Repairing Dweezil Zappa's #1 Guitar

Watch as we take you through the repair of Dweezil Zappa's Gibson Guitar.
Upon arriving in Fort Wayne for GearFest 2017, world-famous guitarist Dweezil Zappa discovered his airline had "modified" his prized Gibson SG - its headstock was snapped completely off the neck. Fortunately, Sweetwater's master guitar techs are up to the challenge. Join repair tech Joe Albright as he walks you through the damage, and shows how he approached this monumental repair for Dweezil Zappa - you won't believe the results.
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#Sweetwater #DweezilZappa
Extremely Broken Things

[@sweetwater]

After you watch, give this video a thumbs up and subscribe! 😎🤘

[@moxiemusic3739]

gorgeous! The music is a little intense tho lol

[@LUCKYB.]

Mr AlBright .. I hope in my Life time the heat of any of my ax's dont get Fubared but if the do I know the Cat its going to

[@395PRS]

I couldn't help myself after watching that! I purchased amp and few things from Sweetwater and it always has been a good experience. I still wanted to know why this was dweezils fav ax?

[@MP-vd1ck]

@@395PRS it sounds amazing that guitar all the frets are filed to perfection good quality wood more finishing hours went into that guitar then a reguler off the wall guitar purchased at a shop.

[@TVicc]

Joe my man, you're the man!!!

[@geemac7267]

Good ol' Gibson Fold-o-matic headstock.

[@greekfreak1980]

Yeah,it's not like volute joints are around for ages and literally every other manufacturer puts them on their guitars,even their budget models.

[@Aleph_Null_Audio]

You know if they did, there would be someone bitching about them messing with a classic.

[@seal010101]

And the headstock tilt angle doesn't help. A fundamentally flawed design kept for marketing purposes. The tilt angle is one; the break of the "D" and "G" strings is another, causing tuning instability. Their ridiculous auto tuning is not the answer. I'm not going to hold my breath waiting for them to fix it with engineering and not gimmickry. Cheers.

[@richb313]

You do understand that the tilted head stock is done to increase tension between the tuner and the nut. This allows more of the energy from the strings to be transferred more efficiently to the neck which helps increase sustain and allows the wood to influence the tone of the guitar by transferring some of that energy back to the strings. What is really apparent is you have no understanding of Physics or Engineering besides only a cursory understanding of how an electric guitar actually works.

[@richb313]

So again with the assumption that the superior design id one that does not have a tilted head stock. If all you are concerned about is which head stock design might be superior in strength then why not make it out of titanium? You have to ask yourself why would any manufacturer use a design that is more complex, introduces an are where mechanical stress will be trapped, actually uses more material not less as many assume. Why does Gibson do this? It is because they build Guitars not Bridges or Buildings. If you are one of these the material the instrument is built from does not affect the tone you really have zero understanding of sound works, how pickups work, or how the entire thing can be stated in just two simple words, Energy Transfer.

[@walkertongdee]

Dweezil and Moon really love their dad the other two kids got all the money, all the royalties their mom saw to that. It was illegal for Dweezil to even play his fathers music in concert. Such talent Dweezil has just like Frank it warms my heart to see him here playing here what are the chances that he could play his fathers music so well and he is clearly the son Frank could be proud of such a nice Dude and Moon too.

[@derrickenbuenosaires]

That is insane. Frank's very own children can not play his music on live performances. That's a big slap in the face to Franks legacy. I'm sure their mother has all to do with it like you said or some other bureaucracy . There's a lot of shady history regarding Frank's family routes.

[@gfgranja]

@@derrickenbuenosaires Wow i didn't knew that, what's the whole story on that feud?

[@terryenglish7132]

That's now straightened out, everyone's working together again.

[@GuitarAnthony]

LOL! 'Previously modified by American Airlines'. Guess United isn't the only airline that hates guitars.

