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Les Paul Custom crack


JVC

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Hello, i bought a nice custom, the only thing there are "cracks" near the headstock. It looks like just a finish crack. What do you guys think?

 

I do not like the looks of that... How did you get this guitar - used in an ad, store... Not that you have to disclose amount, but did you pay "Gibson Les Paul Custom" type money for this thing? If you did, I'd be a little upset... If not, then assess what you think of this guitar being that it looks like it needs a professional repair job.

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Just another non-expert opinion here. I think that's a broken headstock/neck until proven otherwise. What are the odds of bilateral symmetric cracks in the finish right where headstocks tend to break? Are there other such cracks elsewhere in the finish? I hope I'm wrong. Good luck.

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Just another non-expert opinion here. I think that's a broken headstock/neck until proven otherwise. What are the odds of bilateral symmetric cracks in the finish right where headstocks tend to break? Are there other such cracks elsewhere in the finish? I hope I'm wrong. Good luck.

 

I agree. When I have seen headstocks in person that have "cracks" like like this (even one of my Nighthawks had this crack same location as the shared images show), that means just what it looks like... Unfortunately, it's not good... When I look at used Gibsons and such, this is something else I have to inspect.

 

I looked at a wine red 90's Studio LP w/ OHSC one time for $600, and it had this "little" crack on it near the headstock.. I knew what was up and how thin the wood is around this region of the neck-headstock. Seriously, the thickness of the wood around the angled section is not much at all. Just Google an image of the cross section of the neck-headstock region and you'll see how delicate your LP is. It does not take very much force to cause the wood to break there, so get your strap locks and don't leave in a spot where it can easily fall to the ground - like on a guitar stand that can be bumped. Regardless, repairing professionally takes time, effort, and money. I avoid Les Pauls with anything that looks like a crack around the headstock like the plague. You just have to really do your homework buying used stuff, because people usually try to pawn you off with something. It's your job to figure out what that is taking into account price and then make a decision. My experience is if the deal is too good to be true, leave it be. People do stupid things to their guitars, and sometimes it is unprecedented, haha! There are A LOT of LPs out there, so no need to be impulsive about making a purchase.

 

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I think you need to get a second opinion, just to be sure.

Thanks John

 

Yeah, I agree with this 100%... I am saying that those FZ Fan, Black Dog, you (powerwagonjohn :-)), and myself think that is a crack straight across the headstock like they always have been known to happen. I have seen these kinds of breaks "in the flesh" and your shared images give me a sense of nostalgia dealing with broken Gibson Les Paul headstocks. I mean, I truly hope that you have only a finish issue, but I just doubt it especially since it is on both sides like Black Dog attested to.

 

EDIT:Look at the image of a Gibson Les Paul headstock cross section... Handle with care boys and girls...

http://www.mylespaul.com/threads/would-you-buy-a-guitar-with-a-cracked-neck.199840/

 

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I would be cautious. i'm not sure but with a potential crack/break of that type (an incomplete break), it may be difficult to diagnose. Have you taken off the truss rod cover and done a careful inspection of the cavity? The only way you may know for sure is to saw off the headstock at the crack and inspect it. Of course, that would be the most ridiculous, extreme and invasive way to diagnose it. But, like I said, are there any other similar cracks elsewhere? If not, why just there??

 

I'd get a second opinion and I'd ask them how they have reached the conclusion they offer.

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Yeah - Looks like a busted headstock to me. No way those are just finish cracks. It's cracked all the way through from one side to the other and the face of the headstock delaminated in the same incident with the origin of those cracks at the same location. The cracks follow the standard pattern of a Gibson headstock break. And there's no other phenomenon that could cause the cracks to be in that location with that geometry. That guitar is worth about half of what it would be without the break. Bummer.

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As was said, its symmetrical each side and that strongly suggests stress crack.

 

I agree with re-checking with strings removed.

 

 

On the plus side, if it is performing properly and the fissure does not enlarge/compress under tension then it need not be a major fix.

I had a small neck crack (a dear but inexpensive guitar) which my luthier fixed by squeezing glue into it through the truss rod cavity. Perfect fix.

 

Good luck.

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