Is Majesty really so fragile?

[tofisi]

I was browsing on Italian used music gear where I saw a Majesty user saying that his guitar dropped down from table and broke at the headstock. He also said that he fixed it, here is a link: MUSIC MAN MAJESTY JOHN PETRUCCI (PALETTA RIPARATA) VENDO/SCAMBIO - #4289559 - su Mercatino Musicale in Chitarre Elettriche

I own a JP6 standard which dropped on the floor plenty of times, but so far the only thing that was really damaged was the finish. I know that this is not really supposed to happen but I am just wondering if Majesty can really get broken so fast in comparison with other guitars.

 

[DrKev]

Any guitar with an angled headstock is potentially prone to his kind of breakage. e.g. Ibanez, Gibson, most acoustic guitars. The Majesty and Armada are the only EBMM with an angled headstock.

 

[BrickGlass]

If you drop your guitar from the table you shouldn't be surprised if it snaps somewhere, particularly the headstock. DrKev has spoken the truth.

 

[sanderhermans]

Any guitar with an angled headstock is potentially prone to his kind of breakage. e.g. Ibanez, Gibson, most acoustic guitars. The Majesty and Armada are the only EBMM with an angled headstock.

Exactly the reason why gibson guitars are more prone to neck breakage than fender. At the headstock angle the grain of the wood is cut short on the angled headstocks, making them more fragile.

 

[Jamie M]

Yep that happened on an acoustic of mine years ago, EBMM are designed with a lot of things in mind but not designed for being dropped from a height

 

[ksandvik]

Any guitar is fragile.

 

[steevo]

As has already been said, certain designs are inherently more prone to breakage if they are knocked or dropped. I've had an ibanez knocked over and it didn't damage it, also had my 77 mustang bass fall off the stand and it was ok. I'm very careful with my basses and guitars.

 

[DrewH]

if we drop YOU from a table, more than likely you will break too No guitar can defeat the laws of physics.

 

[orion_21]

I need to add OP to my "never buy a guitar from this guy" list

 

[Night Goat]

A properly constructed neck with an angled headstock can withstand a ton of abuse without breaking. This mean using either a scarfjoint or a multi-piece neck design. Gibson doesnt do this because a) it's more labour intensive b) their customers want everything exactly like it was in the late 50's. But I dont get why a progressive guitar company like EBMM would build a guitar like that?

This video shows the making of an Armada:

You can clearly see that the neck is a single piece of mahogany, which makes for a very fragile guitar. Keeps the luthiers in business though.

 

[ksandvik]

This is really a philosophical question, I think any guitar can tolerate abuse to a certain point. One reason I don't use guitar stands on-stage unless they are three or five-guitar rack ones. So easy for me or someone else to tilt a single guitar stand. My second guitar has tolerated a lot of abuse in my early days so those scars are enough for me to realize that there's a point where it makes sense to take care of you guitar.

 

[beej]

I don't see anything in the link. Anyhow ... I'm not sure how anyone can conclude that the Majesty is "really so fragile". I've yet to really see anyone break one (thought admittedly we're in the early days of this model).

I'd say it's too soon to sound the alarm just yet, y'know?

 

[sanderhermans]

A properly constructed neck with an angled headstock can withstand a ton of abuse without breaking. This mean using either a scarfjoint or a multi-piece neck design. Gibson doesnt do this because a) it's more labour intensive b) their customers want everything exactly like it was in the late 50's. But I dont get why a progressive guitar company like EBMM would build a guitar like that?

This video shows the making of an Armada:

You can clearly see that the neck is a single piece of mahogany, which makes for a very fragile guitar. Keeps the luthiers in business though.

Both a scarf joint as a single piece have their advantages and disadvantages. On anny joint you make on a guitar and certainly on the neck, you will losse resonance and tone. Also on transparent necks the single piece looks better. But a scarf joint is much stronger.
As long as you can take care of your gear, a single piece is the beter option in my opinion.

 

[Monster212]

i know its already been said, but i will say it again dropping any guitar has a chance of damage, dont matter on the who makes it,

 

[Big Poppa]

Im not touching this....Ive turned over a new leaf.

 

[xjbebop]

I'll touch it...

Just how many documented incidents of Majestys breaking from use / abuse are there?
One careless accident doesn't make a case...

 

[jzeijen]

Come on, doesn't the guitar's manual say: don't drop the guitar from a table...

Really..

 

[BrickGlass]

This thread is hilarious to me. "I ran my car into a telephone poll and it left a giant dent in the car. What is wrong with this car? Can't believe it is so fragile."

 

[beej]

It's more like, "I saw on a website that someone said that they ran their car into a telephone pole ..."

And with that, I think we can kill this.

 

[Big Poppa]

thanks