[@jazz2959]

wait a minute....I'm AA and I love guitars (of course there's not many of us) I do work with some fools

[@LRS905]

This guy is awesome. I have always loved wood working, I remember being a kid and entering wood workshops in my country, I always appreciated not only the seemingly calm but steady work from the wood workers, but especially the smells of every type of wood they worked with. To this day, if i walk in front of a woodshop and smell, I can recall all these childhood sensations of goodness. I would love to be a fly on the wall for one day with this resourceful gentleman.

[@PanamaJack666]

Brilliant video. Fascinating to see how much he cares over his work and repairing the guitar to that sort of quality.

[@maskedman72]

WOW! what a master at his craft, fantastic repair job with extreme attention to every detail. this is a world class luthier.

[@c11p]

Nothing beats good, honest work. Nothing. Well done, Joe.

[@njbrad007]

I've never played guitar, and I'm not a fan of rock music, but the sound of that guitar, when he got it back made me smile. You could hear the passion of the technician and the musician.

[@TheRockinDonkey]

That is one hell of a repair. Sweetwater is honestly something special.

[@jeffreybiscoe6]

It's the best repair I've ever seen ,the structural wood pieces appears to make it even stronger then it was originally.

[@historiclp4577]

Wow! Thats great to know that Sweetwater has a repair tech of that caliber.That is one of the most amazing headstock repair’s i have ever seen.

[@hawg427]

Some people say that if repaired correctly the neck & headstock are stronger than before the break happened.

[@1ido9not8exist6]

Jim Deecken wow I didn't know that, I thought they did that to save money. Now I can forgive my g and l asat for not having a skunk stripe. Thanks!

[@blazerix8]

it's like that with all wood working. A glued joint is stronger than the grain of the wood. That's why cabinet makers will cut boards that don't even need to be cut when making panels, so that they can glue them.

[@nitrokale7045]

Not correct. They break there because of the huge amount of wood removed for truss access. All Gibson would have to do is make an unobtrusive access like on the newer Fenders and you'd never see another broken head - flat or quartersawn.

[@nitrokale7045]

RD - so you've just done 30+? That's cool, keep doing it ;) No but seriously, good info - have you seen their new volute? It starts (of all places mysteriously at the truss cavity) and tapers all the way to the tip of the headstock, no joke! As goofy as that sounds it will support the headstock better.

[@nitrokale7045]

Hi RDE, so you've just done 30+? Cool man, keep at it ;). Seriously though it certainly is a combination of the elements we're talking about. Have you seen their new volute? Mysteriously enough it starts right beneath the truss cavity in a wide diamond shape that tapers down to a point all the way at the tip of the headstock! Crazy looking, probably very strong and the traditionalists will hate it. I would still maintain that if Gib put a spoke truss adjustment wheel past the 22nd and the head was solid you'd have way less breakage.

[@headstockharem4]

Literally brought me to tears thinking about the time and craftsmanship that was put into that repair! What a job Joe! Dweezil is an amazing player and I'm sure he truly appreciated all the extra effort! Well done!

[@indycustommade3568]

As a woodworker, very nice. I love seeing someone passionate about what they do.

[@BillyPolaris]

give that guy a raise!

[@headknocker8999]

Give him a small router & jig to carve the spline channels & splines on.. About a two hour job & most is spent sanding, the rest is waiting for the glue to dry, which takes overnight.. Then wait for the lacquer to dry..

[@Dang...]

Great work on this. Dweezil is a tremendous artist who is truly worthy of the name ZAPPA.

[@paulsimmons5726]

Great work on the neck repair! Dweezil is a fantastic player, glad to see he's got his favorite guitar back in one piece! (Dweezil - Buy an Anvil flight case!)

[@mattryan6886]

This was amazing to watch and the guitar repair artists of Sweetwater are grade A. I’m pretty sure that was one of Frank’s guitars he handed down to his son. To see the craftsmanship and care put into that instrument is incredible. I can’t think of a better way to show off your in-house guitar repair team than this video. This is why I go back to Sweetwater so often for new gear. The service and support are top notch quality. The candy is also a nice touch!!!

[@duanewelsh5611]

Guitar is a Roxy sg. Limited edition 400 worldwide. I have 1 Dweezil signed for me. Go troglys review to see 1 demoed

[@lukeanderson326]

This is why I want to work at Sweetwater as a guitartech. I so want to learn how to do this stuff from some of the best in the business.

