RotcanX Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 Hmmm looks like the powers that be didn't like the thread about Epiphone headstocks snapping off. Ah well, I promised some pictures so here we go: First is a DR-200 I'm in the middle of repairing. Sorry but I forgot to take a 'before' shot. You can see the grooves where I drilled through the tuner holes to install some hardwood reinforcing dowels. Fortunately this one is all black so refinishing it will be a doddle. Next on the waiting list is this DR-90 that cut loose in the middle of the night: This is the second of two busted DR-90s I'm working on. Probably going to give one of them to my buddy's wife. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron G Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 Aren't those more a glue joint failure than broken wood? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitmore Willy Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 RotcanX Must have missed the first post. (been away for a while) Nice repair job on the DR-200. Hope I haven't missed pics on some of the other guitars you were redoing. Anyway, my question: What kind of glue do you use? And yes, headstock failure has always been a Epi curse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RotcanX Posted June 23, 2008 Author Share Posted June 23, 2008 It's not the glue joint that goes. It's the wood. I use LePage's Carpenter's Glue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JefferySmith Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 Were these spontaneous breaks from using heavier strings, or were the guitars seriously "bumped" prior to the breakage? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RotcanX Posted June 23, 2008 Author Share Posted June 23, 2008 Were these spontaneous breaks from using heavier strings' date=' or were the guitars seriously "bumped" prior to the breakage?[/quote'] Neither. In all three cases standard strings were installed. There's no evidence that the headstocks were bumped in any way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
byrds1965 Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 Neither. In all three cases standard strings were installed. There's no evidence that the headstocks were bumped in any way. Is this just happening with recent guitars? Acoustics and electrics both? How is this happening they are just sitting strung at full tension and they pop? Seem to be a certain plant or MIK vs MIC or both? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dubstar Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 hey rotcanX, did you see the ???????~?????~ thread? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RotcanX Posted June 23, 2008 Author Share Posted June 23, 2008 Is this just happening with recent guitars? Acoustics and electrics both? How is this happening they are just sitting strung at full tension and they pop? These are a batch of Acoustics from a couple of years ago. We don't sell Epi acoustics any more but I would guess that they've taken care of the problem by now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RotcanX Posted June 23, 2008 Author Share Posted June 23, 2008 hey rotcanX' date=' did you see the ???????~?????~ thread? [/quote']Yep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricochet Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 Hmmm looks like the powers that be didn't like the thread about Epiphone headstocks snapping off. Yes, and from the use of Agathis we ended up talking about pine being suitable as tonewood. I just happened to stumble on an interesting link... http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=WWZcVMevP0c or http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=llvSMuJ650c&NR=1 Arlo West build 40 guitars out of pine and it sure does sound good to my ears! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 I wasn't aware that guitars just snapped the headstock under normal string tension. Every headstock I've seen break has been due to a blow from getting knocked over on a stand, leaning up against the wall and slding over to the floor, or hitting something, usually a ceiling fan. And, it's always been a ragged break where the wood was just overcome with stress and not a glue joint failure. Properly prepared glue joint failures aren't common. I've done tests in my workshop just to satisfy my own curiousity and I've only had one joint fail during a test. That one was cut very smooth, mitered, and face glued with no dowel, biscuit, or finger joint reinforcement. It popped apart cleanly after the shock of falling 4 feet to a concrete floor. One of our acoustic players knocked over her Alvarez acoustic, tried to hook it with her foot before it hit the floor and missed. It splintered the grain, but was still playable. She finally traded it to a dealer who was going to fix it and re-sell it under disclosure that it had been repaired. She played it for another 7 or 8 months before trading it though. I guess some of the neck headstock combos suffer from angular defects in the grain that presuppose themselves to weakness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.