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Help needed to repair broken headstock.
http://mowrystrings.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10102&t=14597		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  CraigSz [ Mon Nov 19, 2007 5:29 pm ]
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A friend of mine found  her Taylor damaged after arriving back from overseas and has asked if I would be able to fix it. Having no experience with repairs I am a little hesitant. However I would like  to gain this type of experience  so would appreciate any advice on how to tackle this one.  Thanks


Craig.


 
Author:  K.O. [ Mon Nov 19, 2007 6:30 pm ]
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Frank Ford presents some methods, go to the index to look over other headstock repair and other info.
Author:  K.O. [ Mon Nov 19, 2007 6:33 pm ]
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Oops I meant to link to the backstrap
Author:  David Collins [ Mon Nov 19, 2007 6:42 pm ]
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Work some glue in and clamp it. You could use PVA, epoxy, fish or hide glue
on that one, and any would be fine.

Use common sense in making sure it fits together nicely, and removing any
stray fibers that get in the way, dry clamp a few times to make sure it goes
together well, then work some glue in and clamp it. Not much more too it
than that.
Author:  K.O. [ Mon Nov 19, 2007 6:46 pm ]
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I sometimes wonder if biscuiting under the back-strap is worth while or even advisable.
Author:  CraigSz [ Mon Nov 19, 2007 9:24 pm ]
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I appologise for the quality of the pics. What cannot be seen is the bottom of the end of the truss rod through the opening of the break.


There appears to be only a couple of mm of wood covering it. Is it worth trying to build up that area perhaps by gluing another thin piece of wood over it once the break has been glued?


Thanks


Craig.


 


 
Author:  David Collins [ Tue Nov 20, 2007 1:30 am ]
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[QUOTE=CraigSz]

What cannot be seen is the bottom of the end of the
truss rod through the opening of the break.][/QUOTE]

Doesn't matter. Hundreds of thousands of guitars are built that way, but
the
only ones that break are the ones that take a serious whack (except
Gibsons
of course, which break when you tickle them just right ).

If a break like this closes cleanly, and there is no large area of missing
wood, all you have to do is work glue in and clamp it.

On more extreme breaks with other variables I occasionally do a
backstrap over a variation on the conventional spline (I don't like the
conventional spline style). This really looks like it needs none of that.

People get so freaked out about broken pegheads. After you've done even
a few you will find it is much less complicated than say, doing a good fret
dress. There area ton of things you can do with broken pegheads, but
from what I can see from the pictures I repeat -

Work in glue and clamp.

If it fits together and is glued and clamped well, it will not break again
unless they drop it again.

Author:  FishtownMike [ Tue Nov 20, 2007 11:55 am ]
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Taylor fingerjoints their headstocks on to the neck? I guess this is one of their budget guitars.
Author:  CraigSz [ Tue Nov 20, 2007 12:49 pm ]
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Thanks K.O. and David for your help. I feel a lot more confident although working on someone elses instrument will take some getting used to. It is a  Taylor 110 bottom of the range I think but the owner has become quite attached to it over the years.  


Thanks again


Craig.
Author:  Rick Turner [ Tue Nov 20, 2007 1:08 pm ]
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Taylor has apparently stopped making necks this way.   It was ugly as sin (my opinion), and I saw quite a few that broke (fact, not opinion) because of bad gluing, insufficient finger length on the joint, etc. Of course, the rabid Taylor fans thought it was brilliant...but the drank the KoolAide, too, and now they're all gone...
Author:  FishtownMike [ Tue Nov 20, 2007 2:36 pm ]
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I agree with you on that Rick. In my mind it reminds me of cheap wood counter tops. This is where this type of joint is used frequently.
Author:  Bruce Dickey [ Tue Nov 20, 2007 6:02 pm ]
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I didn't know they'd quit using this fingerjoint. Hmmm. Learn something new every day. What are they now using? Scarf Join? I know they put their heel block on the neck blank using a couple of small steel dowel pins and glue. Pretty amazing.

I've never seen one of these joins fail on a Taylor though, even online. I did watch Bob Taylor intentionally break about six necks on the NT Neck Video a number of years back. Hurt my soul to see him do that to those new necks.      They all failed above the join at about the first set of tuner holes if I remember right.

This neck should repair fine. Good luck Craig. If it doesn't work out, have Taylor send out a new one and bolt it right up. Sheesh, wonder how much that would cost? Half the price of the guitar I'm guessing.
Author:  Dave Rickard [ Wed Nov 21, 2007 12:09 am ]
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Craig, I've done 4 of these in the past and like everyone else said they realy are easy as pie
Author:  JimWomack [ Wed Nov 21, 2007 6:43 am ]
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[QUOTE=ToddStock]Unless you pointed it out, most Taylor owners did not even notice it...sort of like the putty, I guess.[/QUOTE]

Jeez, how could anyone miss it. It's the first thing that caught my eye. Makes it look cheap... IMHO.

On the other hand, looks like a typical headstock repair... good advice given here already.
Author:  Bruce Dickey [ Wed Nov 21, 2007 7:12 am ]
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You carpenter types know this join from buying trim.

Paint or Stain Grade, anyone?
Author:  Bruce Dickey [ Wed Nov 21, 2007 7:14 am ]
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This must be fairly new. Notice the tuners, not Grover.
Author:  curtis [ Fri Nov 23, 2007 10:20 pm ]
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[QUOTE=David Collins]Work some glue in and clamp it. You could use PVA, epoxy, fish or hide glue

on that one, and any would be fine.



Use common sense in making sure it fits together nicely, and removing any

stray fibers that get in the way, dry clamp a few times to make sure it goes

together well, then work some glue in and clamp it. Not much more too it

than that.[/QUOTE]

perfect advice.

if anyone hasnt seen Davids headstock repair jig i urge you to check it out - just do a quick search on the forum.

i sprinkle a little bit of water in the headstock break before i apply the glue (obv water soluble glue!) and occaisionally blow the glue up inside with an air line to ensure a good application, although its not essential. The sprinkling of water helps the glue find its way up inside the wood through cappiliary action or osmosis or magik or something.
i've been meaning to make Davids jig for months - in fact several of them...then you buy a house, then it needs this and that...
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