The unthinkable happened

[Any Name You Wish]

 

[garywright]

Holy Crap ! ..what the heck happened ?

 

[Any Name You Wish]

Cleaning the studio and it was behind me and bumped it just enough to fall out of the stand and flat on the floor. face down. Really pissed at myself. Could have bumped the Telecaster, but nope, had to be this one.

 

[bizzwriter]

Ugh. Sorry for your loss.

 

[J.D.]

Indeed it sucks but they can be repaired. It's a "clean" break. Get it to a competent repair shop. It'll still play the same.

 

[Dr. Green]

I know this is brutal - but curious for anyone who is an expert - lets say its properly fixed - what the financial hit on a headstock break like that with regard to the resale market ?

I am guessing 2 grand - but I am pulling that number out of my bung hole

I am thinking a 6500 guitar becomes a 4500 ...... anyone think I am close or am I way off ?

 

[J.D.]

On newer Historic guitars it's certainly significant. That's probably a good directional guess.

 

[Les Paulette]

I know this is brutal - but curious for anyone who is an expert - lets say its properly fixed - what the financial hit on a headstock break like that with regard to the resale market ?

I am guessing 2 grand - but I am pulling that number out of my bung hole

I am thinking a 6500 guitar becomes a 4500 ...... anyone think I am close or am I way off ?

If it's keeper it won't matter if repaired right..as far as resale some people won't consider buying a headstock repaired guitar..$6500 goes to zero...
I was looking into buying a 60th Anniversary R9 with a really ugly headstock repair..used up all my contacts..as well as contacting a few well respected luthiers..
they didn't want to touch it...
didn't want to repair the repair...
the price the seller wanted wasn't that much of a discount either..so.. I passed

 

[Dr. Green]

If it's keeper it won't matter if repaired right..as far as resale some people won't consider buying a headstock repaired guitar..$6500 goes to zero...
I was looking into buying a 60th Anniversary R9 with a really ugly headstock repair..used up all my contacts..as well as contacting a few well respected luthiers..
they didn't want to touch it...
didn't want to repair the repair...
the price the seller wanted wasn't that much of a discount either..so.. I passed

let me ask you this - had you been given the opportunity to buy this exact guitar with the break in the state it is in now - unrepaired - what discount would you have demanded to bring it to a price point where you would be a buyer ?

 

[Les Paulette]

let me ask you this - had you been given the opportunity to buy this exact guitar with the break in the state it is in now - unrepaired - what discount would you have demanded to bring it to a price point where you would be a buyer ?

I'm not as experienced or as smart as my fellow forumers...is that a word?..Lespaulians?..lol...

I'd take the current market price sans break ..
deduct repair costs..shipping..all that
Then...
Wait for it...
Deduct another 2k...

 

[Gino753]

I know this is brutal - but curious for anyone who is an expert - lets say its properly fixed - what the financial hit on a headstock break like that with regard to the resale market ?

I am guessing 2 grand - but I am pulling that number out of my bung hole

I am thinking a 6500 guitar becomes a 4500 ...... anyone think I am close or am I way off ?

Yeah…unfortunately like another member said …too me personally if this guitar was even a Brazillian board…$8000 model…id be at $2,000 max…and to be honest i simply would not even buy it…it depends on the person though…but yeah….i would Cry…then spare no expense having it repaired by a top notch luthier then keep it

 

[Les Paulette]

Yeah…unfortunately like another member said …too me personally if this guitar was even a Brazillian board…$8000 model…id be at $2,000 max…and to be honest i simply would not even buy it…it depends on the person though…but yeah….i would Cry…then spare no expense having it repaired by a top notch luthier then keep it

And...that's really the only reason I spent all the time and effort trying to get repair/restoration quotes..it had a killer top in just the right color I wanted...everybody who looked at the repair pics...told me to pass... I almost ignored their advice..but the 2 screws in the back of the neck/headstock were just so nasty looking...
I could just imagine people whispering amoungst themselves.. psst psst that's the gal with the headstock held on by 2 woodscrews..

 

[J.D.]

There are a lot of guys who look for clean Historics with headstock breaks who (gasp) want to play them. A property repaired headstock break won't affect playability but will significantly lower market value. Great way for a player to get into an otherwise expensive guitar.

 

[LeonC]

At the end of the night, on my last gig as a professional guitarist, back in 1983, the drummer accidentally kicked my '68 LP Custom over and broke the headstock. That was a fabulous guitar and it was never quite the same after, though a fantastic repair was done. It was still a great guitar but it had lost something to me. I foolishly sold it in 2001. So...I feel your pain brotha! Bummer!

 

[Any Name You Wish]

Thanks for the condolences. I usually hang on to guitars forever, and the few I let go I do regret it. So this one is a keeper and will hopefully get repaired. I understand Gibson does repairs, wonder if that would be the way to go. We have a good luthier here in Boulder CO (Woodsongs), perhaps they can take a look at it. Something like this happening makes you realize how much an instrument can become a part of you.

 

[Gino753]

Thanks for the condolences. I usually hang on to guitars forever, and the few I let go I do regret it. So this one is a keeper and will hopefully get repaired. I understand Gibson does repairs, wonder if that would be the way to go. We have a good luthier here in Boulder CO (Woodsongs), perhaps they can take a look at it. Something like this happening makes you realize how much an instrument can become a part of you.

That’s exactly what im about as well.I am soo picky when inspecting a guitar i buy, becauss i buy too keep…the only les paul i ever sold was a 1995 wine red studio, that was brand new..i was not mature enough to appreciate the wine red paint job and black parts so i sold it…it was built and played incredible…i regret that to this day…it was 1998 when i got it left over from a small music shop locally, sold it around 2008…dumb

So yes..since you speak my language…i would have that damage dissapear by a top end luthier…it will probally cost$$ but i would do it…they can graph a new piece of wood from the back..or whatever and make it go away

Then take care of it

 

[somebodyelseuk]

I know this is brutal - but curious for anyone who is an expert - lets say its properly fixed - what the financial hit on a headstock break like that with regard to the resale market ?

I am guessing 2 grand - but I am pulling that number out of my bung hole

I am thinking a 6500 guitar becomes a 4500 ...... anyone think I am close or am I way off ?

More than it's worth in it's current condition.

 

[au_rick]

reneck ?

 

[El Gringo]

My 2 cents is that I believe even if it is repaired well it will never play the same as it did pre break . All of that baloney about it being stronger after a break and a repair is a hoax to me .

 

[akstrat61]

Was it insured? Some of the insurances will cover it.

BCR Greg here on the forum would be the guy I would reach out to for any repair like this.

No question the value has decreased in addition to the repair cost. The hope would be that the repair did not worse the tone and you could coontinue to play it for years to come. With so many of these guitars on the market, a potential buyer would need to see a deal beyond belief to purchase. So sorry for your loss! MHO