Is the myth of the Les Paul headstock true?
- Thread starter Barron1
- Start date
Re: Is the myth of the Les Paul headstock true?
I don't know if the guy got banned or just run off by us villagers with our flaming pitchforks, but there was a dude who insisted that all Gibsons were pieces of crap with geometry problems that lended themselves to headstock breaks, especially Les Pauls. It's basically an inside joke to everybody here.
I don't know if the guy got banned or just run off by us villagers with our flaming pitchforks, but there was a dude who insisted that all Gibsons were pieces of crap with geometry problems that lended themselves to headstock breaks, especially Les Pauls. It's basically an inside joke to everybody here.
Barron1
New member
Re: Is the myth of the Les Paul headstock true?
It might be a joke on here but there are so called experts in the real world who claim it is true
It might be a joke on here but there are so called experts in the real world who claim it is true
TheLivingDead
Dawn Of The Shred
Re: Is the myth of the Les Paul headstock true?
I thought it was pretty well known that they have a weak spot there. But unless there's an impact around that area, they'll be perfectly fine.
I thought it was pretty well known that they have a weak spot there. But unless there's an impact around that area, they'll be perfectly fine.
Chickenwings
Alnico 6/8
Re: Is the myth of the Les Paul headstock true?
any guitar with an angled headstock has the same issue. So what?
Noone here has actually broken one have they?
any guitar with an angled headstock has the same issue. So what?
Noone here has actually broken one have they?
sosomething
Seymour Duncan Customer Support
Re: Is the myth of the Les Paul headstock true?
Depends.
Do you drop your guitar on the ground a lot or smash the headstock into things?
Depends.
Do you drop your guitar on the ground a lot or smash the headstock into things?
T
TheProphet
Guest
Re: Is the myth of the Les Paul headstock true?
I don't see why it would be any worse than any of the other multitudes of guitars with the same headstock angle and scarf joint.
I don't see why it would be any worse than any of the other multitudes of guitars with the same headstock angle and scarf joint.
sosomething
Seymour Duncan Customer Support
Re: Is the myth of the Les Paul headstock true?
Gibson don't use a scarf joint on their headstocks.
Gibson don't use a scarf joint on their headstocks.
Edgecrusher
Well-known member
Re: Is the myth of the Les Paul headstock true?
Ive always chalked it up to mahogany necks. While it is a suitable neck wood it isnt as hard as maple is. I think it gets blown out of proportion though but I do see it happen.
Ive always chalked it up to mahogany necks. While it is a suitable neck wood it isnt as hard as maple is. I think it gets blown out of proportion though but I do see it happen.
T
TheProphet
Guest
Re: Is the myth of the Les Paul headstock true?
Interesting, always figured they were (except with the three piece necks from the Norlin era). I need to take a look at mine as I figured it was.
Now that I think of it, it makes total sense as most breaks I've seen would have run directly into the join plane.
Interesting, always figured they were (except with the three piece necks from the Norlin era). I need to take a look at mine as I figured it was.
Now that I think of it, it makes total sense as most breaks I've seen would have run directly into the join plane.
sosomething
Seymour Duncan Customer Support
Re: Is the myth of the Les Paul headstock true?
Nope. They never have. They introduced a volute carve during the Norlin era to increase stability but stopped doing it after Henry J. & co. bought the company to appease the vintage purists.
This pic is of a non-volute, typical gibson headstock... no scarf joint. Just a solid carved piece.
Mahogany isn't as rigid as maple, but it's due more to the way the neck is made than the material its made from.
The angle of the headstock creates what's known as grain "run out" behind the nut; meaning the grain of the wood runs more perpendicular to the surface of the headstock rather than parallel as it does up the length of the neck.
That's why the area behind the nut is considered a weak spot on Gibsons (and other guitars made the same way)... though in my experience, it's not really "weak" as much as it's just less-strong than other points. I've owned, gigged, and abused many Gibsons over the years and have yet to break one.
So... like anything controversial on the internet... it's a big broo-ha of misinformation and exaggeration wrapped around a small nugget of truth.
Nope. They never have. They introduced a volute carve during the Norlin era to increase stability but stopped doing it after Henry J. & co. bought the company to appease the vintage purists.
This pic is of a non-volute, typical gibson headstock... no scarf joint. Just a solid carved piece.
Mahogany isn't as rigid as maple, but it's due more to the way the neck is made than the material its made from.
The angle of the headstock creates what's known as grain "run out" behind the nut; meaning the grain of the wood runs more perpendicular to the surface of the headstock rather than parallel as it does up the length of the neck.
