A Cracked Neck
© Frank Ford, 4/22/02; Photos by FF
Of all the broken headstock repairs, this one has to be the most predictable. The peghead was not actually broken off when the guitar fell forward, landing the upper portion of the peghead against an amplifier cabinet. Often in a forward fall, the peghead breaks from forward inertia as the neck lands flat or hits somewhere near the nut. In this situation, the force was directed backward, against string tension, cracking the wood along the grain under the fingerboard. This common break can also occur in a backward fall within the case, where the neck is usually supported but the peghead is not.
At any rate, the crack starts at the nut, and proceeds under the fingerboard, but does not break through to the back of the neck:
In fact, with the guitar tuned to pitch, the crack closes right up and is almost invisible. Here, regular wood glue will do the job well, because I don't have to worry about the glue losing strength in the heat of a parked car. Even in that circumstance, the force of string tension will tend to keep the joint tight:
A few simple clamps and padded cauls, and the job's done:
