Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

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??

C an you unscrew it and pull it out of the guitar?

Glue a toothpick into the hole. Let it set overnight. Then redrill the hole.

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...

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.

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

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

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.

Ah, I see. I'll consider my options, but thanks again for the help!

[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.

aceonbass wrote:Glue a toothpick into the hole. Let it set overnight. Then redrill the hole.

This^

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.