[@garytitone853]

The sights and sounds of Dweezil are a testament of the remarkable craftmanship. Artist and fans can revel in the radiant splendor

[@da_blade5040]

WOW!! I'm in AWE the craftsmanship of the repair work done!! Amazing Job Well Done!! You guys are Top Tier!! 💯❤️ If I ever have the money I have an older Gretch guitar which needs love!! ☹️☹️ It'd be Great to have her back in playing form!

[@truthfulrobot9295]

This dude has one badass talent, not every repairman can do that. God bless that dude

[@GlassicGamer]

Amazing craftsmanship well done Sweetwater!

[@ksgtrpkr]

Absolutely Amazing craftsmanship Joe! Excellent Company Sweetwater! I have bought many new friends and accessories there. True Customer service and dedicated professionals!

[@TheOldgeezah]

Love the splines - going that extra yard. A lot of folk would just glue it together and leave it at that.

[@alfredmcconnell5208]

T

[@michaelstreets7816]

Brilliant workmanship. Very impressed.

[@ESmithStringSlinger]

Repaired better than new. One of the finest I've seen.

[@riffedwood5597]

Amazing... To see a Dweezil in its natural habitat... Just wow. Such pure innocence

[@fposmith]

It's a Gibson with a broken head stock. What's the problem ? They come from the factory like that don't they ......

[@1035pm]

*Shots fired*

[@Xminor79]

Jesus, at this point, with how talented guitar techs, and luthiers are these days, it almost seems like having someone like joe repair your guitar in such a masterful, artistic way, almost adds value to the guitar 🎸

[@MrTurtleywasted]

I almost cry, my eyes really warm up. Thank you Joe & Sweet Water bring this SG back to life

[@jbolo5378]

Kudos to whoever had the foresight to chronicle this from the get go. Some great camera work too!

[@TheBrightSounds]

My God.... this is a miracle and just amazing..... It makes me want to cry with happiness. This is why Sweetwater is the industry standard in professionalism.

[@jgdroptop1]

Joe, you are a fine Luthier, well done! Dweezil, beautiful SG. Love the way you play my friend...All the best, Joe G.

[@ClaudeGalinsky]

A beautiful job. But Joe says it took him 5 days with at least 10 hours of work per day to fix the headstock. Let's hope the airline paid the bill!

[@PlatinumBlack90038]

Despite being damaged by American Airlines, Inc., United Airlines, Inc. is still the worst airline on the planet. And furthermore, another very important thing to keep in mind ― is Sweetwater’s shipping department either forgets or refuses to put FRAGILE, HANDLE WITH CARE and DO NOT DROP stickers on the shipping box ― without these three stickers, the courier will drop and toss the shipping box and damage your brand new guitar, or any guitar traveling back and forth for repair work.

[@pb12661]

they double box everything...that was probably the "inner" box. they do put handle with care stickers on their boxes. Bought several guitars from them and always WELL packed...

[@PlatinumBlack90038]

I always request those labels (to be placed on the outside shipping box), and only once did Sweetwater honour my request ― all the other times (read: many) they shipped guitars to me with no labels. This is very risky. Most Gibson guitars are sold with and shipped in a case, and on the Gibson factory box it reads: DO NOT DROP. Most Epiphone guitars are sold without a case and are shipped in an Epiphone factory box placed inside another shipping box ― and it is on the outside of these boxes that Sweetwater’s shipping department either forgets or refuses to put these stickers on.

