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SG neck crack - how bad is it?


trapdoorspider

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I just bought a nice old 1977 Gibson SG Standard online. Beautiful guitar, 100% original in every way.

 

Except for one: It has a jagged-looking 1" crack just below the neck volute at the headstock. The previous owner said it's been there a long time, and he thinks it's just a crack in the finish, from where he bumped the guitar years ago. Maybe he's right, maybe he's not. What do you think? Is this just a cosmetic thing, or could this be a major structural problem?

 

I know it's hard to judge from a photo, but it's all I can show you. Thanks for your opinions. - Michael

 

PS - I paid $1200 for this guitar with the original case. Was that a good price, or does the crack render it worthless?

 

SG77-neckcrack.jpg

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.... PS - I paid $1200 for this guitar with the original case. Was that a good price, or does the crack render it worthless? ....

 

General rule of thumb - a neck/headstock crack/repair decreases the value by about 50% depending on the severity/quality of the crack/repair.

 

So, paying $1200 without knowing for sure whether the guitar has a cracked neck or a finish crack is dicey to say the least.

 

To protect your $1200, you should have that crack checked out. If it's a finish crack fine, if it's a cracked neck the shop/luthier should be able to inject some glue into the crack.

 

 

.

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I just bought a nice old 1977 Gibson SG Standard online. Beautiful guitar, 100% original in every way.

 

Except for one: It has a jagged-looking 1" crack just below the neck volute at the headstock. The previous owner said it's been there a long time, and he thinks it's just a crack in the finish, from where he bumped the guitar years ago. Maybe he's right, maybe he's not. What do you think? Is this just a cosmetic thing, or could this be a major structural problem?

 

I know it's hard to judge from a photo, but it's all I can show you. Thanks for your opinions. - Michael

 

PS - I paid $1200 for this guitar with the original case. Was that a good price, or does the crack render it worthless?

 

SG77-neckcrack.jpg

 

Its a crack in de wood alright.

 

The crack is on the spot were the neck has the least wood, right behind the volute.

 

I have seen this kind of cracks a lot of times.

Get you 'ss as soon as possible out of your chair and get to a luthier asap.

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Excuse me for asking (and I'm working in UK prices) but can't you get a brand new SG Standard for that sort of money?

 

Yes.

 

That's why it's a bit shocking the OP didn't determine what kind of crack that was before he bought it.

 

 

.

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I didn't know about the crack. I bought it online from a certain auction site that starts with e. The seller didn't bother to mention that it was cracked, and the pictures he posted didn't show it. The picture posted here is one that I took after I got the guitar.

 

So yes, I'm very dismayed that it has a crack, and that's why I'm trying to determine if it's just a finish crack (which I can live with) or a wood/structural crack, which means I'll a rather serious and probably unpleasant discussion with the seller. I'm taking it to a luthier on Monday to get an expert opinion.

 

And sure, you can buy brand-new guitars for this price (I have quite a few), but I wanted one of the older ones. As long as they're not broken, that is.

 

Thanks for everyone's advice. I realize it's hard to give a definite answer by just looking at a photo.

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Hiya if it does turn out to be wood crack and you decide you want a refund from the seller if you paid through PayPal there is a good chance you should have buyer protection so should be able to look into getting a refund through PayPal if you explain the situation. Good luck with the luthier, from similar photos I have seen it does look to be a wood crack

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I didn't know about the crack. I bought it online from a certain auction site that starts with e. The seller didn't bother to mention that it was cracked, and the pictures he posted didn't show it. The picture posted here is one that I took after I got the guitar.

 

So yes, I'm very dismayed that it has a crack, and that's why I'm trying to determine if it's just a finish crack (which I can live with) or a wood/structural crack, which means I'll a rather serious and probably unpleasant discussion with the seller. I'm taking it to a luthier on Monday to get an expert opinion.

 

And sure, you can buy brand-new guitars for this price (I have quite a few), but I wanted one of the older ones. As long as they're not broken, that is.

 

Thanks for everyone's advice. I realize it's hard to give a definite answer by just looking at a photo.

 

send it back. that's not a finish crack.

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Whoever sold you that without disclosing the crack (and I hope it's not more than a surface finish stress crack) deserves some negative feedback at the very least. Hope you can get your money refunded, it's too bad as I dig the color, I love how white Gibsons age with time, nothing else quite looks like that finish. I can't stand shady auction sellers, like the ones that take photos of everything but the headstock. I'm sure the seller saw it and knew full well. For me, no decent headstock photos = no deal.

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Definitely have it checked out. It could be finish but judging from the location and width of the crack, it could be into the wood. I know this from experience. My SG Special took a tumble years ago thanks to a crazy dog... and my neglect, but I still blame the dog. Anyways, that's about the same area that my neck broke and continued to break until it reached the tuning pegs. I got it to a luthier as soon as it happened and was fortunate enough to have it repaired. I did request that the luthier not hide the crack in the event that I wanted to resell the guitar. I felt that I would be hiding something from the buyer. Here is a photo of my break area.

BREAK.jpg

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As others have stated, I can't tell if it's a finish crack or in the wood but the seller hid it and the item is not as described. File a case with ebay and PayPal immediately. Any and all communications with the seller must be made through ebay or "they never happened". Ebay/PP almost always side with the buyer in these cases (sometimes wrongly so from what I've read, but that's another story).

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I'd be sending that back for a full refund. You'll find another one just like it without the break. This happened to me a few weeks ago. I bought a LP DC Special limited run of 300. Seller didn't disclose a neck break. I returned it, and a few weeks later found another one identical to it in better condition and without the break for the same price.

 

be patient, and get what you pay for.

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  • 2 weeks later...

IMHO, just a finish crack........Get a luthier's opinion though......

 

This SG of mine had more than a finish crack, for sure....

 

sgheadstock001.jpg

 

....

 

Yuk. I just came into use (it's our vocalist's guitar; trying to get him to sell it to me) an SG Special Faded that has had a repair/reinforcement done to it due to being dropped and BOOOOING!

 

The luthier did a great job, though, other than the scar...

 

sgrepair.jpg

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