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#1
03-15-2015, 02:05 PM
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Headstock crack?
Hi all,
I've been looking to get a Gretsch New Yorker, the older 6050, not the current remake. I found a nice looking one, but am concerned because on the pictures, I noticed a small crack on the rear of the headstock right under the Low E tuner. The seller said that its minor and not structural. He said it was an easy repair. I'm not familiar with cracks or repairing them, so obviously I have a concern. Is it an easy/cheap fix or should I be more concerned, given that it is under a tuner and could be more of an issue. Thanks for any advice! 
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#2
03-16-2015, 02:28 PM
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It is more serious than the dealer is making it out to be. Also any type of crack repair should be done by an experienced luthier, if the guitar has much value.
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#3
03-16-2015, 02:50 PM
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I would need to see pictures but in truth the far majority of head stock cracks are easy to repair. Often the expense comes in how good you want it to look and that again can be easy on simple cracks but more expensive on cracks missing splinters and so on. A good repair is typically invisible and a cheaper repair you might see a hairline but it's just as strong as if it never happened.
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#4
03-16-2015, 02:53 PM
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Whether it is serious or trivial cannot be determined without seeing photos. If it is a scarf joint opening up, it could be on the trivial side. If it is a grain crack or other crack, it could be trivial or serious.
As redir states, anything is repairable and all but the worst headstock cracks (and I've repaired a few of those) are usually fairly easy to repair. Why don't you see if you can post a link to the photo then more people can chime in with more definitive diagnoses...
__________________
---- Ned Milburn NSDCC Master Artisan Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
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#5
03-16-2015, 03:45 PM
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http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/o...pswqlzijol.jpg
http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/o...psldg5zldg.jpg The top is the rear of the headstock, you can see the crack just below the low E tuner. The second photo is the neck meeting the body, it appears there are several cracks but difficult to tell in a photo. I will say that the seller is a very respected luthier and has a company devoted to guitar restoration. His reviews are extremely good. He states the headstock is minor, it doesn't go through and is an easy fix. He actually offered to fix it for no addition cost. Obviously he is trying to sell it, but he seems very honest and forthright with his judgement. The guitar isn't valuable enough to do a full restore on it. The neck/body pics he states are finish checks, and not in the body at all. He says they are not a structural concern. The guitar is 65 years old, so I expect a lot of wear, finish checks, I'm fine with that. In fact I can of like that it's an old beat up guitar that has seen some playing time. I appreciate you guys taking the time to give me your opinion. I'm not too familiar with these things. My oldest guitar is 2003!
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#6
03-16-2015, 07:48 PM
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That looks to me like the separation of a glue joint....the headstock wing. I believe many Gretsch guitars have headstock wings, as do Gibson and Guild.
The luthier is correct...this is not a difficult repair, nor is is a structural concern. The 'bad' headstock crack is when the peghead is separating from the neck shaft, and the crack is opened by string tension. In severe cases, the headstock can break off completely. This is not one of those.
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#7
03-16-2015, 08:57 PM
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Quote:
 
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#8
03-17-2015, 03:58 AM
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Headstock crack?
Thanks, I decided to go for it. He said it will take a few days to repair the crack, and will ship after that. I assume I'll have it sometime next week.
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#11
03-17-2015, 04:50 PM
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The guy I bought it from said he knew it was not the right glue to use but had a function to play and could not get another guitar. In his defense he was taking ownership of a luthier built guitar the next week.
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#12
03-27-2015, 04:45 PM
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Headstock crack?
Just an update that it arrived the other day, was wonderful. The seller fixed the crack perfectly, even put new strings and a set up. It was perfect out of the box.
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