[@foghornleghorn8536]

+Platinum Black They didn't forget, they just know better. "One disheartening result was that our package received more abuse when marked "Fragile" or "This Side Up." The carriers flipped the package more, and it registered above-average acceleration spikes during trips for which we requested careful treatment." www.popularmechanics.com/technology/reviews/a6284/which-shipping-company-is-kindest-to-your-packages/

[@PlatinumBlack90038]

One of my guitars was damaged twice (suffering a cracked neck ― two times) due to having to send the guitar back and forth to Sweetwater three times ― for a total of six trips ― all because Sweetwater’s guitar repair shop did not correctly install a brand new nut properly. Due to the severity of the second crack, this guitar could not be repaired so, I had to select another guitar (which turned out to be defective). I then found and ordered an excellent guitar and requested again the nut be replaced and upgraded. And then, guess what? I had to send the guitar back again ― three times ― (for a total of six trips back and forth) and only on the first trip to me did Sweetwater’s shipping department place stickers on the outside of the shipping box. It took one of Sweetwater’s guitar techs three times to finally get it right. This guitar tech had already done prior work for me that was satisfactory.

[@CncObsession]

Always fun to watch a craftsman. Thanks for showing us possibilities.

[@gerryk3114]

Guys, I'm a 63 year old Lover of Guitars and Frank Zappa Music !!!!! I too have done repairs !!! I'm an Electronics Engineer (retired and Disabled) that can relate to the Magic you have Done !!! NEVER MISSED A SINGLE HALLOWEEN SHOW !!!!!

[@BattleofMobileBay]

What a joy it is to watch such a craftsman at work. Wonderful!

[@jamesabrams6321]

it was like watching a child in surgery...and emerge and awaken...new respect for Sweetwater and its team

[@mrsockmonkey1969]

It's a God given talent brother. So glad you do what you do.

[@headknocker8999]

It's a learned art woodworking is.. Ask him & he'll tell you his teacher was the best = Master!!

[@daverice2426]

Killer work, never saw anyone cut those with a chisel before, really like that he didn't try to hide the splines

[@aalihte3378]

Awww Sweetwater really is the best. I love to see someone who takes the art of restoration so seriously. I've watched so many 'pros' treat instruments like crap.They have little respect for (IMHO) the instruments or the people who care enough not to get out the glue gun and spray paint. Like Mr. Albright here, I find great joy in detailed restoration. Even though I don't play guitar (yet) I have collected a few extremely wethered string instruments over the years that I'd like to revive. After a crap ton of research, I've decided to start on a beaten up old Ovation today. I*crosses fingers*

[@mikebledsoe2315]

*Joe Albright what you did is legendary*

[@alext9067]

I like that anything can be fixed. That's a man that's not afraid. Good.

[@fw1421]

As a retired American Airlines aircraft mechanic I want to apologize for my company damaging your guitar. When I was a baggage handler I always tried to respect our customers belongings,especially if it was a musical instrument. I’m glad they were able to repair your SG for you. I hope AA paid for the repairs.

[@fintanoclery2698]

Did you fix it in your garage Joe? Get it, Joe's Garage? Hahaha hahaha...I need some sleep.

[@graemewatkins8946]

Paddy O'Lantern He used to cut my grass

[@wheelie63]

made me laugh..............thx.................wb

[@kevgh3869]

Would have been better if you didn't explain it to us after.

[@astroandyborgloh]

Dweez was not using a Fender Champ, though. Too bad.

[@warningchimes24]

@@kevgh3869 But that's what makes it funnier!

[@frankaylward1816]

Hey Dweezil, I've been trying to get one of those "ROXEY'S" since they were introduced in 2013, My local music store had one, and I did not grab it the first day I seen it! I went back to get it the very next day! It was gone, I was heart broken! I've been trying to find one ever since, Like finding a needle in a hay stack!! Awesome guitar. You have done your father proud!!! but I don't have to tell you that!!! You seem very grounded individual! You would be on my top five people to meet!! Cool video!! Sorry for the guitar breakage, there like your babies!

[@ardiandhani]

Its like restoring an oldmaster painting. Too many love in this vid 😊

[@pyyktodd]

I have repaired many broken necks, but never put that much time and effort, that was amazing to see.

[@gringopig]

Very nice to see such commitment and talent!

[@Jason-wo5rr]

I have to say that as an amateur luthier the one thing I love is after a repair or setup that I do for my students (I teach as well) is the look of “you must be some sort of guitar wizard” after I’ve helped them. I tell people all the time to learn how to set up your guitars and after that go to garage sales, goodwills, and pawn shops and if they’re selling some cheapo $20 guitar or you find a broken guitar in someone’s trash pick it up and teach yourself how to fix it. If you can’t fix it then strip it down of its reusable parts. Nothing as a guitar player is more valuable and rewarding as the ability to setup or fix your own instruments.

