Redoing a Failed Cello Neck Repair

This cello had a previous failed repair where the neck projection dropped and the break had slightly reopened. I suspected there was some kind of weak support barely holding it together. Since there were no visible pins through the fingerboard, I needed to investigate further.

Step-by-Step Repair Process

1. Drill a Small Test Hole: I drilled a very small hole through the fingerboard where a pin would typically be placed.
2. Confirm Hidden Metal: As expected, the drill hit metal, indicating the presence of improper reinforcement.
3. Remove the Fingerboard: Since metal was inside, I needed to remove the fingerboard to access the failed repair.
4. Discover the Previous Repair: The neck was held together using two long drywall screws—an unfortunate but common improper fix.
5. At Least No Wooden Dowels: While drywall screws were a poor choice, at least they hadn’t used wooden dowels, which can be very difficult to remove.
6. Extract the Screws: I carefully removed both screws, noting that one was in a bad position, but the other was properly placed at a decent angle.
7. Create and Insert Dowels: I made two wooden dowels and filled the hole left by the badly positioned screw.
8. Trim and Flatten the Surface: I trimmed the dowels level and filled the fingerboard side to create a flat surface.
9. Remove Ebony Shards: The previous repair had left behind shards of ebony stuck to the neck, which needed to be carefully removed.
10. Reattach Ebony to the Fingerboard: I glued the ebony shards back onto the fingerboard, using a flat angle iron to ensure alignment.
11. Glue the neck to the heal:Gluing this back together without the fingerboard makes it difficult to align exactly in the center.
12. Install a New Heavy Pin with a Fiber Bushing: I added a proper structural pin and reinforced it with a fiber bushing.
13. Add Proper Pin Support: To ensure long-term stability, I installed two more pinning screws in a triangular pattern for better support.
14. Flatten the Neck and Fingerboard Back: The neck and underside of the fingerboard were carefully flattened to create a proper fit.
15. Reattach the Fingerboard: Once all the structural fixes were completed, I glued the fingerboard back into place.
16. Glue the Nut: The nut was also reglued to finish the repair.
17. Addressing Cosmetic Issues: The previous repair person had sprayed a brown color on the heel, but since correcting that wasn’t necessary for structural integrity, and it was an inexpensive cello I left it as it was.

After these steps, the cello neck was properly reinforced, ensuring it would remain stable without relying on poorly placed screws.

IMG 20250222 133458 188 IMG 20250222 133458 188	IMG 20250222 140559 870 IMG 20250222 140559 870	IMG 20250222 143131 387 IMG 20250222 143131 387
IMG 20250222 143227 893 IMG 20250222 143227 893	IMG 20250222 171033 856 IMG 20250222 171033 856	IMG 20250223 125632 272 IMG 20250223 125632 272
IMG 20250223 125841 810 IMG 20250223 125841 810	IMG 20250223 151546 091 IMG 20250223 151546 091	IMG 20250223 170405 123 IMG 20250223 170405 123
IMG 20250223 173406 385 IMG 20250223 173406 385	IMG 20250226 102336 264 IMG 20250226 102336 264

Repairing a Super Cheap Cello

Even though this cello was inexpensive, I still wanted to repair it properly. Since it had been previously broken and repaired, fixing it presented some challenges. Here’s the step-by-step process I followed:

Step-by-Step Repair Process

1. Remove the Old Repair: The first step was to carefully take apart the previous repair to start fresh.
2. Fill the Old Holes: I plugged the two existing holes with properly fitted wooden dowels to reinforce the structure.
3. Plug the Fingerboard Hole: Since the neck was fully separated, I also plugged the hole in the fingerboard to prepare for reattachment.
4. Glue the Neck Back to the Heel: Using my vertical clamping technique, I reattached the neck to the heel, ensuring it was easier to clamp and align.
5. Install Three New Pins: To provide additional reinforcement, I installed three new pins for added structural integrity.
6. Plug the Pin Holes: Once the pins were in place, I filled and smoothed out the pin holes.
7. Flatten and Wet the Surface: I repeatedly wet the wood and flattened it until the grain stopped expanding.
8. Dye the Wood Black: To match the surrounding ebony areas, I applied a black dye for a seamless finish.
9. Final Touches: After the repair was completed, I took a couple of finished pictures to document the process.

Despite being a low-cost cello, this repair helped restore its structural integrity and extend its lifespan.

