Two types of neck break problems which I can use for practice

[Shawn Strickland]

This necks have been repaired, but judging by the quality, I'm not too sure how well they are integrity-wise. It is unknown for me what glue was used, or what exact technique I have, however these are basically gifts, which I can use for whatever I like, including re-breaking the necks (if that's even possible - how do you do that?).

These are two cheap guitars that I received which I planned on practicing neck resetting, full refret, nuts, etc. with.

One is a set-neck SG who's headstock broke off. It has been repaired, not sure what type of glue, but the finish wasn't touched afterwards, and there's a slight gouge in the wood about right under the neck. This is the red guitar.

The other guitar (black) is a very cheap Epiphone bolt-on LP Special who's fretboard began to come up from another neck injury. Another repair that plays good, but looking to repair the finish or re-break it and repair it properly.

Any tips on tackling these items? I have years of setup and fret leveling experience, but I want to learn a bit more about the more serious injuries, like when a neck comes apart. Will also practice re-frets on these and nut replacement/cutting.

[Michael Lewis]

For the black one: it should be stable but could be cleaned up more neatly and finish touch up. That type of crack is being held together by the string tension.

The red one: the best repair here will be a bit of a job but should be pretty strong. This should have a 'back strap' repair, which removes material from the back of the headstock and a couple inches into the neck, and replace that material with strong veneers or a solid piece of wood bent to fit the surface where the old wood was removed.

Read up about the back strap method to get a good idea of what is involved before you tear into it. Check in the archived repair discussions in the Library.