Gibson LG-1 1957 fingerboard extension glue will not loosen

[David Keeley]

This does sound like a tricky one. I’m not sure about the glue Gibson used in 1957. I can tell you that I’ve done a neck reset on a 1961 LG0 with a mahogany top. That reset seemed like any other normal reset. However, I use a mini plastic seal iron that I can adjust the temperature on. I can crank that up to 350+ degrees if I need, but usually I can get the extension to release at around 180-200 degrees and go slow.. Most glues, even epoxy I believe will release at around 180 degrees. Can you place a digital thermometer on the fingerboard with your 100 watt halogen light? When I first started doing resets I used a 250 watt heat lamp. It worked, but I felt uncomfortable having a 5″ bulb above a 2.5″ fretboard even with foil and cardboard baffles to protect the top. The picture shows the iron I use. That is not a Gibson LG0.

[John Krupa JK Grooves Guitar & Amp Works]

Thank you David. I will attempt it again today using my heat blanket with the thermometer to see if I can get it hotter. I have the heat blanket that is for a full-length fretboard, but I will find a way to set it up to just sit on the fingerboard extension. If that doesn’t work, it looks like I can get an iron like yours relatively cheap on eBay. I’m just going to be patient with it to try to avoid any more damage.

[Ian Davlin The Looth Group]

• There’s a lot going on here. So I’ll make a list

1. The lightbulb I use is the 250 watt infrared bulb. Not sure how it compares to the halogen.
2. If it is hide glue, I like to add spit to my knife. It’s tempting to use water, but the viscosity of water is too low and will get under the finish and discolor. Also spit has enzymes that are designed to break down animal proteins.
3. Heat from the inside may loosen braces and would be good to avoid.
4. I’m not sure how cutting the fingerboard extension would help.
5. My rule of thumb for fingerboard extension heat is for it to be just south of the fingerboard releasing resin.
6. If you caught extreme runout with your first attempt, try going from the neck end. It’s harder to start cleaning, but sometimes it works better to get is going from the opposite end.

[John Krupa JK Grooves Guitar & Amp Works]

Thanks for your response Ian. I was going to post an update this morning after attempting it again yesterday.

On the first day, after five hours with the halogen bulb, I had gotten the knife going under the left corner (though very little progress), then I got it going again on the same side by the neck joint. Ultimately they started to come together, but then I noticed the knife was going through the top in both locations.

I made another attempt yesterday. This time using the heat blanket. I slowly raised the temperature to 220F and started again to try to work the knife under the right corner (closest to the pick guard). I could not get it under at all after several more hours of heat, with the heat eventually getting up to 300F. This caused the inlay to burn up and there was a noticeable amount of resin coming out of the fingerboard. I was pushing with an earnest amount of force with several different types of pallet knives. I was not using water or spit, but De-Glue Goo. I also tried from the right side above the pick guard close to the neck joint. The knives would not go even a millimeter in either location.

I have attached some pics. The main reason I am attempting the neck reset is so I can perform the crack repairs that are along the fingerboard extension. Those were present when I received the guitar. Since the neck angle is not terrible, I am considering how I can attack the crack repairs without removing the neck. This is not the preferred plan though. It confounds me that I cannot get this glue to release. Like I said, I’ve had some difficult ones in the past, but this one is beyond anything I’ve experienced in stubborn.