a volute?! :)

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I'd be interested in the luthier's name too. Looks brand new!

 

Oh yeah: I believe I've a decent grip on English for a Swede (Capmaster, a native German (right?) gets the trophy, though)... But what the hell's a volute?! :)

It's that lip-shaped thing that sticks out from between the back of the headstock and the beginning of the neck.☺

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MLPXCPSL11092_NECK_SIDE2.jpg

 

I think this might support it more than the Norlin era volute. Headstocks are going to break if you drop them, knock them over or smack them around, no matter what the guitar is. Headstock break, fretboard separation, cracks around the neck/body join, bolted on necks being broken or bolts stripped.

 

So, here's the real question. Where would the break on THIS guitar happen?

 

fba93c89292dc9b0e3a0f28c1742eab9.jpg

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Here's a News Flash:

 

Any neck that has that back angle over the nut will break if dropped...

 

Gibson, Ibanez, Heritage, Guild, add ANY maker here with the same neck design -- ANY and all of them...

 

The volute will only help in some cases, it is not a 100% solution.

 

Not dropping the guitar is the solution. (I know, I know.. accidents do happen) #Straplocks.

 

Agree, that repair was just perfection... I've seen a few just as good, with much more severe breaks. A really good luthier is heaven sent.

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20914577_1498166996893096_6622474800099126845_n.jpg?oh=9615a92cd9e6125eccc490f0e3424f09&oe=5A2DABCA

20914615_1498167006893095_557929797975753189_n.jpg?oh=fcfe6506a9714f58bb499f8f8523cf45&oe=5A1B4F4E

After seeing a post on Facebook about a broken neck which had what I'd say had an excellent repair (Before and after pics).

The conversation has moved onto the neck itself and why Gibson hasn't changed the design. I know they've just released a new style, but it isn't on all of them. Why did they stop the volute? I liked it, so why not bring it back?

 

Gibson still puts volutes on certain models, my 2013 EB bass has a volute. Other companies still use them, my Revstar has one. I think Gibson quit using them on LP simply because of the fanatics who want a LP to be exactly like they originally were. I asked the same question on a different LP forum and a lot of people claimed Gibson got rid of them on LP because they were a reminder of the Norlin era and Gibson wanted to make people forget that era, or at least not remind them of it.

 

I recently read a book about the LP, I think it was called The Million Dollar LP, but in the book there's a section about how in the 70s everyone wanted a 58-60 Burst or an exact copy of it and people in the book were complaining about stuff like the cut of the maple cap, the shape of the cutaway, even the plastic used for the pickup surrounds, given that kind of scrutiny from purists I can imagine Gibson got a lot of guff about the volute too.

 

I've heard volutes don't help, but again, they're still used on plenty of guitars, including Gibsons, I assume guitar companies have a reason for using them. I've also heard a few people complain about the way they feel but who plays that high on the neck? I have three guitars with volutes and if I didn't look at the back of the necks I wouldn't know they were even there, they certainly don't hinder my playing any.

 

So I'm more inclined to believe Gibson quit putting them on LP just because the original LP didn't have them.

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I knew two Gibsons in person that had their pegheads snapped off before I bought my first one used, and they have been effective reminders for me to take care until today. They both were Norlin era S-G Standards with three-piece mahogany necks and volutes like the one I bought used soon after and own since then. Both of them were through bad stage accidents kicked out of their stands and hit the floor with their top sides. Their headstocks didn't hit anything but broke due to inertial force from the fall. The volutes were of no help. [crying]

 

Just saying... :unsure:

 

Yeah but that's just anecdotal. I have a Classic that I've dropped many times over the years and it's headstock has never broke. I could take my personal experience to mean Classics must have stronger necks but the truth is I've just been really really lucky. And my Classic has the thinnest LP neck I've ever seen. It has several big dents and scrapes from when it fell....but no neck breaks.

 

Like I said in my other post I assume guitar companies use volutes for a reason, Gibson still uses them or at least did fairly recently, just not on the LP. I've never heard anyone say volutes make necks break proof but if they help even a little I don't see why Gibson wouldn't use them other than customers want "authentic" LP specs and a general anti-Norlin era bias.

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The original volute on a Martin was actually the result of the actual joinery. They still put the volute on the upper standards, but not the joint. So the volute today is just a carved representation of the original joint. Well, not today, but long long time now.

 

The Gibson volute was always just carved, it was never a form of joinery. They had changed the neck woods late 60's and the headstock joint and somebody probably decided a volute would be cool and we can tell people it is stronger this way.

 

rct

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The original volute on a Martin was actually the result of the actual joinery. They still put the volute on the upper standards, but not the joint. So the volute today is just a carved representation of the original joint. Well, not today, but long long time now.

 

The Gibson volute was always just carved, it was never a form of joinery. They had changed the neck woods late 60's and the headstock joint and somebody probably decided a volute would be cool and we can tell people it is stronger this way.

 

rct

 

So why does Gibson still use it on other models?

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That is either the most perfect fix ever or a different guitar. You can not even see a crack line.

 

But notice you don't see the wood grain either. Solid colors are easier to hide the crack, so it looks like he made the finish more opaque there. Nice repair job, IMO.

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...

Oh yeah: I believe I've a decent grip on English for a Swede (Capmaster, a native German (right?) gets the trophy, though)...

Although I'm a native German indeed, I feel it's too much of a compliment for me [blush] I freely admit that I regularly use the definitions supplied by the Oxford Online Dictionary. I also tend to read some web articles in English just to get me some more guitar-related terminology. There's so much to learn beyond household meanings of common words.

 

I also think your grip on English is fine! [thumbup]

 

 

 

volute_hv12xq.jpg

 

Is that a repair below the volute?

I'd say 99% yes.

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The volute looks more robust to me, but I admit it may just be a visual 'reassurance' and little more. [unsure]

 

What about multi piece construction? So long as all the pieces are good wood, its going to be stronger because the of the opposing grain directions . Apparently Hamer use a single piece but cut it into three and reverse the centre section.

 

Yes I know its not traditional, and I know it harks back to Norlin, but as a solution/improvement it seems sensible.

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The volute looks more robust to me, but I admit it may just be a visual 'reassurance' and little more. [unsure]

 

What about multi piece construction? So long as all the pieces are good wood, its going to be stronger because the of the opposing grain directions . Apparently Hamer use a single piece but cut it into three and reverse the centre section.

 

Yes I know its not traditional, and I know it harks back to Norlin, but as a solution/improvement it seems sensible.

 

I think that's why Gibson quit using them on LP but it's not like Gibson is the only company that uses them. Like I said my Yamaha Revstar has one and that guitar entered production in, I think, 2015. I've heard a lot of people say they don't help but that point of the neck is a weak point and adding a volute would have to strengthen it some I would think.

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OldCowboy: oh. Right. Thanks.

 

Cap: be that as it may, but you can't get a grip on grammar from a dictionary. You're good.

 

God, wish I hadn't slept through six years of German class. I did however drink a lot of German beer in this pub we found that would serve us, just around the corner...

 

I'm not sure who said it - Oscar Wilde? - but youth truly is wasted on the young.

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