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12-05-2009, 03:44 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Austin | | | fingerboard peeling away from neck???
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I recently sold an epiphone thunderbird to a guy only to get a call back that the fingerboard was cracking away from the neck close to the headstock a couple inches. I never played the bass so I honestly guess i didnt even notice....anyone ever had this problem or have any idea how much it costs to fix? is it even worth fixing for a bass like that? It's past the warranty , but should I call Epiphone?? I am completely dumbfounded at the moment 
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12-05-2009, 03:49 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Rutherford, NJ | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Dasgre0g  I recently sold an epiphone thunderbird to a guy only to get a call back that the fingerboard was cracking away from the neck close to the headstock a couple inches. I never played the bass so I honestly guess i didnt even notice....anyone ever had this problem or have any idea how much it costs to fix? is it even worth fixing for a bass like that? It's past the warranty , but should I call Epiphone?? I am completely dumbfounded at the moment | Either the bass was in good condition when you sold it to him or not. If you don't know, then you have to assume he is telling the truth and are responsible for repair, replacement or refund. IMO You didn't give the bass a good going over before you packed it up? 
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12-05-2009, 03:51 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Austin | | | no i absolutely agree. I do believe him. He's a good guy. I just sold it so cheap I really just pulled it out of the closet and sent it off.
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They want you to be Jesus, they go down on one knee. But they want their money back if you're alive at 33?
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12-05-2009, 04:07 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Austin | | any ideas ? anyone? manufacture defect ? temperature change? *shrug * 
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They want you to be Jesus, they go down on one knee. But they want their money back if you're alive at 33?
~~Musicman Bongos, Stingrays, etc
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12-05-2009, 04:11 PM
|  | Registered User | | | | | I can tell you this, the original Thunderbirds are legendary for headstocks snapping off. You'd think after 40+ years they coulda got around to doing something about it. |
12-05-2009, 04:23 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Austin | | yeah. I am pretty sure the pure physics upon the bass based on its design really dont help. The price we pay for vanity 
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They want you to be Jesus, they go down on one knee. But they want their money back if you're alive at 33?
~~Musicman Bongos, Stingrays, etc
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12-05-2009, 04:31 PM
| | Registered User | | | | | I still remember the sound it made and the feeling I had in the pit of my stomach that night at practice when I was holding a beer, looking at my '64 thunderbird on the stand and the neck snapped right before my eyes...ugh! |
12-05-2009, 04:33 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Austin | | | jesus. I would have had throw up. I bought a brand new Fender P-bass when i was 17 way back when, didn't know much at all, had saved up for months and months...my bass teacher went to adjust the truss road and I heard a crack...and the rod just spun. I almost cried. Thank god for a warranty. I can only imagine YOUR pain
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They want you to be Jesus, they go down on one knee. But they want their money back if you're alive at 33?
~~Musicman Bongos, Stingrays, etc
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12-05-2009, 04:40 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Metro D.C. and Brooklyn, NY | | same exact thing happened to my Dean. I bought it from a real store in Colorado. It was in mint condition at the store, it showed up at my house with the fingerboard peeling. Half of the strings were loose, perhaps the lack of tension on the strings coupled with the opposite tention of the truss rod caused the board to separate.  
The store contacted Dean for warranty repair. Dean said that the Sledgehammer is discontinued, so if they can't fix it, they'll replace it with another bass. I didn't want to take the chance of getting a different bass, so I fixed it myself.
I bought a fresh bottle of Tite-Bond wood glue, the same stuff Luthiers use when building guitars. I tightened the truss rod to get the maximum gap between the neck and the board, then injected a good amount of the glue into the gap. Then loosened the truss rod untill the neck was straight and wiped away any excess glue that seeped out of the gap when it closed. Then as recommended by the glue manufacturer, I clamped the fingerboard tight to the neck (wipe away more excess) and let it sit for 24 hours.
The next day, remove the clamp, string it up, and it plays good as new.
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12-05-2009, 04:46 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Austin | | | thank you very much. I might definitely take up that suggestion. Much much appreciated.
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They want you to be Jesus, they go down on one knee. But they want their money back if you're alive at 33?
~~Musicman Bongos, Stingrays, etc
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12-06-2009, 03:56 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Finland (Northern Europe) | | | Hi.
Agreed, the DIY route is about the only option with lower priced instruments.
It's also a really easy job to do and the possibility of a failure is rather small.
Despite of the general belief in most of the non-tech oriented forums, the fretboard separations are (and were) somewhat common in lower priced instruments.
Most of the time it's just the glue joint detaching because of the different expansion/contraction rates of the dissimilar or differently cut materials. The strenght of the glue can't compensate.
The reason can also be deteriorated or defective glue, but that's not as common cause for the separation.
In that case, the fretboard has to be removed and reglued.
The worst option is incorrectly cut truss rod channel, where the truss rod itself lifts either the end or the middle of the fretboard off (or cracks it).
That's usually determined unrepairable, or at least unfeasible in any price range.
