"What is Neck Surgery and when is it required?"

Some headstock breaks (like when the headstock has come completely off the neck) need extra reinforcement. This is where Neck Surgery is required. This is an especially skilled, and time-consuming process, but the result is an exceptionally durable and stable repair.

As you can see in the photos below, we start by gluing up the headstock first at the proper angle and allow the primary repair to cure. Then we rout elliptical channels on both sides of the truss rod. The elliptical cut allows for long grain-to-long grain adhesion, which makes for the strongest repair.

We then create a pair of hand-cut splines (in matching wood) to fit the elliptical cavity exactly. They are glued in place and allowed to set. At that point we precisely carve them into the neck contour. The final steps are sanding and finishing to blend perfectly into the existing neck finish.