I am new to this whole guitar thing and am in awe of your skills. Never knew things like this could be done. Totally enjoyed watching and thank you for sharing!
Awesome fix. I've seen bow tie fixes but never diamond/square but it makes great sense. My highest compliment: I'd buy it because it's been pre-repaired unlike a new one.
Excellent repair, and an unusual, yet strong, alternative to long splines. The bonus is that it really matches the grain and neck shape unobtrusively. Well done !
I just bought a 74 Gibson SG Standard with a Heaestock repair. Was kinda messy so i did it again, also to restore the valute that was missing. Did the same routing you did. But i did send it to a good friend to get that Spot repainted in the right colour. It was cherry red back then, now it a Mix of Red and brown. Looks really cool
I would probably assume the amount of head stocks that break are very low percentage however, I’m wondering if Gibson could invest in some sort of a technology to strengthen that section of the neck, like possibly impregnating the wood with epoxy just in the headstock area.
It's good to see ya bud! You have done one "hell" of a job Derek on that repair.....I've said it before I'll say it again you are very much my favorite luthier hands down.......I know there are some good ones out there like Dan from Stew Mac-- but, Big D I love your style sir.....best wishes to you and your family stay safe and healthy ok!
Nice fix, Derek. I have a couple of these headstock repairs sitting waiting to be done. Was there a reason for not putting the logo under the clear coat?
The Gibson wood grains at the headstock bend is like 40-45 degrees making it weak at that area. Fender headstocks are straight with straight grains and therefore don’t break as easily.
I am curious as to why you went directly above the truss rod and not a slat to either side? I am wondering if spot spraying the repair rather than stripping the whole neck would have made a better repair.
I heard somewhere that Gibson will offer a discount to anyone who will accept delivery of a new guitar with the headstock already broken. You can use the savings to take it to be repaired at a shop of your choice, and it will then be better than new. I think it's a great idea.
That guitar had an incredible fingerboard. The wood almost looked like the what you could find a Lp custom. I have 2 standards and 1 tribute, and none of them have fingerboards that look that good. This video also highlights why I don't leave my LPs on stands when I am not playing them. I have 3 dogs who like to wrestle and play with each other...and all it would take is for one of them to bump a guitar stand and someone might be making one of these videos about one of my guitars. Due to their fragility, I do not mind when Gibson use maple for LP necks. I don't have any evidence, but I do think that maple necks are more resistent to falls and just toughter in general . You rarely see videos like these being made with Norlin era LPs or current day Tributes.
I was just wondering is there anything Gibson could change in the production of these to prevent breaks? Like an internal metal strap hidden like the truss rod? Just seems so fragile on an expensive piece of gear.
Another great video, thanks. Given the frequency of the Gibson headstock break, I think I’ve seen repair videos by a half dozen or so YT luthiers. Everyone has a slightly different variant on the process and approach. Keeps it both informative and entertaining, for sure.
Nice . Question ? Self locking joints / blind dovetail joints . Any reasons why not in use ? Much better than butt joints . Or possibly splines/ lemon splines would improve first build . ( Broken necks are like . Pete and Repeat sitting on a fence . Pete fell off . Who's left ? Repeat ! Got nail Pete down 🤣🤣🤣)
Okay D, this one left me with a lot of questions. I'm nowhere near as experienced as you, so here goes - 1) Why did you not rout the block you added to the neck joint in a more "centered" position? To me it just seems offset a touch. Was there some reasoning behind the chosen position and shape? 2) Why not mask off the neck binding when you started sanding the neck finish off?
yes it was slightly off. Thats because there is a crack that extended further on one side. the binding was done terribly on this guitar. tons of scratches this was a major improvement.
This is so common, how did such a vulnerability be allowed to stay to this day? Cool repair and nice vid. But then there's soo much experience out there on how to fix this.
Gibson did try with volutes and maple necks. The maple necked Gibsons from the NorLin era have held up very well. What made them go back? It’s 100% the fault of the Burst and the customers. Tradition, in other words.
yea they needed a les paul modern that fixes all these issues, going back to the volute. or reinforce with maple strips before they place the headstock plate on.
