Is this going to be a problem? (headstock content)

[nifnof70]

It's unfortunate, but probably a lesson learned.

The good news is that it now has "character". As others have said, easy fix with Tite bond/clamping for 48 hours.

 

[Eric Dahlberg]

I have not tried hipshot, too pricey but used may come my way one day. Are they set by a pin in a drilled hole? Or by press gripped prongs?
I bought the Sperzel one pin drilling jig then Sperzel went to a prong system, not sure if all Sperzel are prong style now though.

I was hoping for a no screw split shaft option then Fender provided one!
First time in decades that Fender did something I wanted...
These are I belive Chinese Ping made and not as tight and precise as my fave Gotoh split shafts, but the one set I bought is now on my daily player are they work fine. Standard Fender two pin, I got this Warmoth factory finished neck with ebony board for $250 including standard two pin tuners, so I swapped on a $45 set of these new split shafts, which were so new they were out of stock everywhere. Clicked email me on Sweetwater and when they got more in stock I bought them. No regrets.
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Look closer and you can see the first owner of the neck drilled for the D/G tree off center and crooked. I just left it off and have not bothered to fill the buggery holes.
Also FWIW, I have come to like jigs over sleight of hand and bought a vintage tuner drilling jig a while back.
Nice straight line up. By mere mortals!
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Those tuners are sweet!

 

[StratUp]

Oh good point!
Conditions of attrition are pretty dire here though, may be cheaper to just order a whole new set of number drills.
They eally are handy in small sizes where the standard sets fall so short. Worthwhile to get a specific use bit though.
My set after almost 20 years and it was used when I bought it, already missing some sizes and had none of the large bits.
View attachment 624961

Yeah, you're at the point where the whole set is cheaper. Since you seem to have all the larger sizes intact, you could probably buy just the smaller sized machinist set. But nice and fresh all around brings smiles too.

 

[Grandfunkfan]

That's definitely a fault in the wood. Something that was over looked, but still shouldn't be on the buyer. I'd be shocked if they didn't exchange it.

 

[Phrankenstrat]

That is definitely not a Warmoth problem. Follow the advice of others here and glue and clamp.

 

[steve sellars]

I’m pretty disappointed. Probably with myself, maybe with this Warmoth neck, I’m not sure. But I thought I was doing alright, being patient, pre-drilling the holes and going slow. It’s a new neck. Everything was going well until I put this last screw all the way in.

Is this little crack in the headstock going to be a problem? Is this something Warmoth would warranty? Or do I patch it up somehow?

Was really hoping to put the pieces of my partscaster together over the next couple weeks.

@Believer7713? @Scott Baxendale?

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First get some glue in the crack and then remove the tuner, get more glue in the crack if possible, then clamp it overnight. Make sure to wipe off any excess glue. When reinstalling the tuner, redrill the hole a bit larger. It should end up invisible.

 

[fender blender]

Glue and clamp..then..set it aside as a spare..I doubt you'll be happy keeping it..it will eat at you..causing psychology issues..you can't unsee it..staring at you..mocking you..
me personally I'd torch it..and dance around the flames...oh yes I would..

 

[hutt8]

So many factors can cause the crack. Quarter sawn, roasted necks will split more easily than slab cut necks but are more stable so less warping. There is also no need to significantly undersize the hole you drill for the machine head screw, don't drill more than 1/64 undersize...the screw will hold. And, yes use some wax or lubricant for the screw. Having said all that, it a crack can still happen but at some point , if you have been careful in your installation. the manufacturer should take some responsibility. I personally like using modern Fender pin style tuners. I have never had a crack and use almost exclusively roasted quarter sawn necks.

 

[JimPlaysPoorly]

Regardless of everyone else's excellent advice, I'd still contact Warmouth. The worst they can say is "You broke it, you own it" and you'd be no worse off than you are right now. You might be able to finagle a discount or a partial refund or something.

It never hurts to ask.

