Should you buy a guitar with a broken headstock?
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- čas přidán 8. 09. 2024
- Should you buy a guitar that has a headstock repair or one that needs fixed? Baxter and Jonathan give you their thoughts and baxter shows you his personal Vintage SG that has had a repair thats been perfect for 20 years.
5 years ago I bought a 1990 les Paul custom with a repaired headstock. Still the best $500 I’ve ever spent. Love this video!
I broke my leg when I was 8...so my parents sold me to gypsies...it all worked out in the end...I love a happy ending.
At least they didn't pawn you
That is a lovely story and cheers to that:)!!
A headstock repair is a great analogy for a broken person... the restoration can be better than before the break.
I repaired a LP Headstock Smile about 7 years ago myself. It was very hard to tell it had broken after I fixed it. I used LMI Luthiers Glue. I didn't even touch up the finish just used a Red Marker and rubbed it with my finger to smooth into the glue line. It is still good and my grandson loves it since I gave it to him later.
Great story and save there Charles!
Baxter and Jonathan dragging Jonathan’s son is not what I expected this morning, especially the Goonies reference lmao
"Not as intelligent" OMFG I was dying.
@@1959LesPaul I sceienced it and here are my findings-
Gibbon Les Paul: 9-11 lbs
An actual gibbon: 12 lbs
Conclusion: if Les Pauls didn’t weigh as much as monkeys the headstocks wouldn’t break so often.
I found a VHS copy of Revenge of Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise for 75 cents at a garage sale. I was pretty pumped.
That movie shredded!!!
I've never even considered buying a Gibson with a broken headstock until now. Nice chat fellas, enjoy the weekend.
Thanks a ton! Have a super one yourself and thanks for joining us:)
My 68' SG had a repaired headstock before I acquired it in 99'. It was a great repair and is the best playing and feeling guitar I've ever played.
I'm looking for a LP Custom with a broken headstock, any project, just to save the money. It's going to be played and kept anyway, so who cares if it has blemishes.
Absolutely yes. I have owned many repaired Gibson guitars over the past 35 years and they were usually the ones that stuck around the longest. Don’t be scared!🤠
Thank you for that. I have a dream guitar and I can only find one with a previous broken headstock. Might go for it… thanks.
I currently have three Gibson Les Paul custom guitars, two of which have headstock repairs… All three are really great guitars. Best of luck in your search!
With a good repair they usually sound better. Mine was a 79 SG headstock repair and neck reset. That guitar was a monster of tone
Love to hear that!
I have an acoustic/electric Epiphone 12 string. The guitar originally sold for like 7 or 8 hundred dollars. I got it for $200 because the guy bought it took it home and then brought it back the next day with a broken headstock. The store's luthier fixed it and it has been awesome for me ever since and I have had it for about 20 years.
My ‘79 SG has a headstock repair and it is more stable and stronger than before it broke.
Years ago a friend of a co-worker found a 1962 Fiesta Red Stratocaster at a Garage Sale for $300.
He bought the guitar and then resold it to Elderly’s Music that very same day!
Most shocking part of this story is him reselling instead of just keeping it! (IMO)
Personally I wouldn’t enjoy owning something that precious. I’d end up keeping it in the case hidden somewhere. I’d be likely to sell it and buy a bunch of stuff that I’d be more comfortable enjoying everyday
Still a cool story but it would be cooler to have the proof at hand!
@@honkytonkinson9787 I would tend to agree with you about owning something you could worry about less and enjoy more.
The finder of that old Strat ended up receiving a new CS Les Paul and cash in the deal from Elderly's Music.
I'd always wanted a Les Paul Custom, years ago I ended up buying a well used/worn example that I didn't have to "worry" about when playing (also, the price was within my means)
So worn was this guitar that I felt very comfortable letting our young Son use it for many years as his first guitar when learning how to play. What resulted was a guitar with lots of history within our family as it has always been played just as a guitar should be. Had I instead purchased a brand new Les Paul Custom I'd not likely have let him use it to learn how to play.
Yeah only player grade for me as well
Holy cow!!!! That is a rather amazing find! I couldn’t sell it. That would be my toy 4ever there:) thanks for sharing!
