Olivia Rodrigo guitar tech on the one thing Gibson keeps getting wrong with its guitar design – as Gibson’s Mat Koehler calls it “disinformation”
Gibson’s been in the guitar making business for well over 100 years, but according to Luis Munoz, guitar tech to pop superstar Olivia Rodrigo, as well as The Smashing Pumpkins and Simple Plan, there’s one thing the brand keeps getting wrong with its guitar design.
In a new video posted on social media, Munoz showcases his process fixing a headstock which had become detached from the neck on a Gibson acoustic guitar, saying the angle of Gibson headstocks in relation to their necks renders them susceptible to breakage.
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“Unfortunately, Gibson will never change this,” he writes. “Gibson breaks headstocks so often because of their steep headstock angle, soft mahogany wood, and the thin, weakened area behind the nut (thanks to the truss rod cavity). When they fall, all the force hits that weak spot – so they snap.”
Luis Munoz isn’t the first industry voice to comment on Gibson’s angled headstocks having high potential to snap.
You don’t have to go far to find online forums with guitar players speaking of their experiences with snapped Gibson guitars. So what makes Gibson necks less structurally sound?
As Munoz notes, they feature a steep backward angle compared to the neck, and as Ultimate Guitar notes in this piece from 2023, are carved from a single piece of wood for improved resonance.
This means when space is carved out behind the neck in the space between the headstock and neck, the integrity of the wood grain is compromised. Obviously, a guitar won’t snap on its own, but if a Gibson were to be dropped, for example, on this joint, the force could lead to a break.
But not everyone agrees with Luis Munoz’s assessment of Gibson’s headstock design. Responding in the comment section of his post, Mat Koehler – Gibson’s VP of product – says “there is enough disinformation in this post to fill a magazine…”
Meanwhile, another user notes that while the structure of Gibson headstock joints may be weaker compared to other designs, it’s ultimately careless owners who are the culprits for any breakages.
“So Gibson has been ‘wrong’ for 130 plus years? The key words you use are ‘when they fall’. I’ve owned dozens of Gibsons through the years and had exactly one headstock break, caused by a careless friend not putting my SG back on the guitar stand properly. Accidents happen, but blame careless owners, NOT the guitar.”
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A post shared by Luis Munoz (@modernguitartech)
While some Reddit users say broken Gibson headstocks are “common”, they also agree that it’s probably the carelessness of owners that ultimately causes such incidents.
“I have 3 Gibsons for 20 years-ish. Never broke any of them,” one user writes. “I believe the key is to not drop them. Hope this helps.”
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
