Need help with screws that won't budge

I have a Warwick Corvette fretless bass that needs new tuners. Two of the tiny screws that hold the tuner in place on the back of the head stock will not turn. I have pressed down on the little screw driver and tried turning it with a pair of plyers, which worked on two of four. The other two absolutely will not turn. Any suggestions?
 
Insert the screwdriver into the screw slot and tap the handle end of the screwdriver with a light hammer (tack hammer) a few times. That will help to seat the screwdriver in the screw and will help to break the mechanical bond between the screw threads and the wood, and the screw head and tuner. If that doesn't ease things, use a soldering iron to heat the screw. Be careful not to get the screw so hot that it scorches the wood. While still hot attempt to remove the screw.
 
Insert the screwdriver into the screw slot and tap the handle end of the screwdriver with a light hammer (tack hammer) a few times. That will help to seat the screwdriver in the screw and will help to break the mechanical bond between the screw threads and the wood, and the screw head and tuner. If that doesn't ease things, use a soldering iron to heat the screw. Be careful not to get the screw so hot that it scorches the wood. While still hot attempt to remove the screw.
Tacking the hammer on the tiny screws has made the Phillips head grooves fan out making the screw driver slip now. It's that tight. I may have to drill the heads off, lift out the tuner and grab the rest of the screws with channel locks. If that doesn't work I may just set the bass on fire and then the screws will be left behind.😁
 
Tacking the hammer on the tiny screws has made the Phillips head grooves fan out making the screw driver slip now. It's that tight. I may have to drill the heads off, lift out the tuner and grab the rest of the screws with channel locks. If that doesn't work I may just set the bass on fire and then the screws will be left behind.😁
If you do end up cutting the heads off, put a drop of water at the stem of the screw stub and heat the screw with a soldering iron until the water boils off. The screw will come out a lot easier then.
 
use a bigger screwdriver with a solid grip instead of the little screwdriver you are currently using
The slots enlarging when whacked with a hammer would lead me to believe the driver was too large.
Either way, if the screw head deformed when struck, screwdriver size was likely not the root cause.
 
  • Like
Reactions: lowplaces
Yep.... I've used the soldering iron trick. Especially with something that small. Prep is everything..... well.... not slipping off with the screwdriver is everything. hahaha

Makes me wonder if somebody used super-glue on it at one time. Them little screws vs wood isn't really all that tough.
 
As others have said, a hot soldering iron or even an old junk screwdriver heated with a torch to red hot then placed on the screw. Let the screw heat up then use a good screwdriver to extract the screw.

I restore vintage wooden golf clubs and have used this method for the most stubborn of screws with great success.
 
  • Like
Reactions: lowplaces
If you have a dremel tool, use a cutting wheel to make a new slot in the screw head, then use a flathead screwdriver to slowly turn it out. This has always worked for me when easier methods fail.

If this doesn’t work drilling it out is pretty much all I got left.

I see someone already beat me to it.
 
Here's a pic of the Gotoh GB707's on the Warwick.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20241007_123050219.jpg
    IMG_20241007_123050219.jpg
    4.8 MB · Views: 4
Yep.... I've used the soldering iron trick. Especially with something that small. Prep is everything..... well.... not slipping off with the screwdriver is everything. hahaha

Makes me wonder if somebody used super-glue on it at one time. Them little screws vs wood isn't really all that tough.
Wood has sticky sap. Natural glue. The smaller the screw head, the more difficult to break the adhesion. Heat is the answer as you said.