structural integrity of the heel block

[andy savina]

howdy there. i have an old hagstrom twelve string that is almost useless, save open tuning with six strings and a slide. the top is cracked on the treble side from the heel all the way to the sound hole. the way i see it, it wasn't built correctly from day one. what i see is the string tension pulling the neck directly into the top, causing said damage..

what i propose to all of you, for your consideration and input, is heel block reinforcements, running from the back inner waist, to the top of the heel block. this would bring some stiffness to the whole, distributing the force of the strings to the sides and back, instead of JUST the heel block and the top.

this is how i see my hagstrom turning into an amazing guitar (eventually), and hopefully guitars being built better.

FYI: i'm young, inexperienced, but enthusiastic about all things guitar. this is the most invasive project repair i have toyed with attempting, being more of a solderer, action, detail oriented tinkerer/hobbyist.

thanks for reading.

[William F.Eden]

Give it a try Andy you never know until you try it you may be on to some thing .Good luck Bill.""""""""""

[Michael Harwood]

Lookup "flying buttress", you'll find something of interest by many builders. Best of luck

[Pierre-Antoine Roiron]

Considering you only put 6 strings on it now, I would just glue the crack and put some patches inside.

[Frank Ford]

If you can pull the neck back into alignment, hold it in position, and fix it as in this example:

http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Luthier/Technique/Guitar/Structural...

[Frank Ford]

If you can pull the neck back into alignment, clamp or otherwise hold it there, and reinforce the crack as in this example: