Would this detour you?

I agree 100%

A Duffy Falcon might be a great guitar but that ex broken one is only worth parts on it to me - maybe $200-300.
And then it would take many hours of your time trying to sell them = not worth the bother imo.
So in fact it's worth zero to me

If you bought this Duffy for more than $300 the dodgy repair might last 10 years or 10 hrs.
Either way you'd never have any confidence in it and neither would anyone else if you tried to sell it.
And on selling it would always be a problem and you'd always be offered just parts value for it.

 

Yes, it would deter me.

 

I just sold a 2001 highly figured Premium Plus Custom Gibson LP that I bought for $1300 from a band mate that played out with it as long as we were together (knowing the headstock was re-glued. Sold it for $1100. New it was worth over $3000 all day. I wouldn’t make a purchase like that. My original intention was to replace the neck (cost factory estimated was over $2K). Pretty as it was, it was a too heavy for me and too expensive to do it right. On the other hand the shop owner that bought it said he liked the neck and was thinking about keeping it himself.

 

Look at us! 5 pages about a guitar with a broken headstock that none of us own. I love this place.

 

In defense of five pages, it is a high end Gretsch with a superb repair job.

 

It would deter me. In fact, I've never purchased a guitar that had previously experienced a break. There's always another one.

 

When you dreamed about this guitar did it have a crack in it? I’d easily pass.

 

The C clamp slows down restringing a wee bit.
Locking machine heads might help.

A profeesional repair on this guitar: did anyone price it?
Seems to me that would tell one whether $1500 is a “good price” & still requires a desire to gamble for a “dream guitar.”

I call it spending $2000 of slot machine money
for the rights to a future story — whether its a good outcome, or bad.

 

Hell, yeah!

 

Not for me , could never buy a broken guitar regardless if it’s stable or not I couldn’t stand it

 

Never let your dreams and emotions interfere with your finances...

Invest that money in what you want without the burden of the remorse that could be had wishing you never got involved in the transaction. If the investment for one in pristine condition isn't one you can make...keep the dream. You will be happier.

(Courtesy of a fortune cookie I got once).....(it was a damn big cookie.)

 

Gretsch is Fender, so it would really be a Fender neck as replacement or their refurbished neck replacement.

 

If you can get it for 1500 than add another 5-600 for a good Luthier to check the repair and redo or just refinish it you'll have it for about 60% of the cost for new. I would if I could

 

Just...no.