Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Well, I have gone and done it ... took the truss rod cover off and lost the screws. Doh!

Does anyone know the exact size of these screws so I can find replacements.

Cheers,

Keith

Make sure they're not hiding in your case, waiting to scratch the instrument!

The RIC Boutique lists them as #3 x 3/8": http://boutique.rickenbacker.com/SCREW- ... p_623.html

FYI: IIRC, they are the same screws that are used on the jack plate and bridge pickup surround.

I've done some more searching. The best way I can think to describe these screws is "phillips cheese head", but darned if I can find any that are also sheet metal screws. Is Rickenbacker the only company having these made, or does my Google-fu just suck?

Assuming that they are #3 screws and 3/8" long, McMaster Carr has them:
https://www.mcmaster.com/99461A825/

At $13 for 50 screws (plus shipping... usually at least $8), you could lose a lot before you need to buy more!

https://www.rosetti.co.uk/ric-screw-tap-3-x-3-8-rd-ph

...that’s all I could find....

scoobster28 wrote:Assuming that they are #3 screws and 3/8" long, McMaster Carr has them:
https://www.mcmaster.com/99461A825/

At $13 for 50 screws (plus shipping... usually at least $8), you could lose a lot before you need to buy more!

The shape of the head is quite a bit different, on those, among a couple of other things, but they may do the job.

Take one of the remaining screws to your nearest ACE hardware store. In the back of most good hardware stores they have a section with lots of little trays full of fasteners of all sorts. There is a very good chance to find either an oval head or pan head sheet metal screw that matches what you have. You can probably even get them in stainless, which will never corrode and they probably cost less than a quarter each.

Poking around the Net this morning... Ace does seem to have the best of what’s readily available:

https://www.acehardware.com/departments ... rews/56194

Home Depot and Lowe’s didn’t seem to have anything as good as this.

Thanks for all the replies, folks. I'm in Canada and we don't have Ace or McMaster here but we do have a chain called Home Hardware that should have #3 x 3/8 screws. I'll be off there today and will pick up some.

Cheers,

Keith

thark wrote: ... took the truss rod cover off and lost the screws.....

Just curious, how did you lose all three? Yeah, one could roll away, but how could three be completely lost?

My guess is that when he removed them, he very carefully put them all together somewhere safe and sound - so safe that he can't remember where it is.

Yes, it's happened to me.

maxwell wrote:Poking around the Net this morning... Ace does seem to have the best of what’s readily available:

https://www.acehardware.com/departments ... rews/56194

Home Depot and Lowe’s didn’t seem to have anything as good as this.

That's a #8. Can't find any #3 sheet metal screws on that site.

^ ^ ^ AH, faked me out. Sorry.... I’ll post another link, if I find one.

PS -

Finding a suitable screw in a hardware supply store seems futile; smallest size found is #4

BLUF: RIC truss cover screws are everyone else's pickguard screws:


https://www.ebay.com/str/philaluthierto ... 8%22+screw

(#3 screw diameter = 0.099 in., or 3/32 in., or 2.51 mm)
(Length 3/8 in. = 9.525 mm ---- 10 mm should work)


But it seems all truss rod cover screws are #2:
https://www.bitterrootguitars.com/category-s/2440.htm

#3 - seem to be for pickguards, but take a look:
https://www.bitterrootguitars.com/Pickg ... pg-p12.htm

Canadian ebay pickguard screws (incl. #3 x 3/8 in.)
https://www.ebay.ca/sch/i.html?_odkw=%2 ... s&_sacat=0

What guitar are these for? I have two reissues, and the screws are small, slotted pan head, ~9.5 mm long, ~2.35 mm diam.,
3/8 in. long, 3/32 in. diameter ----> OK, same size you're looking (but not the same head type)

Diameter is "thread" (outside) diameter.

I have 3 I can mail you if that's all you need.