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I haven't seen one of these before. 1959 Les Paul Special (double cutaway). It has a lot of issues but the starting point is a break in the neck heel. No surprise there. The owner took it to a repair person years ago when it happened. This person did not remove the neck, they only wicked glue into the break and clamped it. The glue joint failed subsequently because the two pieces are not lined up. It is clear that the majority of the neck on the side with the break slid back about 1/64" (it was dropped on the tail). So, in order to get the break stabilized, I need to remove the neck, clean out the old glue from the break and then put the neck back in. Probably, the break extends most, or all, of the way through the tenon so the small piece may not be well attached to the tenon anymore.
On the face of it, this seems like the easiest neck removal next to a bolt on. The joint is completely accessible inside the routing for the pickup. But sometimes, things are not how they seem.
If anyone has pulled one of these necks before, any insight would be greatly appreciated. thanks
Dave

I would go slow with pressure and steam it out. Also, a thimble of vinegar in the joint sometimes loosens up stubborn glue. Good luck!

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

You will need to drill some pin holes at the edges of the tenon down to the bottom of the neck pocket to facilitate getting steam into the bottom of the joint.

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Brian

You never know what you are capable of until you actually try.

https://www.howardguitarsdelaware.com/

Thank you Chris and Brian. I'm still considering, politely, declining to work on this and so save myself a few sleepless nights. The owner also wants the original bridge put back where it belongs, original tuners reinstalled, it needs new frets, etc, etc. A very long project for me.
Dave

Sometimes that's the best solution.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"