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missing one neck screw

#47
Mongo you have amused for a few minutes, thanks for that.

Why would you not immediately replace the screw that is broken/lost, I would on anything regardless of safety, I just don't like the look of stuff with missing pieces.

You are waiting 15 years for a vintage screw, but you don't care about the bass' mojo. Well then, why wouldn't any screw work as long as the head and thread count are correct.

The car was a great analogy, that missing neck screw might not cause a problem now or ever, but why would you risk the chance it might cause a problem, there is no way is hell your bass is worth less than the cost of a screw. As he said, they didn't design it for 3 screws to hold the neck, otherwise it wouldn't be missing a screw.

/end "snarky" expected TBer comment
 
#48
How is it better to go with three screws instead of four when it was made for four? There's no way to support that that isn't silly. It's not as though the fourth screw has no structural importance. 'It'll still work' is a sad answer.
 
#51
mongo2 said:
Bad anology. Nobody is at risk with a missing neck or bridge screw.
Click to expand...

You don't have to like the analogy to understand the premise.
There is an old adage that says, "A stitch in time, saves nine". You might not appreciate that either, but it's very often true.

Other than argument's sake, there is simply no good reason not to make such a simple fix to your instrument.
 
#53
When I converted this bass to 1/4-20 machine screws & inserts, one screw was too close to the trussrod, so I just left it...
 

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#54
DiabolusInMusic said:
The car was a great analogy, that missing neck screw might not cause a problem now or ever, but why would you risk the chance it might cause a problem, there is no way is hell your bass is worth less than the cost of a screw.
Click to expand...

No the car was a terrible analogy for the concept of any risk involved, there is no risk of personal injury or death from not having the fourth neck screw installed as there is for running on a bald tire, that is the chance of a tire problem and accident is higher with a bald tire and tires continue to wear so there is a good chance over time that the bald tire will fail. Neck screws don't wear in a way that would lead to failure through normal use as tires do (at least none of the neck screws I've been acquainted with) so there's no real risk in not using the fourth neck screw and therfore no real structural reason to replace it immediately, if at all.

The fact that there had been no problems in 15 years demonstrates there is no risk of a problem.

I have had more than a few basses designed with only 3 screws that have had no issues.

My wait for a vintage screw has to do only with matching them more closely for when I sell or trade the bass in the future.
 
#55
frankieC said:
You don't have to like the analogy to understand the premise.
There is an old adage that says, "A stitch in time, saves nine". You might not appreciate that either, but it's very often true.
Click to expand...

That adage hinges on the fact that there is a risk of further failure. As the past 15 years have demonstated to me there is no risk of future failure due to the missing screw. No arguments, adages or analogies are going to change that.

frankieC said:
Other than argument's sake, there is simply no good reason not to make such a simple fix to your instrument.
Click to expand...

Once again, I never said that the OP shouldn't replace the screw. Also again, my original post was to demonstrate that there is no risk of further damage while he waited to replace the screw and allieviate the fear the OP had in that regard.
 
#56
mongo2 said:
That adage hinges on the fact that there is a risk of further failure. As the past 15 years have demonstated to me there is no risk of future failure due to the missing screw. No arguments, adages or analogies are going to change that.

Once again, I never said that the OP shouldn't replace the screw. Also again, my original post was to demonstrate that there is no risk of further damage while he waited to replace the screw and allieviate the fear the OP had in that regard.
Click to expand...
...and there is where our experiences differ. On an older Epiphone bass, that I regularly left on a neck supported stand next to my desk, the signs of lift became evident after only a few months of not repairing a stripped screw on a 4 string bass.
The lift was approximately 3/64th of an inch.

Removing the screw, drilling out the screw hole, filling the hole with a piece of maple dowel, re-drilling the screw hole, and reattaching the neck remedied the situation. The neck fully seated again.

Granted, the slight lift didn't seem to affect the sound or feel of the bass, and the only why I even noticed it was that I could see the was line where the neck and the body met. After removing the strings, I placed wood blocks on the fretboard, and the back of the saddle, and using a C-clamp (lightly) I could see the neck re-seat in the saddle.

Repairing the screw hole and putting the screw back in securely resulted in the neck fully seating.

I don't argue that you didn't have any issues. My argument is that your experience and good fortune is not universally true.

Play it safe, replace the screw.
 

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