Stuck endpin, please help

[DrewBud]

Hi there,

I've been reading this forum for a couple of days now and it's great to have a community of such knowledgable people.

I just got my URB back from my parents house after 7 years in storage. The end pin will not budge (I've tried pliers and it really doesn't want to move). Does anyone know what type of lubricant would be safe to use and the best way to apply it. Or has anyone had a simialr issue and how did you resolve it?

I'm trying to find the time to take it in to have someone give a through look at to make sure there are no issues that I'm not aware of, however I'd really like to be playing on it at the correct height 'cause my legs are getting tired from squatting (I just can't resist playing it )

Many thanks,
Drew

[bassteban]

I just wanted to strongly recommend having a pro look at it, & mention an option in the way of a replacement. I had my flimsy steel rod replaced w/a hollow tube unit. The installer claimed it to be aluminum, but it looks like stainless steel to me. Either way, what a difference! I'm amazed at how much more secure the bass feels- of course, being 6' 2", I have a lot of endpin out, so flimsy for me is quite flimsy. Just a thought. Fix it, & PLAY it!

[reedo35]

[quote=DrewBud]Hi there,

I've been reading this forum for a couple of days now and it's great to have a community of such knowledgable people.

I just got my URB back from my parents house after 7 years in storage. The end pin will not budge (I've tried pliers and it really doesn't want to move). Does anyone know what type of lubricant would be safe to use and the best way to apply it. Or has anyone had a simialr issue and how did you resolve it?
/QUOTE]
In Storage for 7 years?!! It's quite possible that the enpin plug has swollen up and your end pin is wedged in there.
bassteban is correct, you really should have a pro look at it because the only way I know how to safely correct your problem is by removing the entire endpin plug and gently coaxing out the endpin with a mallet. I used to use a 5/8 tube as he mentioned also, but it kept slipping on me because it didn't have notches for the screw. I now use an Eggpin device and it works great for me.

[DrewBud]

YUp...7 years....My parests live on the other side of the country and after I brought it out there for the short time I lived with them I never had the $$ to get it shipped back. They jsut drove out to visit so they could bring it to me. I'm bringing it into a shop next saturday to have them look at it.

Thanks for the advice

[5_string_player]

You already took it in the shop I'm sure and it is fixed, but i can tell you what they did or what should've been done. (it's very easy, you could do it yourself). First off they loosened the strings. Then they take the bridge off and put some Styrofoam underneath the tailpiece so it doesn't scratch the bass. Then taking a small hamme(that has some rubber on the end so it doesn't dent anything) they lightly hit the end pin saddle, and with their hands they'll just wiggle it out (because most end pin saddles are wedged into place.) After taking it out they can deduce with they can repair it or just put in a new one(Both which are not very hard to do). After they're done with all that, they just wedge it back into place and attach the tailpiece wire and put on the bridge and you're done.

Yah, as I said, you probably already took it in, but that's probably what they did, or at least what I would've done. It's very easy.

Cheers

[DrewBud]

I had already taken it in and it was much simpler that that. The inside had rusted so they were able to wiggle out the endpin, clean the endin as well as inside and it works like a charm now. I didn't have anything to really grip it with and didn't want to apply much force and they were able to do a better job of that then I was....

Although when I have some $$ I might look at replacing the whole endpin with something better as it's not the greatest.

[5_string_player]

Well, what i said is simpler done than said... I could easily get the saddle out in a matter of minutes... it's nothing too hard.

[Paul Warburton]

Originally Posted by 5_string_player

Well, what i said is simpler done than said... I could easily get the saddle out in a matter of minutes... it's nothing too hard.

What does the saddle have to do with a stuck end-pin?

[5_string_player]

What i mean is the thing that the endpin goes in.. I generally call that the endpin saddle(or endpin hole).

[Paul Warburton]

Yeah, I like hole.