[@fzdreaddy]

Fantastic job. I too, had this happen to my LP, and thought it was a gonner. My tech quickly reassured me it would be fine, and lo and behold, 2 weeks later you 100% cannot tell it ever happened. Amazing what some of these techs can do!!

[@Ibaneddie76]

Man that sucks about his guitar, The older he gets the more he looks and sounds like his genius dad. Love and respect both of those amazing artists. Great video, hope people realize how cool and significant this video is.

[@kayakchrispy]

I fixed my studio les paul myself with the help of you tube how to fix videos... not quite this good .. but good enough for me. Stays in tune and plays the same 😊

[@michaelw.4434]

Nice fix!!..Dweezel is such a calm cool guy..I've had the pleasure of meeting him a few times.always nice.takes time w fans..be careful.he will engage in conversation and he pays attention..lol..it was a great show.and I said"I love the set list"(all of 1 size fit all tour)he said "Thank U.What was your favorite song"not expecting it I think I said "da"..most people don't really care..Dweezel does..always attention 2 detail.anyway..TU..and go see what I'm talking about..u won't regret it...

[@launiz]

I came for a video about guitar repair. Witnessed a portrait of a great man!

[@xbreathingisirrelevantx]

This dude pulled off the greatest headstock repair in history

[@arturolinares6565]

Man this is a well crafted video!! Sweetwater is really stepping it up!!

[@michaeldecatur7965]

Joe, you are a hero!

[@LANDSEAAIRCANADA]

That's some fine workmanship there Excellent.

[@chrisgellion307]

Top job,, good to see a pro that's such nice work Joe,, and cheers to Dweezil for sharing, not to many pro's and rockstars would tell anyone about that..

[@fantomas9240]

Very high level of craftsmanship ! Bravo from France !

[@Claytone-Records]

That airline created a feature for the guitar, a worthless one. This luthier did the job right. I have had excellent service from Sweetwater people myself. I saw Dweezil play in Austin with his band in February with my son. We were expecting great and got much more. Thanks guys.

[@andydufresne9775]

Wow. Great job sweetwater! Clean finish around the neck and a fresh coat of paint as well!

[@heisenberg764]

Agreed!!!!!!

[@jamesf2918]

When I saw this video a year or so ago, I called sweetwater asking about a repair but was told that they only work on guitars they sell... so I don't get why this video exists... a great repair team that isn't available to the public.

[@GetUpTheMountains]

Looks like you should call again. They very much seem to be offering repair services: www.sweetwater.com/sweetcare/repairs/

[@dcfan1107]

Awesome work. I can watch videos like this all day long.

[@kamaboko1]

A master craftsman. A rare skill to find today.

[@mykylc]

You couldn't ask for anything more. Well done Joe!

[@right2armbears685]

Can we give a thumbs up for Sweetwater's all around service!

[@bradconklin2878]

You are one of the great people that keep the music flowing.

[@engleharddinglefester4285]

In Zen, a shattered tea cup repaired with golden glue is much more aesthetically pleasing.

[@Naniamania3]

Joe Albright...you sir are a true craftsman. Outstanding work!

[@ganaorganador]

The greatest repair I've seen!!!! KUDOS JOEEEE!! You are the greatest.

[@SycamoreFarmMI]

Was there for that performance (front row). What a class act and amazing performer Dweezil (and band) is.

[@jpguthrie6669]

Oh My God! An SG with a Broken Neck! Oh, the Humanity! How could such a thing Happen! I am glad we have such a dramatic video showing us one of the most common guitar repairs. You don't need no stinkin "splines," they don't make the neck stronger, they just make the repair look more obvious (and more expensive). I can see the repair in the entire fraction of a second Dweezil showed the back of the neck.

