4003 loose strap bolt

johnnyb · Post by **johnnyb** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 6:58 pm

Hey everybody...does anyone have a long term solution for a strap bolt that keeps backing out during gigs?...I thought that just some white glue would fix it...but safer to let my forumites chime(jangle?) in first.

johnallg · Post by **johnallg** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 7:56 pm

I believe RIC used Loctite in production. As long as the threads are still good, it should work fine.

pflash4001 · Post by **pflash4001** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 9:16 pm

I usually use a few wooden matchsicks or toothpicks. Stuff a few in the hole and then screw in the bolt or screw.

pflash4001 · Post by **pflash4001** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 9:17 pm

I usually use a few wooden matchsticks or toothpicks. Stuff a few in the hole and then screw in the bolt or screw.

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Thu Nov 23, 2006 5:21 am

I do the toothpick trick but I also add a few drops of elmers glue ...

kcole4001 · Post by **kcole4001** » Thu Nov 23, 2006 5:43 am

I've used wood glue for this several times with no problems, if the hole wasn't too far out of shape.
You can remove them later by using Vice Grips & a piece of cloth to protect the bolt head.

rickfan60 · Post by **rickfan60** » Thu Nov 23, 2006 6:35 am

In the factory they use a set of front cutters to tighten the strap buttons. The cutter is modified with a circular cutout in the blades that grabs the strap button around the neck. It leaves no marks.

kcole4001 · Post by **kcole4001** » Thu Nov 23, 2006 11:30 am

I use thick cloth (often doubled up) & the curved part of the Vice Grip jaws.
I tend to mess with mine frequently since I bolt my straps on to my basses with the stock bolt & a washer. The tailpiece bolt usually works back & forth while playing unless a dab of glue is used.
I never have to worry about them dropping.

jsod · Post by **jsod** » Fri Nov 24, 2006 10:48 am

I'd be wary of using glue in the strap button hole; if you ever want to remove the strap button there is a risk of breaking it if it's glued in.

(I've broken glued-in screws before, but not on a Rick.)

pflash4001 · Post by **pflash4001** » Fri Nov 24, 2006 11:35 am

My 1979 4001 has Dunlop straplocks on it. I've never had any trouble with them. Every few weeks I double check them to make sure they haven't come loose, but I do this on all my instruments, including those without straplocks.

jdogric12 · Post by **jdogric12** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 6:51 am

I have always had this problem but never heard it addressed. So the other night I took Mr. Hall's advice... sort of. The screw hole seems to go all the way through on my 360/12v64, so instead of dropping the water into the hole, I ran the screw under the faucet for just an instant, and got it to hold two drops in the threads. Then I screwed it in. Seems to be working great.

rikk · Post by **rikk** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 8:07 am

All of this seems so simple. On my old gigging basses I just took a huge wood screw and some metal washers and tightened them down. I can never remove the strap, but it ain't fallin' off either.

jdogric12 · Post by **jdogric12** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 11:04 am

I use washers on all my non-strap-lock guitars. Learned that from a John Flansburgh article.

kcole4001 · Post by **kcole4001** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 11:25 am

Same here, screw the bolt back in place with a washer between it & the strap. It doesn't come out, but you do need a different strap for each guitar.
Just a small drop of wood glue is pretty safe, it just refreshes the threads in the wood that have loosened with age & wear.