The spare jack plate screw.

[mfb]

So, I've just finished giving my 325 a good clean and polish.

I strip the guitars in order to do the job properly, and I'm normally very careful with the parts - every time I do this I place them neatly and orderly on a white flannel sheet, on a table. I place the pickups to one side, away from the other metal parts.

This is the first time this has been done to the 325, made in 2000. I wanted to get into all the nooks and crannies that normally you can't get to when the guitar is together.

Anyway, there I was putting it all back together and I find I've got a spare jack plate or TRC screw ... hmmm...

So I check ... no, everything is as it should be ... and I check again ... and I count the number of screws on the key winds, ok ... now I'm starting to think I must've had one too many sips of the red ...

It drove me nuts for about 20 minutes, until I realised what had happened!

Have a guess.

[wj350]

My initial thought was pickup cover or tuner key? But I'm guessing that's too obvious?

[jdogric12]

I love riddles like this, especially when they are true, but I can't figure this one out. Maybe a pictorial clue, MFB?

[jumpindave]

Was an extra stowaway screw magnetically attached to the bottom of a pickup?

[alanz]

Zeus clapped his hands and another screw leapt from his forehead?

[aceonbass]

You had forgotten to install one of the truss rod cover screws?

[scotty]

3 wise men Followed a star in the night sky. One brought Desrt gold.One brought frankincense and one brought a TRC screw ?
They actually didnt make it cause they where back logged due to frankincense being the COY in -0000bc.
Ive too much time on my hands me thinks.

[mfb]

Was an extra stowaway screw magnetically attached to the bottom of a pickup?

Bingo!

I finally remembered that when I was putting the pickups back on, that a screw had magnetically attached itself to the middle p/up. Without thinking I removed it and put it next to the other screws on the table ...

Fancy that, it had been there for seven years since it left the factory.

[jumpindave]

Those Pickup magnets are great for attracting small metal objects. I have a couple in my parts drawer with screws, paper clips, metal finger picks hanging on.