 

[Hudman_1]

It’s not a defect. Your pilot hole was either too small or too shallow. I’m not sure why anyone believes that Warmoth should do anything about this. It’s an easy fix. Learn from it and move on.

 

[Eric Dahlberg]

if you have been careful in your installation. the manufacturer should take some responsibility.

There's no way to monitor or measure if someone has taken the correct steps. Warmoth should probably offer pilot holes as an option and I imagine they will if enough people report these incidences, so that's a good reason to tell them about it even if nothing else comes of it.

 

[dbb541]

This is why the only thing I like roasted is various meats.

Edit: Also vegetables

 

[Nick L Plate]

If you do a good repair it will be invisible and plenty strong. If you do a crap repair and drill into the crack line, you'll finish off splitting that piece right off from the headstock. Sorry, but I think this is on you, not on Warmoth. The tuning machine screws are simply to keep the machines oriented correctly. The pilot holes needs to be drilled with the right bit so that screwing into the holes does not exert much sideways (expansion) pressure. In your cased, it looks like the pilot holes were not exactly the right size for the mounting screws. Just repair it carefully and make sure the pilot holes are correct before re-installing the heads. Remember that all the heads and screws line up, so sometimes the screws all work together to create a big split. Given all the split 6-in-line headstocks shown on guitar websites, you would think suppliers would give a big, big caution, but I guess they don't want to discourage sales. You should be OK. I would uses Zap-a-Gap or similar water-thin CA glue to really get into the crack the way Titebond and thicker glues and gels will not. Make sure to mask off other surfaces so you don't turn a crack, which will disappear, into an eyesore. I would not do anything to widen the crack or it may well... crack.

 

[Mbroady]

I have not tried hipshot, too pricey but used may come my way one day. Are they set by a pin in a drilled hole? Or by press gripped prongs?

I bought the Sperzel one pin drilling jig then Sperzel went to a prong system, not sure if all Sperzel are prong style now though.

I was hoping for a no screw split shaft option then Fender provided one!

It's actually a very simple design that works with no pins or screws, though you can opt to use screws instead of the universal mounting plate. The plate has tabs on it which keeps the tuner in place and the plate is secured when you tighten the sleave on the front part of the head stock. Takes a few minutes to get all the tuners attached assuming the neck is prepped.…easy-Peary. Vintage style (8.5mm) can be had for around $65.

 

[Jaan]

I used to be picky about that stuff, but then I dropped my very first guitar, a Gibson Flying V and cracked the neck. Glued it back together and didn't even bother to repaint. It plays just fine. I've messed up big time before and lessons learned. I don't get mad anymore, I just figure out how to fix it and move on. Everyone is right, just glue it with Titebond. That stuff is fantastic.

 

[Guitarkiwi]

Seems like a simple fix, should be able to fix it like it never happened so that's a plus. I'm (hopefully) going to be building a Partscaster in the next few weeks so this was a really timely reminder to make sure the pilot holes are done properly, I appreciate you posting so we can all learn! Thanks!

 

[Roger66]

Wick some titebond in there clamp it and wipe off any residual that seeps out.

im sure scott or believer will chime in.

Yeah, take the tuner off, put the screw back in to open it up a bit and force some titebond in there. Then take out the screw and wipe the stuff that squeezes out off. Wait a day and you are good to go. You may want to drill a small hole first so the screw goes in easier without cracking it again. Good luck! Oh and clamp it or use a whole bunch of tight rubber bands.

 

[crankmeister]

Regardless of everyone else's excellent advice, I'd still contact Warmouth. The worst they can say is "You broke it, you own it" and you'd be no worse off than you are right now. You might be able to finagle a discount or a partial refund or something.

It never hurts to ask.

If I was a higher-up at Warmoth and someone like me tried to work a warranty payment out of this, I would consider blacklisting that customer. Out of principle, I could not “finagle” a discount or refund out my own mistake.

 

[stratman323]

So if roasting maple makes it more liable to split, why roast it?

 

[Eric Dahlberg]

So if roasting maple makes it more liable to split, why roast it?

Doesn’t need a finish.