How to (not) break your headstock

[Marshall Arts]

Buy a Fender...

That's how real men fret a powerchord.

 

[73roadrunner]

I know someone who had the headstock bust off of his 94 CS LP Custom, it fell out of its stand. He said he almost cried.


I accidentally knocked my Epi LP Studio off of its stand but it didn't even get a ding. But the tuner bumped my RR5 & gave it a small barely noticeable chip.. I cried for a week

 

[Vintage_Burster]

In my years as a repairman, I have seen MANY les Pauls break the headstock IN THE CASE.

The guy thinks it is safe and the case gets knocked over, He doesn't even notice it got broken till the next time he pulls it out.

Newer cases are better but the older cases lack padding in the headstock area. Some T shirts or socks under the headstock saves the day!

Who stands the case up? That just seems stupid to me. Mine lives at the end of my bed...on the floor in its case. Its safe there because I dont really ever walk near the case.

Heres a tip, never walk around hallways will your guitar slung over your shoulder. I carry it into an open area to play. Oh and never take it off your shoulder by holding the guitar up really high...I once did that and put my Epiphone into the fan


(It came out the winner, hardly a chip on the headstock.)

 

[Vintage_Burster]

not that Im gonna drop this but hopefully its a little more stout then standard mahogany!

So....pretty....

Whats with the 2 black lines? And is that a Blonde Beauty? I think I saw photos of yours once, fuck its nice. Can you PM me pics? Do they still make them?

 

[calibud]

Speaking of headstocks being broken at one of the local GCs there is a Gibson Custom I think idr off the top of my head that I'll have to share with you guys. Absolutley worst repair I have seen, although we have Roman and Greg who do amazing work. They want literally like 300 less than normal for is. No knobs, cracked input plate, no pot cover on the back and the worst repair ever. Why not put knobs on it and fix it up for 900??? Is it just me. Next time I am there I'll snag some photos, because I am sure it is still there.

 

[cmckay]

Hey AS90, where abouts do you live on the Wirral mate?

 

[Mr Insane]

Use strap locks.

Don't let the drummer any where near it.

don't throw the guitar off...
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uFQ2gPDMnA]YouTube - The Edge - Gibson Explorer Part 1 by U2Place.com[/ame]

 

[chazza]

My ES 335 has had 2 headstock fractures - both happened when the guitar was in the case.
Both expertly repaired and hardly noticeable now.

 

[Splattle101]

+1

Norlin might have got a few things wrong, but they made some improvements as well, IMHO. Besides being an arguably superior tonewood, maple was a stronger wood for the neck. And the volute further strengthened the headstock. Yes the maple necks with volutes broke as wel, but not nearly as frequently as the mahogany did, and does.

As far as I'm concerned, going back to a mahogany neck without a volute simply to please a few cork-sniffers who complained that it wasn't "original spec" was asinine. Following the same logic as those "die-hards", our cars should all have a crank starter, and run on thin tires mounted on wooden, 6-spoke wheels. After all, that was "original spec"...

Word!

 

[FastFret]

My Brother has a brand spanking new Gibson Thunderbird Bass and I always preach to him to NEVER lean it up against anything, to always put it in the stand or leave it in the case well,... he had it leaning on my pool table while he was getting his case out and, of course, it fell over and bounced off the dammned floor. I thought it was broke but, being a Gibson 9~ply Mohogany, it barely knocked it outta tune. So, he learned his lesson and uses the stands now, as he really got lucky ~ lol......

 

[jwblant]

In my years as a repairman, I have seen MANY les Pauls break the headstock IN THE CASE.

The guy thinks it is safe and the case gets knocked over, He doesn't even notice it got broken till the next time he pulls it out.

Newer cases are better but the older cases lack padding in the headstock area. Some T shirts or socks under the headstock saves the day!

I also, can verify that they still can break in the case. This morning at sound check, I had everything set up and went to plug in to to do a sound check and when I opened the case, the neck and headstock were two seperate pieces, only bound together by the screw of the truss rod cover....and I hadn't dropped it or anything!

 

[zontar]

Buy a Norlin. Problem solved, and yet everyone 'hates' the volute and the maple neck, right?

That's what I was thinking--get a volute.
My Gibson has one, and both my Ibanezes do as well.

Although my Norlin Paul has a mahogany neck.
My Iceman does have a maple neck.

Lots of good advice here though if you don't have a volute.

If I ever got a guitar custom made--I'd ask for a volute.