Les Paul Neck Break Repair – Why Strap Locks Are Essential
This week I had a Les Paul land on my bench with one of the worst neck breaks I’ve ever seen. Full headstock separation. Clean snap. Severe. The surprising part? It was dropped onto carpet — not a hard stage floor, not concrete, just carpet. That’s all it took. Why Les Paul Headstocks Break So Easily The classic single-cut design is iconic, but the angled headstock and short grain behind the nut create a natural weak point. When a strap fails and the guitar falls forward, the force transfers directly into that area. It doesn’t take much. In this case, a standard strap button let go. No locking system. No secondary protection. Just gravity doing what gravity does. The Repair Plan (48-Hour Turnaround) The break itself was actually ideal from a repair perspective — clean wood fibres, no major splinter loss, and a tight mating surface. The process: Full fibre alignment High-strength wood glue application Correct caul support and clamping pressure 24+ hour ...