Bang! It can happen to you.

louparte · #1 11-12-2015, 07:27 AM

I was practicing sitting on my bed, using some new pedals. This guitar sounds like a dream with a BBE and a bit of tremolo through a Roland AC60.

Anyway, I set my archtop aside for a moment and wham! It fell on its face on the floor. Surprisingly, only 3 small pock marks on the front where it landed. But the horror came when I looked at the back. A long crack had developed with a couple of shorter ones.

Front seemed ok, lovely as ever. (Sounds better than it looks too. Still does).

I had my luthier repair it in a fast turn-around. There were 3 cracks in back.
They were straight line, it seems like glue and some kind of wedge to fit them into place would be enough.

Anyway, here's how it looks now in harsh light. It's very smooth and flat to touch. Elevation has not changed. I record a lot with this guitar.
Broke my heart. I'll probably have some more sanding and polishing done in the future.

My name is on the headstock. So there is not much resale consideration. I can refinish the back without financial consequences.

It still sounds fantastic - acoustic or electric. So I consider myself lucky.
And I just might order a blond to accompany it. But it would be Maple - not Mahogany. Same dimensions otherwise.

fazool · #2 11-12-2015, 07:52 AM

Only because commiseration might help:

My cherished Gibson electric was my main guitar during my formative guitar years. I played it obsessively.

I was walking around our house with it around my neck and walking through the kitchen. The front strap button on a Les Paul shape is notorious for this problem and it let go. Look on eBay for cracked neck Les Pauls - you will see a shocking quantity. The strap button location actually imparts the guitars weight to pull the strap OFF. Its a horrible design.

Anway, without any warning my guitar neck swung like a (literal) axe chopping the linoleum with the headstock. I was horrified. It appeared OK but shortly after I took it in for a fret level and my tech showed my the neck crack that I didn't see. He fixed it and everything was perfect from then on but I became obsessively protective about strap connections and installed permanent chrome washers and made my strap unremovable on that guitar.

louparte · #3 11-12-2015, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fazool

Only because commiseration might help:

My cherished Gibson electric was my main guitar during my formative guitar years. I played it obsessively.

I was walking around our house with it around my neck and walking through the kitchen. The front strap button on a Les Paul shape is notorious for this problem and it let go. Look on eBay for cracked neck Les Pauls - you will see a shocking quantity. The strap button location actually imparts the guitars weight to pull the strap OFF. Its a horrible design.

Anway without any warning my guitar neck swung like a (literal) axe chopping the linoleum with the headstock. I was horrified. It appeared OK but shortly after I took it in for a fret level and my tech showed my the neck crack that I didn't see. He fixed it and everything was perfect from thenon but I became obsessively protective about strap connections and installed permanent chrome washers and made my strap unremovable on that guitar.

You have a good luthier. And I consider myself lucky after reading your story.

guitararmy · #4 11-12-2015, 11:29 AM

That's a nice archtop. Glad you were able to get it repaired.
I know every time a lay a guitar down on a chair, a bed or on the floor a little voice in my head says "I don't think you want to do that"

louparte · #5 11-12-2015, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guitararmy

That's a nice archtop. Glad you were able to get it repaired.
I know every time a lay a guitar down on a chair, a bed or on the floor a little voice in my head says "I don't think you want to do that"

I laid mine on the bed. Thought it was secure. WHAM! It hit the floor, while I was piddling around w/my pedals.

birkenweg42 · #6 11-14-2015, 12:20 PM

Hearing a story like this makes me cringe. I cracked the sides of one of my guitars once when it slipped out of my hand while I tried to put it on its stand. The sound of cracking wood is the stuff nightmares are made of.

That's a beautiful archtop regardless of the crack.

Silly Moustache · #7 11-14-2015, 12:51 PM

I guess it has to happen to all of us at some time. In '99 I bought a new Collings (not an archtop but the situation is similar) it cost me twice as much as anything I'd bought before.

six weeks after getting it, I took a pub gig (1st mistake) and played an unenjoyable evening to a small disinterested bunch of boozers.
Ended, walked away from the "podium" and heard a crash - turned aroud to see my pristine (and expensive) flat-top lying face down on the stone floor with the (slotted) headstock in three splinted parts.

Oh how I laughed .... not. Got it fixed. It has the scars to prove it - and many more now but still probably my favourite guitar.

Coastman · #8 11-14-2015, 01:52 PM

This is a sad story not about a guitar, but another stringed instrument (violin), but replace "violin" with "guitar" and you'll cringe just the same.

A few years ago I was playing at a very small church, along with a couple other musicians, one of which was an 80 year old former high school music teacher. He had been a music teacher all his life, and taught countless numbers of kids to appreciate music and to become musicians themselves.

He was playing his beloved violin that he had owned since his youth at church this day. The same violin he had used in his teaching. I have no idea of it's monetary value, but it obviously had enormous sentimental value.

After the church service was over, several members of the congregation were standing around chatting, including this violin player. He laid his violin down on the chair near him and turned to talk to someone. At the same time, someone decided to sit down. Yup, right onto his beloved violin. You can guess what happened. It was crushed, snapped off the neck and broke it in several places, broke the top, back, etc.. It was in several pieces. This poor 80 year old gentlemen screamed and burst into tears. He was inconsolable.

Eventually he was able to find someone to repair it - at least good enough that he could play it again, though it was clearly never the same. A couple years after that this gentleman had a stroke which, though it didn't kill him, it did severely disable him and he was never able to play the violin again. Heart breaking story.

Electar · #9 11-14-2015, 02:47 PM

I don't know if it's the same with archtops but the headstock on my 71 goldtop has been broken twice. It comes back playing and sounding better each time. I've heard this from others as well.

MahoganyStrings · #10 11-15-2015, 01:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Electar

I don't know if it's the same with archtops but the headstock on my 71 goldtop has been broken twice. It comes back playing and sounding better each time. I've heard this from others as well.

"If I don't play/sound better, Electar might snap my head off....again", is probably what it's thinking.

Electar · #11 11-16-2015, 10:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MahoganyStrings

"If I don't play/sound better, Electar might snap my head off....again", is probably what it's thinking.

Tell that to my SG. Oh wait, I broke that one too.

fazool · #12 11-16-2015, 11:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Electar

... the headstock on my 71 goldtop has been broken twice. ....

Quote:

Originally Posted by Electar

Tell that to my SG. Oh wait, I broke that one too.

Gibson's front strap pin location mechanically is the worst location you could possibly put a strap pin. It actually uses the weight of the guitar to pull the strap off. Look on eBay - it is flooded with snapped Gibson and Epiphone necks. It's a terrible design.

It's like using a loose lead belt to hold your pants up.

Bunny64 · #13 11-18-2015, 03:39 PM

That's a lovely looking guitar so I commiserate. I never had a problem but my first all solid acoustic was bought with a repair to the top at a considerable discount. The repair is rock solid and the guitar plays and sounds great.

I use these around the house and they work really well.

http://www.rimmersmusic.co.uk/access...mpaign=froogle

BKENNA · #14 11-18-2015, 11:28 PM

Wo, Ugh! May it never, by grace may it never happen.

Frankly to painful of a subject for me to even read the other replies, just don't even want to think about it happening. Though I know it certainly could.

Sorry that happened to you.

BK

tdq · #15 11-19-2015, 03:51 AM

My guitars are all out on stands. They all get played often and so there is much back and forth. I recently accidently whacked my Loar 700 archtop on the edge of the couch - there was a sickening crack and a two inch long cracked appeared in the side. Not severe enough to be structural, I don't think, but enough to be obviously visible. I swear it sounds better now.