Broken Truss Rod on Epiphone EJ200

[zamboknee]

I broke the truss rod on my beloved Epiphany EJ200 acoustic.
Question is. What's the cost on a repair on something like this?
I'm pretty handy, is this something a weekend handyman can do?
Is my guitar toast?
Here's some pics of the break.

Thanks,
Andy

[charles Tauber]

Originally Posted by zamboknee

I'm pretty handy, is this something a weekend handyman can do?

Not likely.

Is my guitar toast?

Nope. Throw enough money at something and nearly anything can be fixed.

Likely, you'll need the fingerboard removed and a new truss rod installed. About a few hundred bucks, likely.

[mirwa]

Yep, fingerboard removal and new truss rod install and refit the board

Way it up, fix it yourself and be okay with any small defects or pay someone or rep,ace.

To pay someone, I would expect being a bound board 250-350, dependant on location.

To fix it yourself, use a house iron and sit it on the frets, use a thin spatula to work the glue bond under the fretboard, between the binding and neck, slowly remove the fretboard, replace or repair truss rod, clean and reglue, sounds simple but quite a few things can and will likely will go wrong.

Steve

[zamboknee]

Thanks for the feedback. I love the guitar so might have to spend the money but will research the truss rod replacement videos on youtube.

[Napman41]

Take a look at this Stew-Mac link, it might be a solution to your problem.
https://www.stewmac.com/How-To/Onlin...tructions.html

[zamboknee]

Originally Posted by Napman41

Take a look at this Stew-Mac link, it might be a solution to your problem.
https://www.stewmac.com/How-To/Onlin...tructions.html

Thanks Napman41. Heading out now to a luthier shop for an estimate. If that's priced beyond my budget I might just have to go the StewMac way.

[John Arnold]

I suspect this one has a metal channel around the rod, so I am doubtful that the Stew Mac kit would work.

[Earl49]

The down side to the Stew Mac method is that you remove a fair amount of wood right where the neck is the thinnest. It can be tricky to not bore through completely, and the neck will be permanently weakened.

[zamboknee]

UPDATE: I took to the only guy in my town who can fix a broken truss rod in Sept 2018. I JUST picked it up yesterday and he hadn’t done anything on the repair. Long story short, this guy sucks and I need to find someone who can do this repair.
How do I go about finding someone who I can ship the guitar to for repair?

[Big Band Guitar]

If your going to do the job yourself pull a couple of frets and drill two alignment holes through the fretboard and into the neck about 1/8 inch to fit small pins so that alignment and re-glue will perfect.

Remove fretboard and evaluate the next step.

[Earl49]

A quick look at the MF web site just now shows the EJ200 as a $500 guitar brand new including a cutaway and electronics. GC has an EC used one listed for $250. Mirwa described the process well, and I cannot picture being able to ship, properly repair, and return ship this for less than its new replacement value. You may just have a wall hanger now, or a repair project to experiment on.

Originally Posted by zamboknee

How do I go about finding someone who I can ship the guitar to for repair?

It helps to know where you are, roughly. There is no point in suggesting a shop if you are in a different country altogether.

[B. Howard]

I do this repair often. The original truss rods are a weak design and often fail if used to add relief. The new rod will be better than the one that was in there.
Cost is around $350 with finish work. This depends a bit on actual finish color. Contact me if you still need someone.

[mirwa]

Originally Posted by zamboknee

UPDATE: I took to the only guy in my town who can fix a broken truss rod in Sept 2018. I JUST picked it up yesterday and he hadn’t done anything on the repair. Long story short, this guy sucks and I need to find someone who can do this repair.
How do I go about finding someone who I can ship the guitar to for repair?

That is an appalling situation.

The reason for it is simple, the person you took it too was a guitar tech not a luthier, find a luthier.

So many people these days in our field use catalogs to acquire their parts, the skills of a luthier, are fast dis-appearing

Brians price sounds right, i have two broken truss rods in my que at the momment, (different country), turn around time is typically 3-4 days
Steve

[BT55]

Originally Posted by mirwa

That is an appalling situation.

The reason for it is simple, the person you took it too was a guitar tech not a luthier, find a luthier.

So many people these days in our field use catalogs to acquire their parts, the skills of a luthier, are fast dis-appearing

Brians price sounds right, i have two broken truss rods in my que at the momment, (different country), turn around time is typically 3-4 days
Steve

Regretfully just like other artisans Luthiers are disappearing. It takes years, studying, apprenticeship and work to become an expert in any field. There are always people that call themselves experts but the proof is in the quality of their work. As a retired photographer I saw this coming years ago in that field. Smart equipment does not make up for knowledge and experience.

[snow creek]

With no experience I removed two fretboards. The first time on a maple neck with rosewood fingerboard it was simple and came right off and went back on just fine (broken truss rod). The second time was on a mahogony neck with a rosewood fingerboard (I think). That did not go as well. I got it off- but I cut into the neck pretty bad and while the repair was functional- its ugly
So I guess I am getting at- if you go the D.I.Y method- be OK with failing or having a marred guitar. Also- remove a fret and drill the holes. I didnt and it was a pain getting em back on right.
my 2 cents