crazytrain513 Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 Just picked up a used 2007 alpine white Les Paul Studio. Owner barely played it so I picked it up and it's in mint condition (no buckle-rash, dents, scratches, etc.). And boy, is it a player! However upon returning home I noticed this which disturbed me... It's in such a narrow area that I can't even touch it with my finger but if I stick a pick to it it does have a slight texture... I know it's hard to tell from a picture but from what you can see, do you think it's a finish crack or a legit structural crack? If it IS a structural crack is it dangerous? Is the guitar more vulnerable to more headstock damage? Does headstock repair shorten the life of guitars? Please help because I may call up the seller to return this if it's just a bigger accident waiting to happen... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manny Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 Looks like a crack to me. It seems to originate right in the center or that screw. Maybe this tuner was taken off before, the bottom screw seems to be in rough shape. As far as possible consequences, I am not sure. I had a finish crack in a guitar once and it wasnt so jagged. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 Whip the tuners off and have a better look. IMHO it rather depends on whether you feel the guitar was a bargain or not. If so then fine. If not then return it. If it IS a crack (and if it were my guitar) I'd simply - and carefully - run a very small amount of super glue into the crack and forget about it. But, then, I'm not terribly 'precious' with my guits. If you think that's too ham-fisted (surely not!) then have a luthier attend to it properly. It should be very inexpensive to halt any 'damage' there may be at this stage. P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 What Pippy said. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazytrain513 Posted February 6, 2013 Author Share Posted February 6, 2013 Whip the tuners off and have a better look. IMHO it rather depends on whether you feel the guitar was a bargain or not. If so then fine. If not then return it. If it IS a crack (and if it were my guitar) I'd simply - and carefully - run a very small amount of super glue into the crack and forget about it. But, then, I'm not terribly 'precious' with my guits. If you think that's too ham-fisted (surely not!) then have a luthier attend to it properly. It should be very inexpensive to halt any 'damage' there may be at this stage. P. In terms of condition and price, this guitar was a decent deal. In terms of how it plays first time I laid my hands on it, I knew it was something special so I really would like to hold onto it. Super glue...lol I tend to be a bit more careful with my guitars (this is only my second one and money is tight) so I may actually see a luthier. What do you define as "inexpensive" for a job like this if it is, indeed, a structural crack? Do you think this repair would have any consequences in terms of sustain, tuning, intonation, etc.? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 Having now worked on my own guitar id say its a fairly easy fix.. If its a crack in the wood some Titebond wood glue in the crack and then clamp the headstock and when it dries it will be fine... The bond that titebond makes is actually stronger than the wood itself... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazytrain513 Posted February 6, 2013 Author Share Posted February 6, 2013 I spoke to my local luthier just now and this is what he said: Good morning, It's almost certain that there's a crack in the wood there. Gibsons usually don't have finish that cracks that way unless the wood itself has split. Repair would likely cost as follows: - Remove tuners, repair crack with NO finish touch-up - $65-75 - Touch-up back of headstock (not required by us) - $75-100 - Restring and Quick Set (basic setup) - $50 OR Works setup (including fret level/ dress) $90 The touch-up is up to you and we will make our recommendations for which set-up your guitar should get when you drop off. Your call on that as well. With touch-up, this repair would probably take 3-4 weeks. With no touch-up it should be about one week. We'd be happy to help you out any time. Best, Steve Baker Seems a bit ridiculous if you ask me...1 to 4 weeks for that crack? Over a $100? I think I may just send this back to the seller if it's really that serious. Rabs, how would you suggest gluing it? It's such a thin crack already -- should I remove the two tuners and put some glue in there with a cotton swab or are all tuners to be removed? I've never done anything like this before... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rct Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 I spoke to my local luthier just now and this is what he said... Seems a bit ridiculous if you ask me...1 to 4 weeks for that crack? Over a $100? I think I may just send this back to the seller if it's really that serious. The cost to fix and time he'll have it has nothing to do with serious. Rabs, how would you suggest gluing it? It's such a thin crack already -- should I remove the two tuners and put some glue in there with a cotton swab or are all tuners to be removed? I've never done anything like this before... thettul down Beavith. No offense, but it is just a guitar, it isn't a nuke plant or anything. If'n I were you, and I'm not, and it bothered me, and it doesn't, I'd just stick some titebond or some super glue in the crack, just as it is, and be done with it. If it bothered me a little more, and it doesn't, I'd take the two machines off and glue up the crack and put the machines back on. If it actually was my guitar it would be losing them crummy machines anyway, so I'd have them off and glue it up right before I hacked the Grovers on to it. Good luck with it and fergawdsake don't worry about it. rct Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 Rabs, how would you suggest gluing it? It's such a thin crack already -- should I remove the two tuners and put some glue in there with a cotton swab or are all tuners to be removed? I've never done anything like this before... Hmm.. if youve never done it before its up to you if you think you can do that sort of thing... But the wood glue comes in a squeezy bottle and has like a thin edge at the tip so its actually easy to just put the tip of the bottle on the crack line and give it a little squeeze.. Then you just wipe away any excess... It dries real quick and in 24 hours you can sand it or work on it if you need too (so yes a week seems a bit long).. But if you wipe it with a damp cloth before it dries it comes off quite easy. Sorta like this (but obviously yours isnt as bad as this and you wouldnt want to open the crack any more).. You can just use a pin or a dropper. What ever works.. And just make sure you use a clamp with soft padding or wrap some cotton around the ends if you have a metal one with no padding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 . Take off the tuners. If the crack goes from screw hole to screw hole no worries, just put some glue in it. If the crack isn't into both screw holes it could grow, in which case you probably ought to have a luthier evaluate it. