Pickup adjustment screw hole stripped

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PunchyStrummer
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Pickup adjustment screw hole stripped

Post by PunchyStrummer »

Hi all,

One of the neck pickup height adjustment screw holes on my 330 has gotten stripped - it suddenly went crack! and it won't screw down anymore :(

What would be the best way to fix this??
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jps
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Re: Pickup adjustment screw hole stripped

Post by jps »

C an you unscrew it and pull it out of the guitar?
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aceonbass
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Re: Pickup adjustment screw hole stripped

Post by aceonbass »

Glue a toothpick into the hole. Let it set overnight. Then redrill the hole.
PunchyStrummer
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Re: Pickup adjustment screw hole stripped

Post by PunchyStrummer »

Okay, I'll keep the toothpick solution in mind...

Sorry jps, do you mean the screw? I meant the hole in the body of the guitar is stripped so...
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jps
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Re: Pickup adjustment screw hole stripped

Post by jps »

This won't fly with anybody else here but this is what I would do: install a threaded insert and use machine screws instead of the wood screws going forward.
PunchyStrummer
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Re: Pickup adjustment screw hole stripped

Post by PunchyStrummer »

Oh, interesting - is that kinda like the same principle as TOM bridge posts? I haven't come across threaded inserts that much so I'm not too familiar with them - but I'll keep the advice in mind, thanks for your help :D
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jps
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Re: Pickup adjustment screw hole stripped

Post by jps »

Here are examples of threaded brass inserts. They are used by many guitar builders for mounting pickups to the bodies to avoid what you experienced.

https://www.google.com/search?q=threade ... 2&bih=1068
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aceonbass
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Re: Pickup adjustment screw hole stripped

Post by aceonbass »

jps wrote:This won't fly with anybody else here but this is what I would do: install a threaded insert and use machine screws instead of the wood screws going forward.
I did that with EVERY screw point on my customized 4003. It took awhile, but since the bass has been a work in progress, it makes it easy to remove and replace parts as time goes by without stripping out the wood. I use brass inserts with 4-40 threads for almost every screw point.
PunchyStrummer
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Re: Pickup adjustment screw hole stripped

Post by PunchyStrummer »

Ah, I see. I'll consider my options, but thanks again for the help!
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Tsprott
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Re: Pickup adjustment screw hole stripped

Post by Tsprott »

[attachment=0]2F709F1B-F2B8-454F-9599-7BF0E5B492D6.jpegLooking for help. I want to replace the adjustment screw in the attached pics. What and where would I get one of these. Inner surface is stripped so won’t turn.
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iiipopes
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Re: Pickup adjustment screw hole stripped

Post by iiipopes »

aceonbass wrote:Glue a toothpick into the hole. Let it set overnight. Then redrill the hole.
This^
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iiipopes
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Re: Pickup adjustment screw hole stripped

Post by iiipopes »

jps wrote:This won't fly with anybody else here but this is what I would do: install a threaded insert and use machine screws instead of the wood screws going forward.
If th part in question is a part that will be taken on and off regularly, like a bridge cover to change strings, for example, that is a good solution to avoid wood fatigue. But once a player sets a guitar up and keeps playing a consistent brand, model and gauge of string, a pickup adjustment screw into the body should only rarely have to be adjusted. I haven't needed to adjust mine in decades. In that case, the sleeves are overkill. I have instruments with both fixes.
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