@@bigdguitars The could also just place the adjustment end of the truss rod at the body end of the neck, thus eliminating that void behind the nut. It's not the lack of a volute causing the breaks, it's that absence of wood in general.
@@ryanfulldark2775 Sure, but even the most careful people can have an accident. When was the last time you heard of a Strat or Tele headstock breaking off because the guitar fell over? Not saying it can't happen, nor that it never has, but Gibson Les Pauls and SGs are notorious for this happening.
Great save ,and at first it's barely noticeable . A sold color on the neck ,like black and you would not notice it at all . Just let everyone know that you had fixed it . 🎸😎
My Epiphone Les Paul headstock broke the other day :-( is there any point on having it repaired? I am thinking the cost to repair it would cost more than what the guitar is worth ($1,000.00 Canadian). Cheers
Awesome….First I’ve seen with a square block rather than longer, thinner type. Someone smarter than me can maybe explain the difference and what’s more effective
Just because of the way my brain works it would drive me nuts that this little diamond was set off to the side and not centered with the neck for aesthetics.
4 Gibsons, all still intact. 1961 J-45, 1960 LG‐2, 1961 SG Special, 1963 Melody Maker. All bought used in Austin in 1992, 1994, 1987, and 1988 (respectively). How lucky can one get? Don't know yet... I also have a 1918-21 Gibson ukulele that still stays in tune and is a little screamer if played right; so old it says The Gibson on the headstock. Now if I'd only kept the 1937 archtop..
@@camilo1455 Lucky you, I just don't recall seeing a video that was entitled: Epiphone headstock repair, or Michael Kelly headstock repair, all rival the quality of a Gibson without the "pre-broken headstocks." Lol 😆
I have never seen such a clean headstock repair, but also never saw someone refinish the the whole damn neck doing it. Great work.
Nice work. Plus that glue joint is stronger than the wood itself.
I fixed my Gibson headstock by switching to PRS.
now that's a proper headstock repair. thanks for sharing and very well done 👏
I am new to this whole guitar thing and am in awe of your skills. Never knew things like this could be done. Totally enjoyed watching and thank you for sharing!
From trash to greatness.
Outstanding.
I watch all your videos.
Every project better than the last.
Thank you so much 😀
What a creative way to repair a broken headstock!
Congrats!
Awesome fix. I've seen bow tie fixes but never diamond/square but it makes great sense. My highest compliment: I'd buy it because it's been pre-repaired unlike a new one.
This the only one acceptable way to repair broken Gibson headstock. Thanks man!
Nice repair Derek you make it look so easy!Cheers!
What kind of price tag comes with this great work.?
You could make a living on just fixing Gibson headstocks I bet. I do enjoy watching the really messed up ones.
Excellent repair, and an unusual, yet strong, alternative to long splines. The bonus is that it really matches the grain and neck shape unobtrusively. Well done !
I just bought a 74 Gibson SG Standard with a Heaestock repair. Was kinda messy so i did it again, also to restore the valute that was missing. Did the same routing you did. But i did send it to a good friend to get that Spot repainted in the right colour. It was cherry red back then, now it a Mix of Red and brown. Looks really cool
Your repair videos are some of my favorites
Friend, you're my new hero.
Awesome work as always. Great Job
Stellar work as always, Derek!
Beautiful work. I really wish I was crafty and handy like this.
Love watching those repairs. What a result too!
Nice fix. As for the "diamond" shaped wood piece, in the furniture making business it is called a "dutchman."
I would probably assume the amount of head stocks that break are very low percentage however, I’m wondering if Gibson could invest in some sort of a technology to strengthen that section of the neck, like possibly impregnating the wood with epoxy just in the headstock area.
It's good to see ya bud! You have done one "hell" of a job Derek on that repair.....I've said it before I'll say it again you are very much my favorite luthier hands down.......I know there are some good ones out there like Dan from Stew Mac-- but, Big D I love your style sir.....best wishes to you and your family stay safe and healthy ok!
Nice fix, Derek. I have a couple of these headstock repairs sitting waiting to be done. Was there a reason for not putting the logo under the clear coat?
Do you document these jobs also, or just amps?
Yes! He forgot 🤐
Never heard of les Paul's having problems with headstock breaks. Must be a one off.
