How to Repair a Minor Headstock Crack Video
Let’s talk about a headstock crack repair. In July of 2018 I purchased this G&L ASAT Bass from an eBay seller in Mississippi. Fast forward a year and half and there is a minor crack in the headstock near the E string. I live in the Phoenix Arizona dry heat so my guess is this bass did not adjust well coming from humid Mississippi. Oh well. I guess I’ll make a video about how to prevent this crack from growing and how to repair a headstock crack.
Headstock crack repair tools needed
(Click for links to suggested items)
- Precision Phillips head screw driver
- Rubber clamp
- Starbond Super Fast Thin CA (Cyanoacrylate Adhesive)
- A damp microfiber cloth
- Scouring Pad (or the rough type of dish sponge)
- Steel wool (I like to pick these up at the dollar store)
Let’s repair a headstock crack
- Wash your hands! You don’t want to add dirt to the glue or crack repair.
- First remove the strings. You don’t want to try to complete this repair with tension on the neck.
- In my case, I had to remove the tuning key. This allowed me to inspect the crack all the way to the peg hole.
- Try to spread the crack without breaking or damaging it more. Inspect it to try to determine a game plan for when you apply the super glue.
- Put this thought in your mind, “I WILL NOT TOUCH THE SUPER GLUE OR THE CRACK UNTIL AFTER IT HAS DRIED.”
- While spreading the crack, use the Starbond super glue with the applicator tip to drip a very small amount of glue into the crack. Don’t apply too much. When you release the crack it will likely push some glue out, so keep that in mind.
- Try to quickly wipe up any excess glue with the damp microfiber cloth. Be careful not to leave any bits left to dry onto your neck.
- Apply some pressure to the crack with a clamp.
- Allow the glue to dry for several hours or over night.
- Feel along the crack. If there is any glue residue, start by using the scouring pad to smooth it out. Use the steel wool for more aggressive cleaning. Be careful not to strip any lacquer or damage the neck.
Try spreading the crack again. Not too much pressure! Just the same pressure you used when applying the glue. If it doesn’t spread apart and seems stable, you have done a great job repairing your guitar!
Headstock Crack Repair Video
For other cool repairs, checkout some of my past articles: