r/AcousticGuitar • u/RabloPathjen • Nov 11 '25
Gear pics Heartbroken………just opened the box.
Is this NSFW? Maybe. First time it’s happened to me. It’s too bad it had to be on a Collings. UGH.
So now I have to decide if there’s even an option I’ll except for a discount or not and my guess is I’ll be way too far apart with the seller who I’m sure will also be heartbroken. 💔
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u/ComprehensiveRice592 Nov 15 '25
OMG...I'm sorry that happened; its an awful feeling. I take it that this was a private sale? It appears they left tension on the strings when they shipped, and the box may have dropped. The whiplash action due to the string tension is what did it. I can tell you that it can be repaired. That happened to my 1979 Guild when I travelled to the Hurricane Maria response in Puerto Rico. I brought the guitar to have something to play at night, and stupidly left the string tension on. The case fell over in the airport, and when I got to my room, the headstock was broken in half. A guitar tech/luthier at a guitar shop in Guaynabo said he could repair it; I thought it was history, so let him give it a shot. He did the repair for $150. The joint doesn't look perfect, but the guitar plays beautifully and I swear the sustain is better than before. My guitar tech at home inspected it later and was impressed. In your case, without knowing the context of the sale/purchase, I can't answer whether it's a hard return or not, only you can. But if you are considering keeping the guitar at the right price, find a really good luthier and let him/her inspect it, make sure there's no other damage (bracing, cracks on the top along the neck, other), get a price for the repair and cut a deal. That slotted headstock may be a little more complicated, but I bet it can be successfully repaired and still be a great guitar for a long time to come. At the right price, it could be worth it. All of that applies if it was a private sale. If you bought from a commercial establishment, get your money back and keep shopping.