It's a well known Les Paul problem. There are like 100+ headstock repair videos on UA-cam.
ah ah ah is this a joke? lolz
The Gibson wood grains at the headstock bend is like 40-45 degrees making it weak at that area. Fender headstocks are straight with straight grains and therefore don’t break as easily.
@@crotonik Whoosh
Bwaah haaaa, you a funny guy! I know luthiers that live off of Gibson neck breaks.
I wonder if Graphtec needs to come up with an entire gibson headstock replacement l
Great work! I like the tri-star TN hat!!
Looks amazing! You fantastic craftsmanship!
Cool job mate. If I were based in the US you'd be the guy who would fix my guitars! cheers
Very nicely done.
Thank you! Cheers!
@@bigdguitars you’re welcome.
Terrific work -great to see-thanks
Another awesome repair!🎸
I am curious as to why you went directly above the truss rod and not a slat to either side? I am wondering if spot spraying the repair rather than stripping the whole neck would have made a better repair.
That's a great job, well done!
When I first saw that block inlay bullshit I was like, oh hell no!
But I must admit, that came out pretty damn good. Thanks for sharing...
that's not a nasty one...that's a clean one.
I heard somewhere that Gibson will offer a discount to anyone who will accept delivery of a new guitar with the headstock already broken. You can use the savings to take it to be repaired at a shop of your choice, and it will then be better than new. I think it's a great idea.
Cool vid. I’m glad I’m not the only one who smooshes the wood filler in with my fingers. 😄
Really involved work! Nice job!
excellent work
That guitar had an incredible fingerboard. The wood almost looked like the what you could find a Lp custom. I have 2 standards and 1 tribute, and none of them have fingerboards that look that good. This video also highlights why I don't leave my LPs on stands when I am not playing them. I have 3 dogs who like to wrestle and play with each other...and all it would take is for one of them to bump a guitar stand and someone might be making one of these videos about one of my guitars. Due to their fragility, I do not mind when Gibson use maple for LP necks. I don't have any evidence, but I do think that maple necks are more resistent to falls and just toughter in general . You rarely see videos like these being made with Norlin era LPs or current day Tributes.
I was just wondering is there anything Gibson could change in the production of these to prevent breaks? Like an internal metal strap hidden like the truss rod? Just seems so fragile on an expensive piece of gear.
sticker will last?
hello good job l take note of the video surtout for the polishing l am finishing a GIBSON les paul model christophe FRANCE
Very good job dude .
Excellent job, major repetitive problem with Les Pauls
For the top headstock: Crimson has a black superglue. Penetrates further into the wood then a wood filler. As usual : NICE JOB! R,
Thats amazing work
Great job!
Masterful repair, Derek. Really well done.
Damn dude you are right up there with Dan Erlewine! Excellent repair job!
Great job 👍👍
Superb work.
Nice work
Out of curiosity/learning, how is this diamond block better vs two strips of mahogany running thru neck and headstock? Just preference?
From Leo: You Sir are an artist
Another great video, thanks. Given the frequency of the Gibson headstock break, I think I’ve seen repair videos by a half dozen or so YT luthiers. Everyone has a slightly different variant on the process and approach. Keeps it both informative and entertaining, for sure.
Nice .
Question ? Self locking joints / blind dovetail joints . Any reasons why not in use ?
Much better than butt joints .
Or possibly splines/ lemon splines would improve first build .
( Broken necks are like . Pete and Repeat sitting on a fence . Pete fell off . Who's left ? Repeat ! Got nail Pete down 🤣🤣🤣)
Good job ..I need mine fixed do you take in work for the public
Great Work!
awesome job
thanks!
I love P90s on a Les Paul. Good choice to keep them. Your work is impeccable. How do I contact you for a setup on my Les Paul
Super job
Great fix
Class work man !
I have no experience with repairing head stocks, but looks like a nice job to me.
Awesome job D
that freboard is gorgeous what is that?
It looks like that big buffer wheel could cause a new break.
I think the wooden patch piece is called a biscuit or cleat.
biscuit yes!
Awesome! That's the one you recently refinished in mean green?
