Heel Seperation

[Lane Pryce]

I recently received an older Gibson A. I have noticed there is a bit of seperation where the heel of the neck joins the back. Is there a perferred method of repair? BTW mando repair is way out of my league so I'm just asking the experts! #Thanks in advance. #Lp

[sunburst]

By a "bit" of separation do you mean something you can slip a pick in or something you can barely slip a dollar bill in? If it's the latter, it should be OK if it's glued and clamped. If there is a bigger gap it may mean there are other things going wrong.

[Lane Pryce]

The opening itself is about 1/8" deep. I could get a dollar bill in the opening. The mando is an A40 the best I can tell. Spruce top,f's,mahagony back sides and neck,rosewood bridge and fingerboard,mop dots ect. Is this kind of seperation common with the 40's and 50's? Lp

[sunburst]

That is not uncommon in mandolins in general.
It can probably be glued and clamped and be fine. You don't really have a structural problem until the separation makes it all the way to the head block, and if it's glued now it wont make it to the head block.