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corson Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 Looks like a crack to me.As if the drill holes were not big enough or outsize screws were once used.A needle and syringe with some PVA/white glue will sort this.Clamp and leave for a day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bongoscot Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 I pieced an entire shattered head stock back together with superglue on an Alvarez acoustic and gave the guitar away to a needy friend about 10 years ago and he is still playing that guitar to this day. Superglue works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glp2012 Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 If you really like the guitar, I would keep it and do whatever you can to make it right. My story has already been told, but I bought a new guitar from GC and it turned out it was a return that had been modified. The problem was that I really loved the guitar - its feel and sound. I had played several others, but they just were not the same. I ended up keeping it. I have no regrets...and GC took care of me. Let me know how it turns out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Farnsbarns Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 Seems to me that the screw hole just happened to be on the join of the wing, hence it cracked along the stress raise when the screw was put in, probably at the factory. It pains me to hear that someone is considering returning a guitar they love for such a thing. I agree with the majority on here, if you must fix it then take the tuners off, run some glue into the crack, clamp it and the job is done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badbluesplayer Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 Not a big deal structurally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stein Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 If you buy a sponge-clamp like the one pictured in the vid RABS put up, it should cost about 10-15 bucks. With such a clamp, you can put good pressure to 'close' it without damage. If you use super-glue, you can't really clean it off without effecting the finish- in other words, it can get messy. If you use wood glue or carpenters glue, you CAN clean it with water as you do the repair. If the sponge-clamp does not close up most of that gap, you do NOT likely have any issues at all there, because if it is a small break that makes any weakness to speak of, it would move with pressure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RowdyMoon Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 If you forget some glue on the surface don't sweat it, the wood glue won't stick to the clear coat ( be it nitro, poly or whatever)...once it dries any left over can be picked off with your fingernail or plastic putty knife.Another tip, make sure you have something softish between the clamp and your guitar if you don't have a clamp with rubber or plastic feet ( or grips whatever ya wanna call em). If your using a metal clamp use wax paper and a chunk of wood IE: Guitar, then wax paper, then wood block, then clamp. Glue wont stick to the wax paper....cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjmwrx Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 In terms of condition and price, this guitar was a decent deal. In terms of how it plays first time I laid my hands on it, I knew it was something special so I really would like to hold onto it. Super glue...lol I tend to be a bit more careful with my guitars (this is only my second one and money is tight) so I may actually see a luthier. What do you define as "inexpensive" for a job like this if it is, indeed, a structural crack? Do you think this repair would have any consequences in terms of sustain, tuning, intonation, etc.? There is a really good chance your luthier will use super glue himself. No luthiers tool kit is complete without it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazytrain513 Posted February 7, 2013 Author Share Posted February 7, 2013 Thank you everyone for your advice and input; I very much appreciate it. Well, just took the two tuners off a couple hours ago with my luthier. Turns out it's just a finish crack! I'm so relieved...The crack actually goes up to both the screw holes, skips them and keeps going a bit more past (basically the length of both tuner machine heads) but there is no structural damage and the holes are completely intact with no separation. My luthier said fixing this isn't really necessary but just to make sure that it doesn't develop into something bigger, he's going to sand it down and then refinish it. He's also going to set it up, adjust the nut for my 11 gauges (the previous owner used 8's...), polish/dress the frets, oil the fretboard, AND he's going to install strap locks and buff/polish the axe for me for...here's the best part...$55. Guess being a long-time customer has it's perks sometimes. However, I don't care about any of that. I'm just relieved that the crack wasn't a huge issue. I really didn't want to give this one up because the second I strummed a chord on it for the first time, and I realize this sounds corny, I knew something was just right on this one. That's when you know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Farnsbarns Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 I know exactly what you mean. I picked up an R8 just to try it in my usual shop. I love it and will never part with it! Only problem is I managed to get it because the shop were in the process of replacing my R6 and let me have that and restocked the new R6 Gibson had sent but I still want a p90 L.P. I can't justify two reissues at the moment so maybe a tribute is in my future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 I realize this sounds corny, I knew something was just right on this one. That's when you know. this isn't corny at all. back in 06, was up in Burlington Vt. with my wife, my son and his wife. Just a weekend get away, (Burlington Vt is about 4 hours from where I live. Didn't really know the area) There was a good sized music store there, went in to do some browsing, so I wandered my way in to the room where the acoustics were. Pick one up, play for a bit, put it down, on to the next, etc... I pick up a new Taylor GS series (Spruce top, mahogany body)... ONE Chord was all it took. Told the wife, "I aint leaving with out this..." I had absolutely no intention of buying anything that day, but that changed in a heart beat. I'm not an impulse buyer when it comes to $2,000 guitars. But I was that day. I still have it, and it's still tremendous. So -- you said it.. You know, when you know! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazytrain513 Posted February 9, 2013 Author Share Posted February 9, 2013 Exactly what I'm saying. At this point if something in the near future were to occur where I would NEED to get work done on it, I would (knock on wood that it doesn't) because I don't think I've had this feeling of compatibility before with a guitar. Granted I've only had 3 guitars I can call my own in my life, but I used to go into my local guitar center every weekend and just play a bunch of different guitars for fun and never have I liked one as much as this. Now I FINALLY understand what people mean by "bonding". I owned my other 3 guitars so long that it just began to slowly feel right but this is something else. I think this is what they call love hahaha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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