Regards
Sam |
12-06-2009, 06:58 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Austin | | | Thanks Sam. I think I am going to just do it myself. I used to be pretty good with some woodworking so maybe that will help. Thank you everyone for your help actually.
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They want you to be Jesus, they go down on one knee. But they want their money back if you're alive at 33?
~~Musicman Bongos, Stingrays, etc
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12-06-2009, 07:06 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: D'Shaw | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve I can tell you this, the original Thunderbirds are legendary for headstocks snapping off. You'd think after 40+ years they coulda got around to doing something about it. | I think they did. Doesn't Epiphone use a scarf joint for the headstock on their models with a tilted headstock? That would be considerable stronger than the original "sawn from one block of wood" style.
I fixed a similar problem on an old Harmony Truetone by rubbing some carpenters glue in the joint and clamping (I used a wire tie as as clamp). On another more severe case it was easier to just pull of the entire fingerboard, clean up the old glue and reglue/clamp the fingerboard.
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"It's a Crapshoot." The timbre is in the timber. It's a poor craftsman that blames his tools.
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12-06-2009, 12:56 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Yellow Springs, Ohio | | | I had that happen to an Ibanez guitar that I dropped. Local shop fixed it for $20.
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12-06-2009, 01:36 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Austin | | | unfortunately I am in Austin and every music store here is a " specialty store" because of the music scene so EVERYTHING is way overpriced. If i can get away with it for 20 I am there, but i have heard as much as 200 bucks from people around here. Crazy Texans!
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They want you to be Jesus, they go down on one knee. But they want their money back if you're alive at 33?
~~Musicman Bongos, Stingrays, etc
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12-07-2009, 01:46 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Finland (Northern Europe) | | Hi.
You're welcome Dasgre0g. Quote:
Originally Posted by mongo2 Doesn't Epiphone use a scarf joint for the headstock on their models with a tilted headstock? That would be considerable stronger than the original "sawn from one block of wood" style. | Yes, a scarf joint. Even my new LTD Explorer sports one. Quote:
Originally Posted by Dasgre0g unfortunately I am in Austin and every music store here is a " specialty store" because of the music scene so EVERYTHING is way overpriced. If i can get away with it for 20 I am there, but i have heard as much as 200 bucks from people around here. Crazy Texans! |
I'd say You're looking at 2 hours bench fee (=expensive), and as you have a woodworking background, you'd be kicking yourself if you didn't do it yourself. It's really as easy repair as eastcoasteddie there explained, but as the procedure is a bit lenghty one, the shops tend to charge quite a bit for it. And they do want to charge for the new strings and a setup as well.
Regards
Sam |
12-07-2009, 01:41 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Austin | | yep. gonna do it myself and let the chips fall where they may I will update you guys on the results! Quote:
Originally Posted by T-Bird Hi.
You're welcome Dasgre0g.
Yes, a scarf joint. Even my new LTD Explorer sports one.
I'd say You're looking at 2 hours bench fee (=expensive), and as you have a woodworking background, you'd be kicking yourself if you didn't do it yourself. It's really as easy repair as eastcoasteddie there explained, but as the procedure is a bit lenghty one, the shops tend to charge quite a bit for it. And they do want to charge for the new strings and a setup as well.
Regards
Sam |
__________________
They want you to be Jesus, they go down on one knee. But they want their money back if you're alive at 33?
~~Musicman Bongos, Stingrays, etc
|
12-09-2009, 10:22 AM
|  | Running With Scissors since 1964 | | Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Michigan's U.P. | | Quote:
Originally Posted by mongo2 I think they did. Doesn't Epiphone use a scarf joint for the headstock on their models with a tilted headstock? That would be considerable stronger than the original "sawn from one block of wood" style.......... | As has been stated above, yes they do use a scarf joint. But a Gibson never breaks from the scarf joint. The glue never fails. The break occurs on one side or the other of the scarf joint.
The problem is that wonderful, unique sounding mahogany Gibson uses for their necks. Mahogany is a fantastic tone wood but has a rather low tensile strength. The wood itself snaps from the impact of the blow.
So you get a predicament...that wonderful Gibson sound, and a rather brittle point on the narrowest part of the neck. So, love the tone but don't go whanging the headstock into things, dropping the bass or letting it fall...
__________________  Don't ask me, I'm still trying to find the #@$#& "trust rod" on a bass! I would hesitate to use the phrase "very good bassist" in any association with my name |
12-09-2009, 10:54 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: D'Shaw | | Quote:
Originally Posted by ProfGumby As has been stated above, yes they do use a scarf joint. But a Gibson never breaks from the scarf joint. The glue never fails. The break occurs on one side or the other of the scarf joint.
| Gibson doesn't use scarf joints on their T-Birds or any other neck.
From Gibson: "Like every Gibson headstock, the angled Thunderbird headstock is carved out of the same piece of mahogany as the neck."
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"It's a Crapshoot." The timbre is in the timber. It's a poor craftsman that blames his tools.
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