Are Gibson headstocks as fragile as everyone says?

[Biddlin]

I have never had one break or spontaneously combust.

Me, either, but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen. Thing is, if it's not the result of a collision and it's under warranty, Gibson covers it. I am told by the original owner that the headstock on my Classic broke when it fell over on the stand and hit the bottom lip of a bass cabinet. A Strat probably would have survived without damage. The couple of hours work and 3¢ worth of glue set it right and I'm told it plays better than new. Over the time I spent as a repairman, I probably repaired a couple of dozen headstock breaks and a handful of other neck breaks on Gibsons. I saw about as many with volutes as not and the volute sometimes complicated the repair considerably. Like you, I try to keep my guitars out of harms way and have not personally had any headstock separations.

 

[AngelDeVille]

I almost want to break one on purpose...

 

[rotorhead]

I almost want to break one on purpose...

Betchu wont, chicken.

 

[AngelDeVille]

Ohh, it’s on now!

 

[cerebral gasket]

Not your fault. Would you expect a cricket bat to snap in half if you dropped it out of your cricket bag? This is an engineering design problem.

I actually had a 2 LB brass hammer with hickory handle fall on a concrete floor and break. The hammer head and handle joint was still fully intact, it was just the handle that split. I glued and clamped the handle back together and it has been 100% functional ever since.

 

[cerebral gasket]

Betchu wont, chicken.

 

[donepearce]

I actually had a 2 LB brass hammer with hickory handle fall on a concrete floor and break. The hammer head and handle joint was still fully intact, it was just the handle that split. I glued and clamped the handle back together and it has been 100% functional ever since.

It split along the grain, or across?

 

[cerebral gasket]

It split along the grain, or across?

At a diagonal.

 

[donepearce]

At a diagonal.

Interesting - I don't know how to account for that.

 

[deMelo]

Me, I much prefer to take care of my guitars and gear in general than actually wondering if they'll take abuse well.