Dreamlander said:
Well, I think you guys probably convinced me (depending on the price) to take it to a luthier. I don't know anyone in Fargo, but I am going to check around. I just really don't want to ship the guitar, and I am going to be in the cities in a couple weeks so if anyone knows someone in Minneapolis, they should point me in that direction. Does anyone know what a reasonable price for a repair like this would be?
On another note I ran across a website were the guy said he always breaks the headstock completely off and then reglues it. Now that sounds scary. Anyone know if this is common practice.
Oh man, what a drag, Dreamlander! Yes, strap locks are a minor investment when compared with the financial and emotional cost of consequences.
A pro headstock repair can (or should) cost anywhere from $125 to $200 depending on the severity of the break and your cosmetic needs (do you want an absolute invisible repair). I've found that luthiers vary according to what they think your guitar needs and the pride they take in their work. As an example, some luthiers may just do a simple glue and clamp repair. Others because of their pride in the quality of their work, will want to leave no trace of the seam and will do extensive finish work. Most will listen to the customer, of course. As you can imagine, this accounts for varying degrees of pricing. Be clear expressing what you want.
Also, despite general consensus by luthiers on what is considered a strong headstock repair, some luthiers have developed their own ideas on neck reinforcement. Most will glue and clamp a clean break. I've seen some reinforce by drilling holes and embedding a number of dowels in the neck, which are then trimmed and sanded flush. As you mentioned, some believe it's best to completely open the break and glue, while others will go further by creating two flat surfaces to glue together. I've even seen on the net, a luthier who clamped and glued the original break, then routed channels down the back of the headstock to the neck and filled them with wood supports. Then he sanded flat and refinished. Wow! I tend to believe that in your case, if the break is clean and both pieces refit cleanly, that a simple clamp and glue will be fine, but definitely by a pro. I've seen enough simple breaks like this hold up well. Get several opinions and trust your gut.