OT: Repair costs?

[GuitaristZ0S0]

http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/msg/2303398659.html
How much do you guys think it would cost to properly repair this? Good deal or no?

[Randy Bass]

If you want a professional repair that restores it cosmetically, you could end up paying $300 or more. I have seen those guitars go for around $500 to $600 on Craigslist, so it's not a good enough price if you ask me. Keep in mind that the value goes down permanently on a headstock or neck break, even if the repair is perfect. I'd not take that project on unless you already have a good relationship with a luthier who you know to be both skilled and reasonable.

[flea]

I agree with Randy, not worth the price of admission at all. Whoever glued the headstock back on really should've just left it alone, it looks atrocious.

[indianDYsummer]

Agreed with what's above. You could sink $300 into it and have a decent player, but you'll never get more than $450 or so in resale value. Not worth it IMO.

[Les Paul Lover]

Not sure what gorilla glue is, if it is a wood glue, the repair is probably stronger now than it was before the break.

Cosmetically, that's really nasty. I wonder if the headstock was realigned exactly, difficult to tell in the pics.


Too expensive though - perhaps $200 at most, and I would only take that on if I could improve its appearance myself, otherwise it'll cost you too much I reckon.

[jason41224]

i'm pretty sure Gorilla Glue isn't classified as a proper wood glue; it's just an all-purpose super glue.

[nguideau]

I think it would've been worth it if it were freshly broken. But it will add a significant amount of labor to the repair job since this guy used Gorilla Glue to put it back together. I agree with everyone else, I'd stay away.

[GuitaristZ0S0]

Thanks guys, i might offer lower, but i doubt he'll go for it...

[Les Paul Lover]

Thanks guys, i might offer lower, but i doubt he'll go for it...

By all means, if you go for it, I think you've got to consider it the ugly duckling...

It probably plays nice and the glued break is probably stable. Just the cosmetic fix would be costly and not reflected in increased value, because the break will still be there.


On thing though - the way the glue is everywhere, I'd be wary that the truss rod might be glued solid too.

[indianDYsummer]

Don't get it man, if you really want a cheap Gibson with a worn finish and p90s just get one of the studio 60s or 50s guitars used. You'll end up paying the same after properly fixing that guitar and it wont be a turd.

[Les Paul Lover]

On the orther hand, at $200, you could get a player - so long as you don't intend to get it professionaly fixed.


Headstock breaks of the gibson variety tend to repair rather well, very often the bond is stronger than the wood.

Problem here is probably only the look..... and that is a problem. So long as the guitar plays well, it could be worth $200, but no more IMO - and then you'd have a guitar you wouldn't worry about spilling your beer on....

True that it could be a total turd too.

[baytamusic]

If that's a VOS it's well worth buying and having fixed. Those are $2500 guitars. If it's a production model I'd skip it unless you don't care how it looks. That being said, it really needs a professional to repair it which is probably not worth the effort.

[bclaire]

That is one horrible repair. I suspect that a proper repair would have been close to invisible but that repair will probably prevent the ability to repair it correctly. I'd pass- I wouldn't have if it hadn't been "repaired."

[jason41224]

i would wait. if it's still there in a few months, try talking him down on the price. i would take it for half of that easily. but that's pretty much blue-balling right there.

[a.hun]

I'd just pass - what a mess. Idiot did more damage after the break than it is worth spending anything on trying to patch up. A clean repair on a Gibson can make for a bargain. Not that though.

IMO...


Andy.