Gibson changed their neck construction around 1969, moving from traditional one-piece mahogany to a stronger 3-piece laminate and then to 3-piece maple about 1974 for even greater strength. From roughly 1969, they added a so-called “volute” or carved heel to the back of the neck just below the point where it becomes the headstock – a sort of triangular thickening that theoretically reinforces a notorious weak spot. The volute lasted until about 1981.
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