Completely agree. I bought a 75 Custom that was repaired by a shop in 1982, the neck is still solid with the original repair and plays great. At the time I bought it, it was almost half the price of a new one. The shop told me that if it ever broke again, they would fix it free and put it in writing. Would definitely buy another one with a break from a reputable shop.
I bought a Gibson hummingbird pro with a headstock break. A few years later the break re-opened so I had to have it splined. It sounds great and is my number one gigging guitar. I'll have that thing forever. Buy the breaks.
I'm very thankful my LP and 335 headstocks are still firmly attached! Thanks for the video.
I had a dream I broke my Gibson just a few days ago, it was so real. Woke up in a terrible mood, it took a minute of starting at it to get that panic and anxiety to go away.
That is strange. I had a dream a month ago i was playing my 68' SG and all of the sudden the neck could bend around my body like a noodle and I was horrified. 2 days later I'm playing it and I do a whole step bend and hear a loud "pop" and then it had the most ridiculous non harmonic, glassy overtones like I've never heard a guitar make and the neck felt different. Just the pressure from fretting the neck would move way more and cause dead frets. After some inpection, the glue popped and the fret board is starting to lift from the nut to the 4th fret...
Those are both some terrifying dreams!!!
I agree completely about the Gibson imperfections. Rock N Roll isn't about being perfect, it's about the attitude and mojo and what inspires you.
Love and agree there!
I have one on my 339, NO ISSUES with playability, was professionally fixed by Billy Gibbons Tech
I've got a '69 LP Deluxe Gold-top with a very nasty headstock break.Not just the usual "smile," but a real fracturing. Someone put it back together with epoxy in the past, but, from the looks of it, they'd been drinking. I bought it thinking I'd be OK with it, but it bothers me too much. I'm struggling with what to do and have three options that I can think of (I should mention at this point that I'm a relatively experienced repairer and builder):
1) Sell it on to someone who will love it more as is.
2) Take the previous repair apart (most likely with dental tools) and do it again properly.
3) Carve a brand new neck from Honduran based on the old one and move across everything I can - truss rod, fingerboard, tuners, headstock inlay ... then match the finish to the rest of the instrument and write a note inside a cavity that it's been re-necked and is no longer all-original in case it's sold later on down the line.
Personally, I'd rather do either (1) or (3), as (2) would involve a new head plate anyway, and maybe some new wood. Right now, I'm leaning towards trying to sell it first, but, if I don't get the amount I want for it, then doing (3) and playing it a lot.
Thoughts from anyone?
As Kirk Hammet says...They always sound better after the repair ...His 1.5 million dollar, 59 Les Paul sounds great to me . Id have no issue with it .
I'd have no problem buying on as long as the repair was done well. Kirk Hammett and Damon Johnson have told stories about their Les Paul guitars sound better after a headstock repair!
"Thank the good lord for the chiropractor."
Amen brother Jonathan.
Saved that poor mans life...it aged him 40 years until the man set him straight!
I broke a few and repaired them myself. Been playing fine for years. Broke a Charvel's head stock off twice. The new glue joint is stronger than the wood around it.
I have a Gibson Nighthawk SP-2 with a nicely repaired headstock and it's my number 1 player!
My 1974 Les Paul that I’ve had for 20+ years has a broken headstock. It was a real basket case but over the years I fixed everything and got the stock parts back on it because nothing was original on it except for the tuners. It is my favorite guitar I own, I always get compliments on its sound. I wouldn’t have paid top dollar for it but for what I paid, it’s awesome. No tuning issues at all. It broke again about 18 years ago because it was a terrible repair, I fixed it and never had a problem with it ever again.
I bought two epiphone les paul , one standard 1959 and one ltd edition in tv silver and a japanese jackson king v, all of them with neck/headstock broken for 450 dollars , after the repairs they are solid instruments.
One of my friends bought a 1959 LP Special DC in TV Yellow, a few years ago. The guitar had a neck heel break, so it cost less than half of the price of a clean example, but it's one of the best guitars I've ever heard.
I worked for a Gibson dealer in the late 80's - early 90's. I repaired a whole lot of Gibson headstocks. Done right they are still great guitars. If you get one cheap done poorly they can still be fixed for $200 - $300 but, if you buy a Gibson, learn how not to break it!
Gary Moore's les paul had a break in a car crash,, he said it came back brighter.. Kirk hammet ain't complaining👍
Bought a Vintage V100AFD for 75€ with broken head stock, repaired. Great guitar.
