Uhhgg...broke my neighbor's guitar

[tcsenter]

Note: this is a necro thread being updated!

My neighbor was graciously loaning me his acoustic guitar and it got broken during a tripping incident (at the neck, beyond repair). I'm glad it didn't have any sentimental value to him, but I had to cut him a check for $200 (equivalent replacement cost). Now I'm out a guitar and, with Christmas on the way, don't have the extra money to pick-up a new/used one. Bahhh...withdrawals.

 

[rsutoratosu]

that sucked, at least it isn't like a 10k guitar

 

[KaOTiK]

Borrow neighbors new guitar

 

[Red Squirrel]

Do you happen to work for United Airlines?

 

[tcsenter]

that sucked, at least it isn't like a 10k guitar

No shit, this was a great learning experience. Note to self: Even if someone offers, NEVER borrow a guitar that you cannot afford to replace. And don't borrow anything that has sentimental value, either (I lucked out there, too).

 

[edro]

How the hell did you break it at the neck?
You must have full on fell on it.

 

[bigrash]

Lol that's why I don't borrow stuff from people and I don't let people borrow my stuff (unless I'm ok loosing it)

 

[ReggieDunlap]

Im still a very very new player, but Judas Priest.....busting an acoustic at the neck!?!?!?

OUCH!!!!!

 

[Northern Lawn]

The neck itself should have a steel truss rod but where it joins the body wouldn't be hard to break. If you leaned the neck against a couch, strings up, just falling on it might do the job. There's a lot of tension there already with the taught strings.

 

[highland145]

Borrow neighbors new guitar

But.....fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice.....

 

[3chordcharlie]

Lol that's why I don't borrow stuff from people (added) unless I will be completely okay with replacing it (/added) and I don't let people borrow my stuff (unless I'm ok loosing it)

This.

 

[lxskllr]

Fix it and use it yourself. Nothing is broken beyond repair. It's just a question of time and money. It may not look pretty when you're done, but it'll give you something to play, and it shouldn't cost a lot. You need some glue, clamps, brackets and screws. Without looking at it, I'm fairly confident it could be fixed for less than $10.

 

[dirksquarejaw]

I will not let someone borrow anything unless they are a close friend. Family feels entitled if they break something or need to pay you back that it's ok to make me wait for my money etc. never again.

 

[Markbnj]

Fix it and use it yourself. Nothing is broken beyond repair. It's just a question of time and money. It may not look pretty when you're done, but it'll give you something to play, and it shouldn't cost a lot. You need some glue, clamps, brackets and screws. Without looking at it, I'm fairly confident it could be fixed for less than $10.

You're not fixing it yourself, unless you don't care what it sounds like afterward, and the services of a luthier are pretty expensive. If a check for $200 made the neighbor happy I don't think fixing it is an option. OP should just be happy it wasn't a Martin or something in that value range. Of course, had it been a fine instrument it probably wouldn't have been loaned out.

 

[BrokenVisage]

So, how was your trip? Did you have a nice fall?

 

[lxskllr]

You're not fixing it yourself, unless you don't care what it sounds like afterward, and the services of a luthier are pretty expensive.

It doesn't have to sound perfect; just good enough to play. I had a small collection of unwanted guitars I put together, and they made great beater instruments. A glued together mess sounds better than the Taylor you don't have with you because you're afraid of damage ;^)

 

[BoomerD]

Fucking klutz...replace it with a Martin.

 

[Humpy]

You're not fixing it yourself, unless you don't care what it sounds like afterward, and the services of a luthier are pretty expensive. If a check for $200 made the neighbor happy I don't think fixing it is an option. OP should just be happy it wasn't a Martin or something in that value range. Of course, had it been a fine instrument it probably wouldn't have been loaned out.

I would try and fix it. The neck has very little to do with how it sounds and long as everything can be lined up about how it was before it will be playable. Guitars are just wood and a luthier would simply use glue and clamps and maybe a fastener to make the repair.

A $200 guitar is the perfect guitar to fix on your own and usually very easy to do. The guitar I play almost daily came to me with a snapped off headstock that I glued back on with basic wood glue about 15 years ago. Except for the gnarly glue line it is just fine. I string it with 13's without worry.

 

[Markbnj]

I would try and fix it. The neck has very little to do with how it sounds and long as everything can be lined up about how it was before it will be playable. Guitars are just wood and a luthier would simply use glue and clamps and maybe a fastener to make the repair.

Oh yeah it could be playable again. I glued a neck back on a cheapie years ago, but it snapped clean where it joins the body. I guess if it's worth the OP's time then it's worth a shot. On the rest of it, we can have that debate another time. The neck is obviously an important part of the instrument's overall performance, and getting it set right isn't a job for the typical amateur.

 

[OBLAMA2009]

$200 isnt bad, i would have thought a guitar would be a lot more expensive than that. i bought two acoustic guitars 20 years ago and they were about $500 each. i never really learned to play guitar and two years ago my movers stole them

 

[tcsenter]

Imma try to fix it, maybe this weekend. Of course there are a lot more expensive guitars, but you get more instrument for the money than you did 20 years ago, being made in Mexico and China.

 

[Xonoahbin]

Imma try to fix it, maybe this weekend. Of course there are a lot more expensive guitars, but you get more instrument for the money than you did 20 years ago, being made in Mexico and China.

Yeah man, I paid $70 for my acoustic (Takamine Jasmine) and it plays beautifully. Looks good to boot. If you can't or don't want to fix that one, find something else on the cheap.

 

[tcsenter]

Yeah man, I paid $70 for my acoustic (Takamine Jasmine) and it plays beautifully. Looks good to boot. If you can't or don't want to fix that one, find something else on the cheap.

$70 for a guitar, was it a used one? Maybe I'll go to a local guitar/music shop and see if they have any older guitars for ~$100 that are still in good condition.

 

[HeXen]

My friends have never even offered to pay for anything they borrowed and got broke or got stolen.
They always acted like it wasn't their fault, maybe not directly but they were responsible when they borrowed it regardless of how it happened. Used to really piss me off, but the guy in my head tells me i'm much better now.
but I don't let anyone borrow nothing anymore. nothing

 

[Markbnj]

$200 isnt bad, i would have thought a guitar would be a lot more expensive than that. i bought two acoustic guitars 20 years ago and they were about $500 each. i never really learned to play guitar and two years ago my movers stole them

The cheap end starts at about $75-100 for learner instruments. Couple of hundred for a decent banger. I have a '74 Martin D18 that cost me $1800 a few years ago. Might be worth as much as $2500-3000 now.