This is a mid-1940's D'Angelico New Yorker that came into my shop to repair a broken headstock. It had been glued at some point in the past, but the repair was failing. The owner wanted to have a more reliable fix, and I decided to install maple splines that would span the broken area, creating a much stronger neck.

My solution involved cutting slots on a machine called a Bridgeport mill. By clamping the guitar solidly to the table, I routed very precise slots where they would be most effective. Wood splines are then glued into the slot, strengthening the neck. This sort of repair is a common solution to a broken peghead, but the method certainly is not, and I like the images of a rare and pricey vintage guitar being clamped to a 2,000 lb. piece of industrial machinery!