That's why the area behind the nut is considered a weak spot on Gibsons (and other guitars made the same way)... though in my experience, it's not really "weak" as much as it's just less-strong than other points. I've owned, gigged, and abused many Gibsons over the years and have yet to break one.
So... like anything controversial on the internet... it's a big broo-ha of misinformation and exaggeration wrapped around a small nugget of truth.
TattooedCarrot
New member
Re: Is the myth of the Les Paul headstock true?
All of Gibson's angled headstocks can be prone to breaking as that's a known weak spot. But you still gotta smack the sh!t out of it, they don't break spontaneously.
All of Gibson's angled headstocks can be prone to breaking as that's a known weak spot. But you still gotta smack the sh!t out of it, they don't break spontaneously.
Bludave
New member
Re: Is the myth of the Les Paul headstock true?
Its not just Les Paul's its Gibson in general. Most headstock breaks occur due to inappropriate care. Like having the guitar knocked off a stand or leaning the guitar up against an amp and falling over. There is nothing really inferior with the design, it is how you care for it that causes the headstock to break. I've seen headstock breaks on 335's, Sg's, L5's 175's etc. I am not a Gibson hater.... in fact I love them... but I have had a Gibson since 1968 and I have never broken a headstock.
Its not just Les Paul's its Gibson in general. Most headstock breaks occur due to inappropriate care. Like having the guitar knocked off a stand or leaning the guitar up against an amp and falling over. There is nothing really inferior with the design, it is how you care for it that causes the headstock to break. I've seen headstock breaks on 335's, Sg's, L5's 175's etc. I am not a Gibson hater.... in fact I love them... but I have had a Gibson since 1968 and I have never broken a headstock.
Re: Is the myth of the Les Paul headstock true?
Agreed, but to be honest, it's an impact you ought to be ashamed of, as an owner, you know? Like others have said, it's not really a problem unless you're swinging the thing around, dropping it constantly, or leaving it propped in stupid places! I love how people blame their inability to care for their own equipment on poor design.
"This car runs like **** and it's only got 60k miles. I can't wait to get a new one."
"When was the last oil change?"
"What?"
:banghead:
It's not going to spontaneously break for no reason, only if there is some impact.
Agreed, but to be honest, it's an impact you ought to be ashamed of, as an owner, you know? Like others have said, it's not really a problem unless you're swinging the thing around, dropping it constantly, or leaving it propped in stupid places! I love how people blame their inability to care for their own equipment on poor design.
"This car runs like **** and it's only got 60k miles. I can't wait to get a new one."
"When was the last oil change?"
"What?"
:banghead:
CapoFirstFret
New member
Re: Is the myth of the Les Paul headstock true?
also Gibson necks are cut with the angle in the wood as opposed to taking a straight piece of wood, cutting an angle in it, turning the headstock around and then regluing it. The glue would be farm more stable than the less than inch grain of wood in the carved version of the neck.
also Gibson necks are cut with the angle in the wood as opposed to taking a straight piece of wood, cutting an angle in it, turning the headstock around and then regluing it. The glue would be farm more stable than the less than inch grain of wood in the carved version of the neck.
Ashurbanipal
Well-known member
Re: Is the myth of the Les Paul headstock true?
Maybe you're probably thinking of Octave Doctor. He's quite adamant about the bridges on many Gibsons being in the wrong position, prohibiting accurate intonation. Being a tech, with many guitars having passed through his hands as a result, I imagine his opinion has some qualification, but that's another thread..
He did a LP headstock repair thread some years ago: https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?t=74865.
Maybe you're probably thinking of Octave Doctor. He's quite adamant about the bridges on many Gibsons being in the wrong position, prohibiting accurate intonation. Being a tech, with many guitars having passed through his hands as a result, I imagine his opinion has some qualification, but that's another thread..
He did a LP headstock repair thread some years ago: https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?t=74865.
GuitarGuy503
New member
Re: Is the myth of the Les Paul headstock true?
I think it's a rather exaggerated subject. Having said that, I don't think it happens as much as people think.
I think it's a rather exaggerated subject. Having said that, I don't think it happens as much as people think.
Left_Hand_Strat
New member
Re: Is the myth of the Les Paul headstock true?
i don't think it was octave doctor, it was someone else, forgotton their user name but i wouldn't give it anyway....
it was one of the 'regulars' like JOLLY or Lucid for example, like a very frequent visitor to the site, he was quite a prolific guy, i remember the bust up thread, man that was intense
i don't think it was octave doctor, it was someone else, forgotton their user name but i wouldn't give it anyway....
it was one of the 'regulars' like JOLLY or Lucid for example, like a very frequent visitor to the site, he was quite a prolific guy, i remember the bust up thread, man that was intense
