Official Luthiers Forum!

I'm working on an older Gibson B-45-12 Deluxe, this guitar is in some hard shape. Someone before me has epoxied a crack in the back, and there is a huge glob of epoxy inside, the headstock has three large spots on it that are cloudy, almost looks like someone epoxied parts of the face of the headstock and half-assed sanded them back almost flush. the truss rod cover is missing, and someone drilled an extra hole through the access hole right through the back of the headstock. to top it off, it looks like the neck was removed and never touched up after, and the soundboard is cracked, and two pieces of bracing are broken and rattling around. What a shame, because this would be a really nice guitar! It does show a lot of potential, but where do you draw the line on repairing something thats been abused like this? the guy doesn't want to spend a fortune on it, but I know these are worth a fair bit when they are in good shape.
His major complaint is that when it's strung up, the action is way too high, which I'm thinking the two cross braces that are detached is the most likely culprit, as well as the saddle is really tall. but I'd hate to send out a guitar that still needs so much more after I reglued these

Have you tried one of these?

Seriously though we call these guitars "basket cases" and they often need so very much work and have been so kluged together in the past by some hack compensating for other personal issues that at times we simply turn them away.

Here's one of the rubs, there are several.... in dealing with these things. Customer budget does not permit doing ALL the work required correctly. So do you want your good name on an instrument that is sent out basically not repaired when the reason why you didn't address say a neck reset, etc. will be lost in time and never known to who sees it next?

Then there is the issue of that all important client budget. It does not make sense to address some of the issues and leave others as is. In some instances no decent definition of success can be agreed upon between you and the client if the repairs greatly exceed the value of the instrument AND the client's budget. Resetting a neck if need be also means that a fret dress or even in some cases a refret is in order too.

Cracks left open for too long won't close and stay closed without adding material often is the case. Cracked braces need to be either repaired or "sistered" so that they once again can do their jobs. There is a valid reason why they were there in the first place and all bets are off if ALL of the bracing is not addressed correctly and repaired. Bracing is a system and needs to be addressed and maintained as such....

And then there is the issue of the hack with hardware store access, a credit card, and in a previous life a fetish for epoxy.... It's likely that some of those globs of epoxy will prevent you from properly gluing/repairing things now without removing it all too.

Who needs it? If the value of the instrument after all repairs are done correctly is far less than the cost of repairs, and it likely would be too, and the client does not have the budget to afford even a decent subset of structural repairs that would stabilize the thing at least going forward make the case that it is not worth repairing but don't say that, let them decide after you quote high AND after you are very sure that you found absolutely everything that is indeed wrong with the thing. Make a list, add prices line by line, share with the client.

Remember if we accept the job, take payment, etc. we own the repairs and anything else that it may need in short order that was not addressed and would likely cause an issue with the utility of the instrument down the road.

Rule number one for me is I won't let a client tell me how to do my job.

Rule number two for me is I do have choices, if someone just wants to flip and profit from a quick sale and wants work that is "inappropriate for the instrument" I have every right to decline and will and do. The flipper can go drink paddy water....

Rule number three for me is everyone deserves to have great music in their lives so don't always be such a hard-arse on rule one and two....

Further consideration would require pics, the age of the instrument, generally more info but based on what you posted it would not surprise me if you have one of these basket case GLOs (guitar like objects....) in your shop...

Hesh - great points for a professional. Professionals have to make a living and have expectations and budgets to meet and have to be realistic about work to take on.

As a hobbyist I would take something like this down to the lab and try and make it playable again (I actually look for crazy stuff like this) I might spend 6-9 months on it off and on and may have it come out well, but assuming I charged a minimal rate for my time the cost would far exceed the value (in dollars). If in the end if comes out bad, a hobbyist can take another cut or put it in the parts bin.
GS