Laura Jane Grace smashed her Rickenbacker into several pieces at a show, then later glued it back together, and now she says it sounds better.
Great share there!
Found a 2005 Gibson Standard Faded for 1300 with a repaired headstock. Everything else is perfect, glad I went for it
The bassist in my previous band tripped over my Les Paul Jr and knocked it out of the stand. It should have been safe, but the bassist is a spastic individual. Snapped neck was fit back together that night, glued up right. I kept it clamped for three days. All damage is above the nut. Plays great. Has held for years. Doubt I will ever sell it. I don't play with that bassist anymore....
Just bought an amazingly playing 1993 Gibson SG custom for next to nothing....even less than what the headstock repair had cost. And I think it improved the guitar haha
i have a 2007 silverburst SG that was part of the guitar of the week series. bought it new, my first big guitar purchase. i broke the headstock around 2009. im man enough to say i cried. had it repaired, i feel like it didn't really play the same after that. it's at my parents house, haven't played it in years but I want to see how it holds up
Give it some love man I stupidly got rid of a 67 V years ago for the same reason They seem tainted buy not true
a good friend ran his 80's Guild 12 string acoustic over and broke the headstock off, got it repaired and it played as good as before and still has it 10 years later.
My 1952 Goldtop had a headstock break when I bought it. Ive know the owner for 25 plus years. It doesnt look pretty but its stable and the guitar is AMAZING!
You guys are awesome. No mean comments at all.
I have a 1980 Gibson 335 Firebrand S Headstock has been broken all the way off 2 times glued it back together 2 times. Still an awesome guitar!!!!
Cool subject. Watching now. I have found a lot of great deals on LPs that had been fixed from broken headstock injuries' and I bought one a while back and it remains to be one of my favs.
I bought a '59 melody maker with a head stock repair. It' an awesome guitar. Can't tell it was broken and the repair was professional. Can't sell it for much but I don't plan to.
Epiphones are notorious for breaking at the nut just sitting in the case or on a stand. I had a first run Slash AFD that I pulled out of the case one day and it was cracked on both sides of the nut. Epiphone wouldn't repair it, so I broke the headstock off and re-glued it. Been solid ever since, and I sold it to a friend who still plays it. He calls it "Old Broke Neck".
Gifted a few, repaired and rehomed most and kept the best of them that still plays great, Sometimes a headstock break can slash price of Vintage Guitar in Half, but Every instrument and Repair are UNIQUE
My freind as got one. It’s a fantastic guitar. A Classic LP that sounds great and it’s repair will never break for sure
I just bought a mid 70’s J50 deluxe with kluson tuners that (1) had a head stock break long ago and was repaired professionally (2) it has had a top crack repaired properly (3) it has had Bridge and bridge plate replaced (4) New bone nut & saddle (5) recent re fret (6) LR Baggs anthem installed. It is a player grade guitar that has a ton of cosmetic wear from use due to it being such a good sounding guitar. My price 750.00 I feel like I got a super solid deal on it. I avoided head stock issues for years but I took the plunge on this J50.
i come from a long line of carpenters and have done some luthier work myself, if you have resources, aka a shit load of money and time, sure, luthier work is expensive but time is the biggest catch in this scenario, almost all headstock repairs are prone to snapping again, and over time tuning stability and intonation, fret buzz can and almost always is a timely ordeal. another wards if you plan on keeping it for long periods of time expect to invest alot of time and money into that guitar, good work is not cheap and getting good work done will increase longevity of the repair. also get a case, dont hang em high on the wall or stand it in a corner
That was a great bit of input there and sincere thanks for sharing your thoughts! Hearing from someone who actually does this is very helpful to everyone out here so again thanks!
@@CasinoGuitars no problemo, keep up the good work with the channel
Very heartening to hear this is doable. Unfortunately I knocked over my Eastman SB59 LP-style guitar and the headstock snapped clean off in the middle of the truss rod cover. Fortunately I have a good mate (who runs the guitar Dept at the store I bought it from) who's already making calls for the repairs
I bought a 07, 61 reissue SG last year off Reverb for 1K with a neck break at the neck joint (great repair job) one of my fave guitars I have ever had! And I'm not always an SG fan myself. I should have kept it! So true about the Pound Puppies being the best.
