Broken neck on Les Pauls

Oh, Jimmy

I was thinking of buying a 1977 55 reissue les paul. The problem is, it has had a neck repair, by gibson. The guy claims he has no problems with it, and it seems like a good deal, to me. I was wondering if anybody had any experience with a Les Paul or SG that suffered a broken neck at one time or another. How did it affect the guitar overall. I have read that some guitars play a bit better after a neck repair but always figured that owner was a real optimist.

JofZ

Oh, Jimmy wrote:

I was thinking of buying a 1977 55 reissue les paul. The problem is, it has had a neck repair, by gibson. The guy claims he has no problems with it, and it seems like a good deal, to me. I was wondering if anybody had any experience with a Les Paul or SG that suffered a broken neck at one time or another. How did it affect the guitar overall. I have read that some guitars play a bit better after a neck repair but always figured that owner was a real optimist.

I love this one!
The only people who say a guitar plays better after a neck repair is the guy trying to sell it

The truth is that many repaired headstocks on LP's, Jr's and SG's can be done very well and in some cases the guitar will play just as good. Unless you are going vintage and are trying to buy old wood for a bargin then I would stay away. For example a busted and repaired 59 Jr will go for $4800, but a pristine 59 Jr regardless of color will go for over 8k.

Good luck in what ever you decide to do!

Oh, Jimmy

JofZ wrote:

I love this one!
The only people who say a guitar plays better after a neck repair is the guy trying to sell it

The truth is that many repaired headstocks on LP's, Jr's and SG's can be done very well and in some cases the guitar will play just as good. Unless you are going vintage and are trying to buy old wood for a bargin then I would stay away. For example a busted and repaired 59 Jr will go for $4800, but a pristine 59 Jr regardless of color will go for over 8k.

Good luck in what ever you decide to do!

I have heard of big time guitarists saying it of their number one guitars. I think Zakk Wylde broke the headstock on his Confederate Les Paul, and claimed that something about the neck was different and better than the rest of his guitars.

who's_pearljam?

Through all my years I never broke a les paul OR SG neck!
I’ve seen quite a few fall off the stand on stage, and the headstock broke. Oh what a heartbreak and look on the owner’s face!! :(,,,,,,, :eek:,,,,,,,, :mad:

I have an old Guild Starfire V that has a repaired broken neck and it sounds and plays great!

I’ve fixed a lot of them, and it can make the guitar feel better. It depends on the fix, though. Sort of an infinite amount of answers to that.
A good fix will make the neck stronger than it was originally, as the old Gibsons are really thin at that transition from the neck to the headstock right at the nut with the 17 degree tilt.
If the neck cracked and had a lot of splinters, and was glued back in place, it can feel a little thicker than it did before. A lot of players like that feel because it feels more substantial. I think it might be a little bit of psychological too.
Some repairs are made with a couple of strips of wood that act as a structural support (as a spline) which actually can make the neck stiffer.

If you’re buying it to play it, and it sounds good, feels good and it’s a clean looking repair then you probably alright if the price is really right.
Like J of Z says, it may affect the resale, but if you’re buying it to be a musician and play, then you probably are ok. If it’s on Ebay, I would watch out, but on any guitar, you don't get to feel the mojo.

There are tons of fixed headstocks out there making music! :cool:
My old friend, (Youthinkyou’reold on this board) has an “official broken headstock 1960 Les Paul Standard”. I haven’t heard him complain about the repair yet,,,,, and I fixed it! :eek: I know I’d be the first to know, too! He would whack me over the head with it!
I fixed that sucker about 20 years ago. I don’t think I’d take that on now, because the stakes are too high now because that’s a museum piece now.

So in conclusion, if you can feel it and see it and hear it, and it seems like you can make beautiful music with it, and the price is right, I wouldn't be afraid of it.
If it's off E-Bay, watch out, although it could be perfectly fine.

stargoddess81

Oh, Jimmy wrote:

I was thinking of buying a 1977 55 reissue les paul. The problem is, it has had a neck repair, by gibson. The guy claims he has no problems with it, and it seems like a good deal, to me. I was wondering if anybody had any experience with a Les Paul or SG that suffered a broken neck at one time or another. How did it affect the guitar overall. I have read that some guitars play a bit better after a neck repair but always figured that owner was a real optimist.

I'm sure that it does play better with a new (non-broken) neck LOL
Have you had an opportunity to try it? That would be the best way of knowing. I'm sure that it would be fine though, considering that the repairs were done by Gibson.

enharmonic

Unless he has documentaion that you can verify with Gibson stating that the repair was completed at Gibson, I wouldn't touch it with a 10' poll. Pluss, it's a 77. Gibson notoriously sucked balls in the 70s. I feel bad for people paying "vintage" prices for 70s Les Pauls. Not to say that there aren't some good ones out there, but less than 10 years ago, every LP aficionado worth his ABR-1 gave the 70s Les Pauls zero respect.