Welcome to the next project, here we go fixing more broken stuff.
Today I have the pleasure of mending an Epiphone Les Paul Muse with a serious head”less” issue.
00:00 – lights, camera, action
00:06 – project intro
00:43 – what are we dealing with
01:17 – reunited = feels so good
02:23 – the repair begins
03:50 – verify spline radius
04:24 – cut, fit, glue
05:41 – quick shave
06:21 – the repair continues
08:58 – carve & sand
10:06 – recap
To oversimplify a terrible situation, I’m going to say there are 3 types of breaks this style headstock will typically suffer – again, oversimplified.
First is an nut area into headstock break, fracture, splintering. It’s not pretty!
Second, a more lateral break across the width of the neck in the nut region, this it the style break of the guitar in this video. Not much glue area, so we need to think laterally for a repair.
Third, a break from the nut area along the length of the neck, towards the body.
Beyond that, there can be a mixture of these breaks, and in various levels of ruin. Possibly multiple layers of splintering, missing pieces… it can get really ugly.
For this project, the first step was to simply get the pieces to stay inline with each other, so the real repair can begin. Clamping a severed headstock back to a neck can be a huge challenge, not a lot of great appendages to clamp onto. Rubberbands to the rescue!
With the head attached to the neck, it was time to start cutting cutting channels for new reinforcement splines. I made a routing fixture to hold the guitar and another “thingy” to hold my router to ride on the routing fixture.
Using a 1/4″ spiral router bit, I started by cutting 2 channels in the back of the neck to the depth of the fingerboard.
The channel radius was tested and splines made to match. I used Titebond original glue to bond the splines into the channels.
Once fully dry, I quickly and roughly shaved the splines close to the contour of the neck, then put the guitar back in the routing fixture.
3 more channels were cut, one in the center of the neck just to the depth of the truss rod channel, the other 2 at the outside edges of the neck almost to the fingerboard, almost. More splines were made to closely fit the radius of the channels. All pieces glued up and again the giant rubberband used to clamp everything in place until the glue was dry.
Final carving and sanding was done, making the repair ready for final sanding and finish work – but that will be in episode 2.
This video is intended for entertainment only, it’s not training of any sort. You may see ideas you like, but always practice better judgement than the fella in this video.
Remember, be safe and have fun!
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Great video!
That is pro quality job! Really nice.
Very clever work! Another job well done – keep it up!
Nice job!!! The way you clamped the headstock using the rubber band is genius!!!
Really, the wood you glued in is better than the original wood.
This kind of break definitely needs reinforcement. When it's only in the wood grain, you just glue it, and it's ready to go.
Have you seen the axe from the grave from CSGuitars with the SG? Scotsman Colin does a tremendous job getting the SG fixed.
This is what a repair overkill looks like.
Fantastic job by the way.
Excellent video, always love the tools you create!
You do great work and your jigs are remarkably built well.
Always a pleasure to watch your projects!
Greetings from Germany!
I'm not so sure your radius jig is the best solution. If it cut the pockets flat bottomed the sticks to fill the pockets would be much easier to get to match.
I got an Epiphone Explorer with a broken headstock and I may try flat bottomed pockets.
Regardless of how well we do these repairs the guitars will always be worth far less than their unbroken versions. That's the sad reality and the Epiphone value is already considerably less than it's Gibson branded cousin.
I kinda like the look the contrasting splines and would be tempted to take all the paint off. But that's probably just me.
Another great video; I love it. I have seen similar jig ideas, but this is the most straightforward and repeatable.
I always forget to share some information… here you go.
The neck fixture I made was inspired by the StringTech spline tool: https://stringtech.net/product/neck-surgery-jig/
Here's an incomplete listing of other information, resources and inspiration:
Blackwood Guitarworks
https://blackwoodguitarworks.com/headstock-repair-with-splines-part-1/
Third Coast Guitar
https://www.thirdcoastguitar.com/restoration/339-spline
My Les Paul .com
https://www.mylespaul.com/threads/eight-million-headstock-breaks-in-the-city-this-is-one-of-them.410975/
https://www.mylespaul.com/threads/repairing-jon-bon-jovis-les-paul-classic.295965/
Eb Jensen – Guitar neck slotting jig
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZFH-KnZ7X8
Jamie Surette – Broken Guitar Headstock spline repair
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2FOI41zW_Y
Harpeth Guitar Restoration – Les Paul Neck Splines 2017 Tribute Model
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYZc883wm54
Harpeth Guitar Restoration – Neck Splines-Gibson Les Paul Traditional Pro V
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1T_PAacacCk
Twoodfrd – Gibson Headstock Repair
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owbEThXSACE
Twoodfrd – What's going on inside this '72 Les Paul?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTYSJI3aHSU
Twoodfrd – One Screwed Up Les Paul (with actual screws)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5s-KyPh3tOY
Big D Guitars – Repairing a Nasty Headstock Break on a Gibson Les Paul – Full Timelapse Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNVPGX2Z4mY
Big D Guitars – 1953 Gold Top Restore: Repairing the Headstock & Restoring the Inlay
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wD-cymV7K-0
Gabriel's Guitars – Headstock Crack Repair (Part 1 & 2)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JV5XAK13Gk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8H0mJXhS_zQ
Jack's Corner – How to repair a broken headstock (Les Paul)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plWIBE5Xw3Q
Lucas Fowler – Repairing A Broken Headstock: Episode 1 & 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InizQ8GuQps
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQSYT95cK5o
StewMac – Gluing a broken guitar peghead
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DwA56TKWq8
Flame Guitars – Repair of a Gibson Les Paul with a snapped off headstock
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIrS3oSeDow
Bud Veazey – Repairing a broken Epiphone Les Paul Custom neck
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvK_AgbeUCE
And many more…
Ah ha. The jig master strikes again. A lot of thought and time. The prep taking more time than the repair. Do you need an apprentice? I work for food!!! Hahahaha 😂
Always pleased to see your videos. That id the most comprehensive neck repair I have ever seen. Well done.
That's amazing work, it'll be a shame to paint it and cover up you're fantastic repair
I’ve always wanted to buy a guitar with a broken headstock, repair it and keep it forever. Sadly, I haven’t found any guitars like that for sale in my area
You need a jig making jig for all these jigs 😂. Seriously though that's a great fix, I don't think I've ever seen a straight up and down break like that, they've always been along the grain, which to me seems a little easier to repair. Keep up the great work man 👍
i like this video
Well done. I am looking forward to the second video.
“Mahogany alternative” sounds dubious to me. I’ve always wanted a Les Paul, but never pulled the trigger. Always was a Fender man… but they are awesome.
If I did own one, I’d just want you to do this repair on it so it’d be safe as houses.
Do you think with the better mahogany added, it’d add to the tone or sustain? 🤷🏼♂️ I can think of an argument for both sides.