Got a little crack around the back of my neck

[verycoolguy]

I've been trying to do what Bob Brozman is doing in this video around 20 sec:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2p52JNcbDc

I've been able to do it a few times but in order to get any significant volume from the string I have to hit it uncomfortably hard, to the point where it really hurts my hand after a few tries. I'm assuming this is a bad idea unless you specifically have a baritone (which I don't).

So I obviously stopped doing it but about two weeks ago I was attempting to show a friend the technique. After a few tries I heard a cracking noise with it. I assumed nothing was wrong because I couldn't find anything and the guitar was in tune.

Just yesterday I found this:
i.imgur.com/4uvcIsS.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/BZKAU8a.jpg

That's a pretty bad place for a crack when you have a guitar with heavy strings, but I haven't had issues yet. I tightened the truss rod to take some tension off the neck but is there any real fix for this?

[runamuck]

Tune the strings slack and take your drum set to a luthier right away - before the wood oxidizes much where it broke.

[DenverSteve]

Yeah. I would loosen the strings, or remove them, and take it to your guitar tech and have it properly repaired. What make and model is this?

[mirwa]

Unfortunately, that is a bad crack, its a cross grain crack.

I suspect it may be cheaper to actually replace the neck than to repair that crack.

Steve

[verycoolguy]

It's a Republic Delta Rocket. Mahogany neck. I'm unsure if it's just a finish crack or if the wood itself is actually damaged. Is it possible for crack against the grain be that thin? When I look closely at it, it doesn't seem to have any depth but it is hard to tell for sure.

Based on the photos, I don't believe that is a finish crack. And given the price of the instrument, I don't think a neck replacement would make any financial sense. It's such an odd sort of break that I'm not really sure how a professional would approach it.

I can tell you what I would do, which may be ill-advised, but perhaps the pros can offer a better solution. I would setup a clamp system to close the crack without actually being on the crack. Once I was convinced that worked, I'd flow some thin CA into the crack and close it. Following that, I'd consider splines on either side of the truss rod, or perhaps even making a concave cuts on either side of the truss rod with a drum sander and fitting pieces of mahogany into those cuts. With those glued in, I'd shape them to match the contour of the neck. You could lightly finish over all that if you wanted, but I'd probably just make a "speed neck" project of it. Of course, I'd be going for functional over pretty.

[H165]

wood itself is actually damaged

splines on either side of the truss rod,

Exactly.

That's major damage.

I kinda doubt that neck is what I think of as mahogany.

[John Arnold]

I would not use splines. I would cut a long scoop on the back about 1/4" deep and glue in a mahogany piece. That will be stronger than splines. Of course, I would glue and clamp the crack first.
It won't be pretty, but it is fairly inexpensive.

I kinda doubt that neck is what I think of as mahogany.

Looks more like Nato to me. Whatever wood it is, the failure is indicative of compromised strength, maybe due to the initial stages of decay.

[Hot Vibrato]

Originally Posted by John Arnold

I would not use splines. I would cut a long scoop on the back about 1/4" deep and glue in a mahogany piece. That will be stronger than splines. Of course, I would glue and clamp the crack first.
It won't be pretty, but it is fairly inexpensive.

Makes sense. Could you describe the size and shape of your proposed "scoop"? How are the ends shaped?

[John Arnold]

The scoop is a smooth curve (viewed from the side), cut deepest at the site of the crack. The ones I have done are typically 1 1/2" to 2" long. That produces a scarf joint with shallow angles, which is best for strength.

[DenverSteve]

Originally Posted by verycoolguy

It's a Republic Delta Rocket. Mahogany neck. I'm unsure if it's just a finish crack or if the wood itself is actually damaged.

Then the guitar (if otherwise sound) to me has a value to repair. Like I originally posted, I would take it to a repair shop and have them start the work. That is not a finish crack and very likely will not be stable if continued to use as is.

Originally Posted by John Arnold

The scoop is a smooth curve (viewed from the side), cut deepest at the site of the crack. The ones I have done are typically 1 1/2" to 2" long. That produces a scarf joint with shallow angles, which is best for strength.

Thanks, John. That is pretty much the type of repair Homer Ledford once did on a Les Paul I had. The neck had been broken and poorly repaired twice before I bought it. (Actually all I bought was the body for $50. The hardware had been stripped.) Anyway, it held perfectly and after Homer refinished that area and blended it with the original dark red finish it was even a fairly good looking repair.

[Hot Vibrato]

Originally Posted by John Arnold

The scoop is a smooth curve (viewed from the side), cut deepest at the site of the crack. The ones I have done are typically 1 1/2" to 2" long. That produces a scarf joint with shallow angles, which is best for strength.

Thanks! Are the scoop and filler piece both cut free-hand? What tools are used? Seems like it might take a fair amount of trial and error to get the contours to match. Is there any trick to getting the surfaces to mate?

[fazool]

Originally Posted by verycoolguy

It's a Republic Delta Rocket. Mahogany neck. I'm unsure if it's just a finish crack or if the wood itself is actually damaged. Is it possible for crack against the grain be that thin? When I look closely at it, it doesn't seem to have any depth but it is hard to tell for sure.

That is absolutely not a finish crack. That is a very serious broken neck.

I'm just amazed you deliberately hit your guitar so hard your hand hurt and then you broke your neck with your bare hands.

Consider me shaking my head in disbelief.

[fazool]

Originally Posted by verycoolguy

I've been trying to do what Bob Brozman is doing in this video around 20 sec:... I'm assuming this is a bad idea unless you specifically have a baritone (which I don't)....

What does a baritone guitar have to do with anything?