[@matthalo89]

I love how calm and almost humorous about this whole thing Dweezil is. If an airline did this to one of my guitars I’d be pissed. Even after getting the guitar repaired I’d still be pissed. Most likely alot of his nonchalantness comes from the fact he can afford to immediately have it repaired by professionals or just go out and buy another guitar.

[@worldwide1376]

Pretty remarkable work, far from anyone can do this kind of work on this level - total professional.

[@Macsk8ing]

I bought a Schecter with a broken neck even worse than this because it was chipped very unevenly and impossible to glue together. Basically it was the entire neck broken off at about the 5th fret, not just the headstock. I took it to Mexico and the man who fixed it charged me $30 and left it playing better than any guitar I had ever owned. This video reminded of that and I almost cry.

[@adityamittal1134]

Props to Gibson for mastering the headless guitar.

[@themarcomoreira]

You can create the most powerful 3D printer of world, but you never can replacement a human's talent and creativity ❤

[@BUNKERJR53]

Sweetwater is everything you need and more! I deal with them all the time! Thanks to everyone involved in the Company.. Special thanks to Darius Beetz. "My Man"!!!!!

[@BUNKERJR53]

Correction: Darius Beatz

[@pwman]

Amazing!!!! Amazing!!!! Work .... Joe's skills are on full display on this repair ... a great thought process and an amazing repair mindset. Way to go!!!!

[@TheJphernandez]

That's an awesome repair without a trace!

[@joemcgraw5529]

I feel the same way asyou do ,love to play but like watching the customer playing it the first time after i put my heart and soul into ,its becomes a passion odf knowing you made someone very happy no matter if its dwezil or just a guy of the street ,lucky guy you lol

[@evilfab5195]

Impressive ! Just speechless.... Great repair Tech

[@lordchunkyfat]

I love watching you work Joe!

[@deadlegs187]

Imagine so perfectly finding your talent like this. The work, the joy of fixing someone's love. Bet he sleeps like a baby

[@coffeefish]

Such an emotionally sensitive story...Oh my goodness, I almost cried so hard. That guitar is like a baby, good thing the wonderful people loved it back to life...

[@CaptainRon1913]

What a fantastic repair. I've seen so many hack job repairs including some on some pretty famous guitars. Knocked it out of the park!

[@paulforester6996]

Dweezil has a great sense of humor and was cool to meet at gearfest. Great work on his guitar cause I didn't think that was possible.

[@ducamuk]

Joe Albright is a very good repair tech. Can Sweetwater give him a better looking shirt? I think he’s earned it.

[@incubrian]

hey sweetwater, thanks for this, you rule :) i am so glad you hire the real pros like joe albright :)

[@dmanorozco]

This warmed my heart. Seriously.

[@onurb59]

This guy is an artist

[@haroldlertora9930]

This video is beyond satisfying. This luthier man is a good man.

[@Smudgie]

I wish I had someone like this guy to do a proper job on my 73 LP Deluxe.

[@headknocker8999]

Thumbs Up for Joe!! I've fixed a broken headstock myself & it's a chore to get one all but perfect.. As said afterwards it's actually stronger & sounds better.. I need to look into an SG as it's one of the few Gibson shapes I've never owned, I even have a case for one in the basement, It once held a Blueshawk.. I'm gonna make a Fool SG.. ROCK ON!! Gary/Hk

[@brandondavid3643]

I’ve done that repair dozens of times. It was my specialty at Woodwind and Brasswind.

[@Ibaneddie76]

I'm a guitar builder who does repairs once and a while it seems like people are one or the other rarely both but both seem to know how to do the other haha weird sentence. Anyway I've repaired a few Gibson headstock breaks so I can say this was a magnificent job, this guy knows his stuff for sure. Secondly that is the coolest SG I've seen does anyone know the model or was it built as a one off for Dweezle? Awesome, Awesome video I love learning from gifted artists and craftsmen. I usually build any guitar I want but the last guitar I purchased was from Sweetwater and I can say they are top notch, service, shipping, and product beat expectations.

[@Fredwitrave]

Waw! This is very good work - another level I'd say. Seeing such great woodwork makes me happy.