I have a Gibson American Player II early 90s I think. It has a shattered headstock that my uncle pieced back together and it is a fantastic guitar. It's been a decade and still one of my best players.
I had a headstock crack on my Les Paul while it was literally in the stand. It happens! Paid a few bucks to have it glued back together and it’s as good as new🤣
I’ve seen two head stock breaks. One Gretsch and one SG. I got the SG for $450 and it’s been solid for the last three years. Holds tune nicely and sounds the stuff! The action is wizard low.
Knew the answer before I listened. I have a $200 pawnshop buy 65 SG special which I finally had my Luther fix...this axe is magic. Caveat...have it fixed by a pro! Cost me over $1k, worth every penny.
My '05 LP Standard fell and broke. It was repaired and it's just as good as it was before the break.
I have a 65 custom A profile Strat neck that has a headstock break that was fixed perfectly Original frets too 66 SG with fixed headstock break that plays fine as well
I just bought, today, a 1970 Gibson SG Junior with a repaired headstock and an 2001 Epiphone ES-339 for $700 at a garage sale. Was not smart enough to notice the repair prior to purchasing.
a 72 SG came into my local guitar shop years ago with a headstock repair for $1200, but I was a broke young teenager and sadly could not afford it, I will say I remember it playing amazing and sounding beautiful
Garage sale find: Seagull acoustic w/pickup, capo and hardshell case. $50.
I realize that isn't an amazing guitar, but it's pretty great for $50
Mine LP Custom has a Broken neck for almost 20 years now (never let your child near your guitar guys). Super professionally done. Very hard to see it and none issues with tuning stability etc.
At garage sales and pawn shops I've found a Princeton 65 Reverb reissue for $100cad, a Marshall 50w tube head for $40, a Gibson LP 50s Studio T goldtop for $300, a 70s strat for $100, and most recently an American Tele for $500. All were in like new condition aside from the 65 Reverb, which was pretty dusty, had beat up and scratched grill mesh(I replaced it with new replica mesh) and had a loose input jack that made them think it didn't work.
you guys have outdone yourselves with the Murphy Lab guitar idea with a pre broken headstock -classy, make all your friends jealous with your high end junk. I have a pre crashed BMW I'd like to sell you... also a hamburger I ate yesterday FTW
I bought a 1988 Orville by Gibson LPC with a cracked headstock it is pretty solid on its own but you can wiggle a little open slot when you you want to, so it got a syringe and tightbonded that thing, now i got a LPC with original gibson pickups pat numbers just before the bill lawrence ones that came in 89s and later ones on the G model number orvilles, that thing sounds killer i paid 650 € a friend allrdy wanted to try to buy it from me for 1000
I own and have owned many a Gibson guitars in my long lifetime and oddly enough have never bought or broken a headstock myself. That being said, if the price was right and the repair good, I'd have no issue with buying one.
Not had a headstock repaired but a buddy was a great furniture woodworker and when ever he repaired broken chair/table legs they were always way stronger after the event, so I'd be more than happy with someone with his knowledge of wood & glues to fix a headstock. Also his repairs were finished better cos the repaired part didn't come off a production line like the original piece 🤔
Found a 72 Fender Rhodes at a dumpster and got a Baldwin model M baby grand from a lady trying to throw it away. Finally I recently purchased the RME fireface 400 (and a box of cables)"The Who" used for front of house in the 2017 tour which included the festival ROCK in Rio $267.91. I literally just love history & old rare gear.
My buddy (who's an amazing luthier in the Boston area) let me play his Les Paul that he repaired from a broken headstock. It was visually almost totally imperceptible and tactilely utterly perfect. Killer deal for a killer guitar. He also said (as many other luthiers do) that after a proper repair, the headstock will actually be stronger.
depends how was the repair done. & if only dirt cheap........rock on baxter.......
I have a 1990 LP standard that I knocked over and broke the headstock. It was pretty beat up Black standard (but not in a cool mojo way) so since I'd always wanted a goldtop, I had it refinished (goldtop/dark back) by a very talented guy here in NC at ROWYCO in Durham. You can't tell that the headstock break ever happened. I even checked it with a UV light. I have no idea how he worked this magic, but if I sold it (and was the unscrupulous type) no one would ever know.
He probably put an entirely new neck on it and did not tell you...I have heard of that happening...
@@WilliamBCarr Nah, he didn't charge me for a new neck, and the serial number is the same. The dude is just a wizard.
That's Great...! But there are Luther's that have stamped a new serial number...just saying it's been done...!
These guys are right. Make sure it's done by a pro. If done correctly you can own a great guitar at a discount. I had a whole Forum of guys disagree with me on this. Don't listen to guys from guitar forums.
Love ‘em! SG Junior here. 💪🏼🤘
66 here
A few years ago I bought a Les Paul with a snapped headstock. It was a clean break so I glued it up and it’s fine. What I didn’t like was it had really early Dimarzio Super Distortions which don’t sound how I want with my amps and the bridge saddles had been cut wrong to change the string spacing. So I’ve never really played it much and for a long time I thought I paid too much for it but during the lockdown I put graphtech saddles in the bridge, got some used burstbucker pickups and got the action how I like it and it’s great. Like really great. Like it was a bargain for what I paid.
bought me a 2002 gibson tony iommi sg a couple of years ago with a neck crack. not broken, but it has a split that might pop one day. it is in the queue for a health check at the tech's, but all these other guitars are too..!
can't argue against the ~900 dollar price, tho!
I bought a 86 japan telecaster for 75$ on Facebook last year. Didn't work, one ground wire was lousse, easy fix now plays gooooood
There are three good fixes for Gibson headstocks. Decreased angle, volute and or scarf joint. All would greatly reduce breakage and cause untold amounts of wailing and gnashing of teeth.
You're right. I hate this " well, if we improved it, it wouldn't be a true Gibson". I don't understand that.
I’ve sold a Les Paul Smartwood exotic for $200 to a pawn shop, terrible decision, it was pristine And a great instrument. I’ve also bought a Gibby Les Paul special for $350, the one with the matte finish and P90s. It was ok but not as good as the smartwood.
Tite-bond wood glue is stronger than actual wood in many cases, if applied and dried properly, a headstock break can be fixed and play for years to come.
I totally got away with basic wood glue and a cheap clamp overnight. Wet sanded the seam with like 500 to smooth the dried glue and broken finish along the break. Been like that for a year no complaints would buy another one in a heartbeat. Probably spent 30 bucks fixing it
Regarding the garage sale... I once got an amazing MXR Digital Delay (rackmount from the 70's) for $8! It wasn't working but I took it to my friend to have him take a look at it. I bought another non working one to use as parts (paid $32 for that one) and he was able to get a working unit out of them!
I bought a gibson lespaul less + with à repaired headstock for 1000$cad and it is amazing
I’ve always though if it was a good repair and done properly then it should be better than before the break or repair. I’ve considered buying a repaired husk or any Gibson or Epiphone guitar as a project but most I’ve seen although repaired looked like the neck were snapped by an angry Pete Townsend definitely gonna wait for the right one at the right price.
A car that has been in an accident is a biiiiit worse than a headstock break! Crumple zones etc... a few bent panels is something else though, but be careful. Still love your videos guys.
So much fun fixing guitar and bringing it back to life
I just found a beautiful 355 with a neck repair and richlite fingerboard. Now that's a useful and pretty in time video!
The advice to let someone check out a repair that knows quality work is excellent. Oh, and I think I need to say again, Derrick is a really nice guy. 😎
I almost bought a used, broke but /repaired neck Ernie Ball Music Man JPXI BFR but it was scratched up, non original case and 1100 for the factory to replace the neck with a new one. that said, the guitar sounded amazing and I almost wish I had bought it. But at the time they would not move off the 1800 price tag. And I felt I would have too much into it.
It's not like your buying a parts special Airplane and take ya Chances.Boy I hope the Glue holds up!
I remember finding a crate practice amp with spring reverb at a garage sale.
The volute, like the one on your SG, was to help prevent breaks. A nice try but they still break. A good repair on a broken headstock can save you close to 40% on a vintage guitar. I am not a fan of people who finish the break so you cannot see it. It allows the unscrupulous dealer to sell as a guitar with no repairs. You can use a black light and it will show up immediately. I have had some amazing guitars with repaired headstocks including a '68 Les Paul Custom, '61 Les Paul and a '56 Les Paul Jr. To a true collector, a broken headstock is something they will not tolerate. To a player, it makes some great pieces affordable.
I bought a vintage 61 les paul jr with a headstock break and it stays in tune superbly. I'll never sell it anyway and I bought it to play
I gat a saga for ya... I'm 19-20? its Nov 1997 walk into Danny's Music (he ded store gone too) theres a Tabaco burst Les Paul Standard handing on the wall, $800. has a poorly repaired headtock break, but is an original 74' standard, with factory humbuckers etc, I'm too young to know better and its a dream guitar, so I con Danny into letting me put it on layaway, takes me about 3 months to pay it off. I get it home and proceed to play the guts out of it, eventually the headstock comes apart (moisture was the culprit0, turns out there was a pair of screws, a bunch of bondo, all sorts of bad news, dude strips the finish off the entire neck to reveal half a dozen cracks... anyway, he makes it whole again and I continue to play it and treat it poorly, until one day I chuck it at a crowd followed by my sovtek mig50 and 4x10 cab... (note: this was not a new thing for me to do) and you guessed it, head stock cracks yet again, at least this ones fresh and unmolested... anyway few months later that band disintegrated and my drive to play went with it. 7 long years go by... finally I get the urge to start playing again... have a buddy glue up the new crack, sadly something when wrong and the glue didn't hold, so now we are on crack #4... take it to a proper luthier, who fixes up the bad repair and refinishes the neck back to a proper looking burst with nitro and everythang...
Damned thing plays better then ever and sounds better then any of my other paul's, plus it has a bitchin back story... the original duct tape layaway tag is still on its case, finish is all cracked and chunks missing, caked on blood (mostly mine?) and the scars of 100's of punk rock shows... I will likely never sell it, it still goes to gigs with me, even if I end up not playing it, its there, ready... if need be.
Headstock breaks I’ve bought. 73 SG Special, 68 335, 62 Fender Jaguar (yeah I know! Think someone drove over it) 61 es330, also a 55 custom had a headstock repair. I think it’s a great way to get a discount on an expensive guitar !
Just bought an ibanez rg5ex1 with a snapped headstock for $50, super excited to clamp that shit!
Both Slash and Kirk Hammet have said in interviews that Gibson guitars with snapped headstocks sound better afterwards. These guys have played thousands of guitars. I definitely trust their opinions.
I've got 5 Gibsons and nearly 20 years in no breaks. (knock on wood) I just don't leave them on stands. Always back in the case once I'm done.
Same. But I keep all mine on stands. But they are the more expensive stands with a low center of gravity. And all the surface areas are wrapped with white cotton linen to prevent “stand rash”. I have all my guitars out and visible. Just fun to look at when I’m not playing. I’ve got UV window film in that room and a humidifier/dehumidifier set at a constant 45%. Guitars always stay in tune and look and play like a million bucks. 👍🏻
Broken guitar headstocks are often a simple repair. Though to test the guitar to see if you actually like it is a bit tough without a headstock...
garage sale mid - 70's tweed bassman (chassis only) $20. I still use it
I also was trying to buy a rose gold telecaster with a rosewood neck. I paid the guy and everything then he messages me the day he was supposed to ship it and says "oh my wife broke the neck" and refunded me. He told me he had a warranty and GC might be able to get him a new neck and I told him to let me know if he does. I ended up buying a mystic seafoam tele later that week instead. Then like 3 weeks later he messages me and tells me he made up the story because he didn't want to sell it. But now he was willing to. I met him the next day and got it for a good deal and it looks brand new. The neck never broke. Luckily because I can't find a full rosewood neck for a tele anywhere. And now I have 2 teles but just different colors 😂
There are a few decent deals still to be found.. but it is tougher.. I have a 1965 fender super reverb that I picked up about 2 years ago for $400 and I got a 1970 Gibson at that I paid $680 for
My mom found an fender American jazz bass at a garage sale for $75. She sent me a couple pics of it and then started looking around, by the time i texted her back someone else grabbed it. I never let her forget about it 😂 my guitar teacher also claimed that another students parents found a clean gibson sg with a bigsby at the dump and decided to put their kid into lessons, my teacher said the kid couldn’t care less about it. Whata shame whata shame
Man I love stories like that! Amazing what can be found with a little elbow grease searching in the trenches! Love that!!
I have an original pound puppy from when i was a kid its sits under the handle on top of my amp