Advice needed on neck fracture / break

[jerns]

I've been hunting for a large headstock strat for a long time. Checked one out today and found some nastiness that I need advice on. The deal is a trade for my Les Paul Traditional Faded that has some typical play wear and pick ups swapped, for this heavily played refretted 76 strat with original parts. Then I found this...







There is no evidence of cracking through the fretboard side of the neck, and the guitar played like an absolute dream. Aside from the crack, it's everything I've been looking for. He was forthcoming and said that the neck needs adjusting every winter as it develops a back bow with the change of seasons. I've never dealt with neck issues like this, is this a time bomb guitar?

 

[jerns]

The silence is deafening...

 

[chasenblues]

I had a 78 Strat the poly on it was thick..
Having said that the finish wear on the front of this neck looks suspect to me(refret or no refret).
To break a Fender neck like that takes some serious effort.
My .02c
Just me but i wouldn't do the trade.

 

[jerns]

I had a 78 Strat the poly on it was thick..
Having said that the finish wear on the front of this neck looks suspect to me(refret or no refret).
To break a Fender neck like that takes some serious effort.
My .02c
Just me but i wouldn't do the trade.

So you think maybe this was a sand paper relic job?
I thought maybe the break may have been someone who got carried away with an Allen key to the truss rod, but that's an uneducated guess.
Thanks for your input, I appreciate that.

 

[chasenblues]

So you think maybe this was a sand paper relic job?
I thought maybe the break may have been someone who got carried away with an Allen key to the truss rod, but that's an uneducated guess.
Thanks for your input, I appreciate that.

The wear on the neck doesn't appear to look to me like "typical" play-wear you would see on a neck.

Just using this image as an example of what i think "typical" play wear would look like, The finish is worn away in spots were the finger's make repeated contact with the board.

(This is a shot of the top part of the neck for an aged(To look like Eric's original) Fender custom shop "Brownie" model Strat. The original was a 56 Strat with a neck finished in nitro(I believe) which i would think would wear away easier/faster than a poly coated 70's neck)

Compare the wear on say just the first four frets, To me it doesn't look like the finish was worn away from being played.

This is just my thinking/impressions i could be wrong..Wouldn't be the first time.:hee

 

[jerns]

The wear on the neck doesn't appear to look to me like "typical" play-wear you would see on a neck.

Just using this image as an example of what i think "typical" play wear would look like, The finish is worn away in spots were the finger's make repeated contact with the board.

(This is a shot of the top part of the neck for an aged(To look like Eric's original) Fender custom shop "Brownie" model Strat. The original was a 56 Strat with a neck finished in nitro(I believe) which i would think would wear away easier/faster than a poly coated 70's neck)

Compare the wear on say just the first four frets, To me it doesn't look like the finish was worn away from being played.

This is just my thinking/impressions i could be wrong..Wouldn't be the first time.:hee

Now that I look at it... There's no way that's natural wear on the strat I was looking at. How would the first fret be completely taken down like that! I was so focused on the break on the back of the neck that I didn't really look thoroughly at the front.

I'm going to pass on it regardless of the break because the at-home relicing just ruined the mojo for me.