Okay D, this one left me with a lot of questions. I'm nowhere near as experienced as you, so here goes -
1) Why did you not rout the block you added to the neck joint in a more "centered" position? To me it just seems offset a touch. Was there some reasoning behind the chosen position and shape?
2) Why not mask off the neck binding when you started sanding the neck finish off?
yes it was slightly off. Thats because there is a crack that extended further on one side. the binding was done terribly on this guitar. tons of scratches this was a major improvement.
This is so common, how did such a vulnerability be allowed to stay to this day?
Cool repair and nice vid. But then there's soo much experience out there on how to fix this.
Gibson did try with volutes and maple necks. The maple necked Gibsons from the NorLin era have held up very well. What made them go back? It’s 100% the fault of the Burst and the customers. Tradition, in other words.
yea they needed a les paul modern that fixes all these issues, going back to the volute. or reinforce with maple strips before they place the headstock plate on.
@@bigdguitars The could also just place the adjustment end of the truss rod at the body end of the neck, thus eliminating that void behind the nut. It's not the lack of a volute causing the breaks, it's that absence of wood in general.
If you take care of your Gibson there is never a need to worry about this. Any guitar can crack if treated carelessly.
@@ryanfulldark2775 Sure, but even the most careful people can have an accident. When was the last time you heard of a Strat or Tele headstock breaking off because the guitar fell over? Not saying it can't happen, nor that it never has, but Gibson Les Pauls and SGs are notorious for this happening.
If i ever buy one of those, I would have a Luthier put in the hard wood spints in right out of the box.
is it really worth it?
Great save ,and at first it's barely noticeable . A sold color on the neck ,like black and you would not notice it at all . Just let everyone know that you had fixed it . 🎸😎
Looks like an ebony board?
Friskit, frisqet, phriscet? I’ve never actually heard of that thing, however you spell it. Pretty cool idea.
Brisket, nice.
Frisket 👍
Comes as either a masking liquid or sheets of adhesive plastic film
@@DavyHulme I learn something new everyday. Thank you!
My Epiphone Les Paul headstock broke the other day :-( is there any point on having it repaired? I am thinking the cost to repair it would cost more than what the guitar is worth ($1,000.00 Canadian).
Cheers
Superb!
Nice guitar
You should provide the EBay link.
Thank you for the video!
So good!
yours is more complicated!
@@bigdguitars if it looks half as good as this tho I’m gonna be thrilled!
Nice job !!
Awesome….First I’ve seen with a square block rather than longer, thinner type. Someone smarter than me can maybe explain the difference and what’s more effective
Guitar repair shops love Gibson.
Looks great
Just because of the way my brain works it would drive me nuts that this little diamond was set off to the side and not centered with the neck for aesthetics.
No it's not perfect bro you did not use enough glu. That glue should be oozing out of the joint I don't know if the bond is going to hold up over time
Lol that's actually an easy one. The tough one are the ones with multiple break points and jagged fragmented edges.
That pull chain.
Можно было бы сделать волют,для надёжности,а так получился отличный ремонт 👍
You selling?
yes 1350 shipped.
I think 2 longer parallel stripes would would better.
it didn't need that. that would have been overkill.
Good job, but it doesn't look like you are wearing any protection from all the harmful dust and spray vapor
Now it's a real Gibson!
How much?
1350 shipped.
wow!
Sound better after repair.
I avoid broken headstocks by buying guitars that don't have a Gibson logo on them.
4 Gibsons, all still intact. 1961 J-45, 1960 LG‐2, 1961 SG Special, 1963 Melody Maker. All bought used in Austin in 1992, 1994, 1987, and 1988 (respectively). How lucky can one get? Don't know yet... I also have a 1918-21 Gibson ukulele that still stays in tune and is a little screamer if played right; so old it says The Gibson on the headstock. Now if I'd only kept the 1937 archtop..
💥😎
@@camilo1455 Lucky you, I just don't recall seeing a video that was entitled: Epiphone headstock repair, or Michael Kelly headstock repair, all rival the quality of a Gibson without the "pre-broken headstocks." Lol 😆
@@leodanryan966 You sure as hell won't see anyone needing to fix a fender neck. They're built like tanks.
More for the rest of us.
PS - no need to share a UA-cam account, they’re free