I feel sick.

[br d]

Just had some friends round, one of them had a bit too much to drink, walked into my office and knocked my beloved Setzer SSU 6120 off it's stand. Broken at the headstock, bent a couple of the keys, looks awful.
It's not the value, the guitar cost two and a half grand but I've had my moneys worth over the last six years, it's just the thousands of hours that I have put into it. This thing is like a third arm to me.

Gutted.

Is this even repairable?



I know there are much worse things that could happen but right now I'm feeling fking sick.

[davepoth]

I've seen worse fixed. A mate had a Les Paul Special with a crack that was almost straight across the profile of the neck, and that has been fine for ten years after it was mended. You'll want a decent luthier to fix that though - whereabouts are you?

[NiceCupOfTea]

Is it a bolt on neck?

I'm not a guitarist but your mate should be telling to take it to the best guitar shop around with a blank cheque. Is it insured?

I've had a couple of feeling sick moments when my horn got damaged - one when it fell 4 feet onto a hard floor. Looked an absolute mess, could barely get it into the case to get it home. As you say, it's not the value, in my case it was the instrument I had played on for over 25 years, day in day out, that I earned my living on and was irreplaceable.

fortunately mine was repaired and played as good as new - cost the insurance over 2 grand though...

[Tanguero]

It's repairable. If you haven't already done so - slacken the strings right off ASAP.

[Gokartmozart]

Release the string tension and try closing the break and bind it with tape, plus
quick clamp if you have one.

Plus what Davepoth said.

Have a look here for one's that are local.

http://www.luthierdirectory.co.uk/

[Baryonyx]

It looks like it's split along the volute at the back of the headstock? No reason why it shouldn't be repairable. I once played an Alembic Series I bass that had split along the volute in a similar fashion - in the early 80's! It was repaired, and still going strong nearly 30 years later...

[12v3pot]

Very repairable. If you've ever seen the state of Schenker's post-tantrum Vs, you'll get an idea of the near-miraculous work that a good luthier can do.

[Justin Cyder]

Where in the world are you? I know a couple of top chaps who can put that thing back on its feet stat depending on how far you wish to go.

[Fantuzzi]

All the best with it, no wonder youre feeling sick.

Your mate will be feeling sick when he sees the bill...

[gazza285]

Fantuzzi said:

All the best with it, no wonder youre feeling sick.

Your mate will be feeling sick when he sees the bill...

You might be suprised, my Les Paul was £30 including paint touch up, and you couldn't see the crack after.

[Fantuzzi]

gazza285 said:

Fantuzzi said:

All the best with it, no wonder youre feeling sick.

Your mate will be feeling sick when he sees the bill...

You might be suprised, my Les Paul was £30 including paint touch up, and you couldn't see the crack after.

! That's awesome, thought it would be loads.

[gazza285]

That was from the now sadly deceased Paul McNab, other luthiers may charge more.

Always wanted one of Paul's guitars, never got round to the actual buying of one.

[Ganglandboss]

Years ago, the guitar teacher I used to go to showed me a Gibson he had sent for repair. I forget who he said he bought it off but it was some moderately well known guitarist. It had been thrown against the wall in a musician's hissy fit and snapped almost completely at the second fret. He had it repaired and you couldn't see the join. The luthier matched the discoloured binding and retained the well worn finish, so it retained all its character.

Don't worry - your guitar is repairable.

[audidoody]

Julian Mullen did a good-as-new job on my old Gibson 335 that had a snapped headstock. He has a lot of experience with this very common injury.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/julian.mullen/Repairs...

[br d]

Fixed!

Took me ages to find the right person, in the end it went to Martyn Booth in Suffolk who has done an absolutely brilliant job, sorted the break, new frets and a full set up for 250 quid! It plays like an absolute dream, perfectly crisp and tight.

Here is the repair:



And here she is in all her glory:



Unfortunately, I spent the insurance money on this:



An American Standard Tele which I've always wanted but gives me severe cramp in my fretting hand after about a half hours playing, probably have to sell it if I can't suss out the problem.

[mrmaggit]

Nah, that's a new neck, that is.

If that is as repaired, that's superb work.

[Don1]

Very glad to hear of a happy ending.

[NiceCupOfTea]

Hope your mate saw you right...

[knotweed]

Glad this had a happy ending. That is a lovely guitar