1962 Gibson EB-3 - Needs Headstock Repair

[dc10bass]

Group…

I’ve got a 1962 EB-3 with a broken headstock… bought it that way.
Someone already attempted to fix it, don’t know how long ago or how long the initial repair worked for…
...but as you can see, now, it is detached.

I’ve been told that for the best repair the fretboard will have to be removed and the entire headstock into the neck will have to be rebuilt.
If so, is there anyway to salvage and reuse the “Gibson logo” and the “Gibson crown” headstock inlays for the new repaired headstock?

Just trying to get an idea what is going to have to go into this repair…
…and for the record, I’m not doing it myself!

FYI… The neck pickup measures at 32.8 ohms.

Thanks for the input!

Curt

[uwe]

Pic is missing!

[Dave W]

Pic is missing!

There are six externally hosted pics in his post. You can't see them?

[Dave W]

Curt, it's hard to tell without a clearer view of the back of the headstock where it meets the neck. If the previous break extended to the fretboard side of the nut, it might require a complete rebuild, depending on the damage, but not necessarily. And you don't want to do that unless it's absolutely necessary.

I've seen some very skillful restorations of logo and inlay.

[EvilLordJuju]

ooh, nasty

A good luthier should be able to just replace the bad bit, between neck and lower two tuning keys.... leaving the logo and crown inlay undamaged, although you'll probably not get an invisible repair... and that finish is just a bit too good to consider refinning....

I'd be very surprised if the whole headstock had to be replaced

[dc10bass]

ooh, nasty

A good luthier should be able to just replace the bad bit, between neck and lower two tuning keys.... leaving the logo and crown inlay undamaged, although you'll probably not get an invisible repair... and that finish is just a bit too good to consider refinning....

I'd be very surprised if the whole headstock had to be replaced

I am hoping you are correct!!!

[sniper]

check this out:

http://www.thelutherieshop.com/lespauljr/index.htm

the phone number is listed on the home page

[dc10bass]

check this out:

http://www.thelutherieshop.com/lespauljr/index.htm

the phone number is listed on the home page

Oh my God... that looks amazing!!
I'm going to call right now!
THANKS!!!

[eb2]

That is an otherwise great bass, and a great project.  Good luck, and remember to post pics.

[Bass VI]

Nasty Break!

OPs' link shows an excellent repair, probably pricey but well worth it, as you can see by the pics, it's pretty labor intensive to do. I believe most of these had a fiber overlay that the crown and Gibson logo are inlayed into, replacing that wil make the repair pretty much invisible from the front side ( even if yours' dosn't have the fiber overlay ) you may want to discuss using one anyway to add a little strength and the inlay may be a little easier to do "off the bass".

All the old glue gobbed into the break will have to go and it looks like you don't have a lot of surface area to work with, in other words it's a short break not a long one. A good repair artist ( I never like to use the term luthier ) could also replace the headstock entirely, using the same grain "painting" technique to blend the repair into the neck, that might be the way I would go with it as the break is across the tuner holes in a spot that dosn't have much wood anyway.

I know it looks bad, but the rest looks to be very nice and the repair is absolutely "do-able".

Good Luck and keep us aprised of the progress,

Scott ( BassVI )

[godofthunder]

I think that headstock can be salvaged. Here is a Gibson Melody maker I just finished with a nasty shattered headstock.