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Question about the guitar line Gibson Les Paul and Gibson SG


Fnfra

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The question arises, why do these guitars so often fly off the head of the neck? In no way do I blame Gibson for its technology. I just want to discuss and sort out this problem!

I will send you one of the images of the problem, which I took as an example from the search engine google - 

hs-01-1.jpg

 

 

 

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When a guitar falls it has the tension of the strings (well over 150 lbs of tension depending on strings, and on a 12 string its even more) connected to the body pulling one way, and the neck is at a 17 degree angle, and when it falls to the floor something usually has to give. Many times it creates the classic SMILE break we see in the first post. Obviously the weakest part is the wood where it snapped. Is it the design? Its been discussed there many many many and lets give it one more many, times.

Its not just LP's or SG's. Almost every Gibson has the 17 degree headstock angle. Not sure about Firebirds or Explorers or some of the weird ones they have done in the past. 

Edited by Sgt. Pepper
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Short grain at the headstock angle because there's no scarf joint, combined with material removal for truss rod access. 

The picture is not a Gibson guitar.  The problem was solved a long time ago, use a volute, or a scarf joint. Gibson (and others, it seems) chose not to. Handle with care. 

Edited by Farnsbarns
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This is why.. Take a look at a sectional view of the side of a neck and look how much wood is under the nut access area.. Its kinda scary....  This and the reasons mentioned above.. 17 degree neck angle and string tension. And yes its a design flaw, but Gibson are a company whos business is based on tradition. They do try and make modern improvements but the 50s guitars have such a reputation that even today, thats still what people want, flaws n all...

image.png.6c2cd7f33436a179ef0b9bb941a12d4f.png

Edited by Rabs
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42 minutes ago, Rabs said:

I thought that Apex design they came up with a while back was pretty cool.. 

5LzlTEN.jpg

Definitely looks nice. I think a more full volute would be stronger. 

That said, it's not like headstocks are just falling off. I don't think I know anyone who has broken a headstock. 

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When I was building.. Well I guess I still am.. Sorta.. 

Anyway, I would not take chances  🙂  In saying that some people didnt mind it, but id say most people had an issue with just having something that looks so different from what they are used too.. My idea was the thicker the better as long as it plays ok. Which obviously I thought it did..  I think on the next ones if I ever get to finishing them I will try the more traditional look one that people are used too..  Frikken weirdo conservative electric guitar players  😄 

8cGi5H3.jpg

OSijtyr.jpg

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11 hours ago, Rabs said:

Why is it some people come on here and ask questions like this and then never seem to come back?

Yeah, why would you join a Gibson form to ask about a thing that has been discussed to death for 70 years, get some fairly sensible answers and never respond? Maybe sensible answers wasn't the goal. Maybe this wasn't a genuine question. Maybe OP tried to troll the Gibson forum. 

Maybe. 

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1 hour ago, Murph said:

He's being probed as we speak...

Do you watch that nut and his show about aliens? My brother does. I look at it for a few mins, shake my head, and walk away. Why is it the same story over and over. Aliens land in a corn field in Nowhereville, Kansas and abduct a farmer, get a poo sample and return him home with vague memories of it happening. Moonshine is why.  The farmer was on a serious bender.

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38 minutes ago, Sgt. Pepper said:

Do you watch that nut and his show about aliens? My brother does. I look at it for a few mins, shake my head, and walk away. Why is it the same story over and over. Aliens land in a corn field in Nowhereville, Kansas and abduct a farmer, get a poo sample and return him home with vague memories of it happening. Moonshine is why.  The farmer was on a serious bender.

So, you think those Navy Tic Tac videos are fake...

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1 hour ago, Murph said:

So, you think those Navy Tic Tac videos are fake...

When I actually see an alien then I will believe. We do not have a UFO or aliens on ice at Area 51.

Why is it that aliens sort of kind of, in drawings that people do when they claim they were wisked to the alien ship to get a poo hole invasion look like us? Where they have 2 arms, and, 2 legs, and a head, and two eyes over kind of a nose, and then under their nose is their mouth just like us? Cause it’s all we know as humans. If they were from billions and billions of light years away don’t you think they would be completely different than every species on this planet? 

Wait have you been abducted? Do you have Fox  news on right now too?

Edited by Sgt. Pepper
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2 hours ago, Murph said:

So, you think those Navy Tic Tac videos are fake...

I dont think its a case of any videos like that being fake as much as, really they show you nothing but a blur, you could be looking at anything..  The same with any so called pictures of bigfoot or the loch ness monster or ghosts...  They are either proven fake or show you nothing of consequence.

In saying that the idea of being the only life in a whole universe seems impossible. But I dont think any of them have ever been here. More than likely we are too far away from any life for that to ever happen. Interstellar travel may not actually be possible...  Id like to believe it is though  🙂 

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In those videos you may not be able to see the object in great detail but you can’t compare its behavior to any known vehicle/object.

 

It’s not fair to say you could be looking at anything. You know you aren’t looking at a known object, not based on the clarity of the footage, but based on the object’s behavior. 
 

Videos taken by fighter pilots using millions of dollars worth of the most advanced military technology have vastly higher credibility than anything that has ever been associated with Bigfoot or the Loch Ness monster etc

 

Not trying to convince anyone one way or the other and obviously I have no authority on the matter anyways. Just trying to be objective about it

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On 11/21/2023 at 6:13 AM, Fnfra said:

The question arises, why do these guitars so often fly off the head of the neck? In no way do I blame Gibson for its technology. I just want to discuss and sort out this problem!

I will send you one of the images of the problem, which I took as an example from the search engine google - 

hs-01-1.jpg

 

 

 

The headstock you show in this picture is not a Gibson .  
As for Gibson. Its always been a weak spot.   On just about all Makes and models of Gibson. Just with the Les Pauls and SGs and basses   There heavy and seem to be neglected more. 

Edited by slimt
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12 hours ago, Dub-T-123 said:

Videos taken by fighter pilots

I've worked on Naval and CG ships that are "using millions of dollars worth of the most advanced military technology" and sometimes it lots of it is expensive stuff that breaks down.

How do military contracts work? Well the contractor that gets the job is usually the lowest bidder, or it goes to a business that is minority or women owned. Remember that. Don't choose the best of the best, choose the person who undercut everyone else to get the job. Or you got the job because you sit down when you take a pee.

Edited by Sgt. Pepper
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I've gigged Les Paul's and SG's in dumpy biker bars and redneck joints since the 70's and their acoustics since around 2003 and have never had this happen. So I've never considered it a weak link, ever.

However, for my own reasons, I think the U.S. Navy videos are legit and there are many, many more.

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18 hours ago, Sgt. Pepper said:

When I actually see an alien then I will believe. We do not have a UFO or aliens on ice at Area 51.

Why is it that aliens sort of kind of, in drawings that people do when they claim they were wisked to the alien ship to get a poo hole invasion look like us? Where they have 2 arms, and, 2 legs, and a head, and two eyes over kind of a nose, and then under their nose is their mouth just like us? Cause it’s all we know as humans. If they were from billions and billions of light years away don’t you think they would be completely different than every species on this planet? 

Wait have you been abducted? Do you have Fox  news on right now too?

I haven't read it in ages, but I always felt the Book of Ezekiel from the bible was the first written account of alien sightings. Either that or Ezekiel was smoking some good Yemen Yellow.

As far as weak headstocks. I had a J-45 crack there and it was never dropped. It just appeared one day. Maybe aliens snapped it?

Edited by gearbasher
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