IMG 20230711 170719 256 IMG 20230711 170719 256	IMG 20230711 170730 123 IMG 20230711 170730 123	IMG 20230711 170913 175 IMG 20230711 170913 175
IMG 20230711 171457 720 IMG 20230711 171457 720	IMG 20230711 172020 349 IMG 20230711 172020 349	IMG 20230711 173052 012 IMG 20230711 173052 012
IMG 20230711 175755 952 IMG 20230711 175755 952	IMG 20230712 130527 027 IMG 20230712 130527 027	IMG 20230716 152443 172 IMG 20230716 152443 172
IMG 20230716 161839 480 IMG 20230716 161839 480	IMG 20230717 095624 230 IMG 20230717 095624 230	IMG 20230717 155159 718 IMG 20230717 155159 718
IMG 20230717 162609 358 IMG 20230717 162609 358	IMG 20230717 162620 617 IMG 20230717 162620 617	IMG 20230718 094352 988 IMG 20230718 094352 988
IMG 20230718 100131 947 IMG 20230718 100131 947	IMG 20230718 155117 683 IMG 20230718 155117 683	IMG 20230721 114401 758 IMG 20230721 114401 758
IMG 20230721 162739 702 IMG 20230721 162739 702	IMG 20230722 125825 540 IMG 20230722 125825 540	IMG 20230722 125940 427 IMG 20230722 125940 427

Repairing a Broken Cello Neck

Unfortunately, I don’t have a before photo, but the heel was broken off about 2 inches from the fingerboard. Here’s the process I used to restore it:

Step-by-Step Repair Process

1. Secure the Cello Body: I clamped the cello body to my table to keep it stable during the repair.
2. Ensure Proper Alignment: I checked that the cello was plumb and level to ensure a precise neck reset.
3. Adjust Height if Needed: If necessary, I adjusted the endpin to fine-tune the height for proper neck clamping.
4. Clamp the Neck: In most cases, I can secure the neck back in place using only one clamp for a firm bond and percise alignment.
5. Fine-Tune Alignment: If the neck was slightly off-center, I used the rope technique (shown in the photos) to apply lateral pressure and adjust the position.
6. Final Touches: The last three photos show the repaired heel of the neck and the plugged fingerboard, completing the restoration.

This method ensures a strong, well-aligned repair while keeping the cello structurally sound.

IMG 20230927 175234 856 IMG 20230927 175234 856	IMG 20230927 175249 162 IMG 20230927 175249 162	IMG 20231004 160355 232 IMG 20231004 160355 232
	IMG 20231004 160346 590 IMG 20231004 160346 590

A typical cello neck with a broken button. After it was lined up and glued, I pinned it from the inside. It also had a saddle crack that I glued from the outside.

IMG 20230221 172200 933 IMG 20230221 172200 933	IMG 20230221 175427 443 IMG 20230221 175427 443	IMG 20230221 175457 596 IMG 20230221 175457 596
IMG 20230222 163300 440 IMG 20230222 163300 440	IMG 20230222 170603 953 IMG 20230222 170603 953	IMG 20230222 170608 967 IMG 20230222 170608 967

Another broken cello neck. At this time, I had about 4 or 5 cellos with various types of broken necks.

IMG 20230322 173411 009 IMG 20230322 173411 009	IMG 20230322 173425 151 IMG 20230322 173425 151
IMG 20230328 162118 100 IMG 20230328 162118 100	IMG 20230328 162203 775 IMG 20230328 162203 775

Here is a cello where it was previously glued in at the wrong angle, not centered, wrong projection and the neck wasn't even glued to the button. Since I work by myself, I needed some way to hold it steady while I unglued the neck. These inexpensive cellos do not have their necks fitted properly in the first place and they are not worth removing the neck and fitting pieces of maple or spruce, so I just flushed out the old glue, added new glue, aligned the neck and eventualy put a pin from the inside to help hold the neck in place.

IMG 20230305 104413 613 IMG 20230305 104413 613	IMG 20230305 104434 004 IMG 20230305 104434 004	IMG 20230305 111604 211 IMG 20230305 111604 211
IMG 20230305 111611 163 IMG 20230305 111611 163	IMG 20230305 111653 230 IMG 20230305 111653 230	IMG 20230305 112741 729 IMG 20230305 112741 729

I fix a lot of cello necks but usually don't take any photos because it's fairly straight forward. Here is on where it was broken at quite an angle.

IMG 20171101 135603 IMG 20171101 135603

IMG 20171111 145736 IMG 20171111 145736

Tip for measuring a neck to make sure it's in the center.

IMG 20220512 121804 836 IMG 20220512 121804 836

IMG 20220512 121832 223 IMG 20220512 121832 223

IMG 20220512 121850 142 IMG 20220512 121850 142

Here is a another cello with a broken next.  I have fixed hundreds of these. Three screwed pins at the correct angle and lenght works the best. Also clamping so that you are not fighting gravity makes things a lot easier. Once the end grain has been flattened to match the fingerboard, it's dyed black and sealed.

IMG 20220108 172605 618 IMG 20220108 172605 618	IMG 20220108 174217 545 IMG 20220108 174217 545	IMG 20220108 174349 280 IMG 20220108 174349 280
IMG 20220109 150100 871 IMG 20220109 150100 871	IMG 20220109 151643 054 IMG 20220109 151643 054	IMG 20220109 153244 653 IMG 20220109 153244 653
IMG 20220110 112109 737 IMG 20220110 112109 737	IMG 20220114 125918 128 IMG 20220114 125918 128	IMG 20220114 130018 860 IMG 20220114 130018 860