Repairing pulled strap buttons on basswood body

[Lo-E]

The toothpick trick works well. I have had occasional instances where I've had to re-do it but those instances were pretty rare. Yes to flat toothpicks. Yes to Titebond.

While the toothpick trick is completely effective, the dowel method is really a better repair (a rare instance of AI actually being right!).
Yes to hardwood and yes, 3/8" is bigger than necessary.

In general, I have very little faith in basswood when it comes to holding screws. I'd be more inclined to use dowels (or plugs) than toothpicks in your case.

And yes to longer screws, regardless.

 

[Saetia]

Another option.... Since you said you use strap locks... If you happen to use Dunlop locks, You can switch the buttons to flush mount ones. They're way stronger. Can't see one of those ever pulling out.
View attachment 7468204

My experience using them is worrying about the ball bearings going out on the strap side. Was constantly replacing these on my 97' Warwick corvette standard.

 

[2F/2F]

Who is Al?

 

[SharpCat]

Who is Al?

Amusing Inanity

 

[klattman]

I've jammed glue and toothpicks into at least 25 basses and over decades never had a single one come loose.

Though I can't argue with also using longer screws, just be sure to make a pilot hole that deep so it won't split anything.

 

[SactoBass]

Who is Al?

 

[buldog5151bass]

Toothpicks are generally make from birch, a good hard wood. Certainly harder than basswood.

 

[retslock]

AI has been wrong before

Nooooo....

 

[Turnaround]

Don't make the mistake of just using a longer screw - the result will be short lived. If the original screw went in 1/2 inch so you put in 1-1/2" screw, you will have only 1/2" of screw holding. You will need at least a 2" screw to get the same holding power as the original, and that wasn't enough. Toothpicks and glue work well. And if you do as Riis suggested and remove the screw after the glue dries, then add some thin CA, you'll have a rock solid repair.

 

[devnulljp]

Don't listen to some LLM. In fact, why ask an AI model in the first place? The answer will, at best, have only a less than 1 probability of being correct and will need to be checked.
Elmer's glue and a toothpick. We've all been doing that for decades.

 

[mrperkolator]

Wood glue will hold better than generic Elmer's white glue. Don't use the foaming gorilla glue (they do have real wood glue too, but that foaming stuff doesn't work well at all).

 

[Zooberwerx]

Wood glue will hold better than generic Elmer's white glue. Don't use the foaming gorilla glue (they do have real wood glue too, but that foaming stuff doesn't work well at all).

I would dissuade anyone from using anything other than a quality wood glue as there will be over-flow and ease of removal / clean up is paramount. The key to any glue-up is clamping which is why we re-insert the screw while wet...it provides the required internal wall-to-wall compression. Anecdotally: I did a last-minute repair on Tim's Tele employing a sandwich toothpick (...with yellow cellophane tassles). Couple years later, I pulled it for a proper repair...the toothpick stub fell right out.

 

[Fondsdale]

I would dissuade anyone from using anything other than a quality wood glue as there will be over-flow and ease of removal / clean up is paramount...

I bought a bass once where someone superglued the pins into the body... the screws snapped off trying to remove them. Fun

 

[Michedelic]

Screw AI.

Stick toothpicks in the hole and put the button back in. Done.
My MIJ P bass is basswood and I have toothpicks everywhere. Solid.

^This^
Some tooth picks are harder wood than others, that's what I look for when I dine out. I haven't had repeat occurrences. Usually use Gorilla Glue(wood formula).

 

[Zooberwerx]

I bought a bass once where someone superglued the pins into the body... the screws snapped off trying to remove them. Fun

When I run into anything stuck...adhesives or not...I just heat the hell out of it via soldering iron first. Super thin CA applied with a whip-tip is not a bad idea but not as you've described.

Riis

 

[Jazzdogg]

I once had a student who was an engineer by training; he was very detail oriented and OCD. He took the trouble to install threaded inserts in his electric guitar, and attached his strap locks using machine screws coated with thread locking compound. That was the most permanent attachment of strap buttons I've ever seen.

 

[Major Seven]

Bull****. Use the flat toothpicks and TiteBond and you should be good-to-go. The key is jamming-in what will fit and re-introducing the screw while the glue is still wet. Once cured, you can remove the screw and wick some super-thin CA onto the new threads to toughen up the fibers.

Riis

This approach has worked well for me.

Who is Al?

 

[Major Seven]

Billy Sheehan famously secures his bass straps by directly bolting them to the body using large 2-inch screws and
heavy-duty metal washers

Disclaimer: Not a recommendation just an option (but I have successfully done this in the past)

When I see him play I think I wouldn't even let him touch my bass.

 

[devnulljp]

Microsoft: "Copilot is for entertainment purposes only...It can make mistakes, and it may not work as intended. Don't rely on Copilot for important advice. Use Copilot at your own risk."
xAI: "Artificial intelligence is rapidly evolving and is probabilistic in nature; therefore, it may sometimes: a) result in Output that contains "hallucinations," b) be offensive, c) not accurately reflect real people, places or facts, or d) be objectionable, inappropriate, or otherwise not suitable for your intended purpose."
OpenAI: "Given the probabilistic nature of machine learning, use of our Services may, in some situations, result in Output that does not accurately reflect real people, places, or facts...Output may not always be accurate. You should not rely on Output from our Services as a sole source of truth or factual information, or as a substitute for professional advice."
Anthropic: "Outputs may not always be accurate and may contain material inaccuracies even if they appear accurate because of their level of detail or specificity. Actions may not be error free or operate as you intended. You should not rely on any Outputs or Actions without independently confirming their accuracy. The Services and any Outputs may not reflect correct, current, or complete information."

Who uses this crap for *anything*?

 

[SpyderX]

When I see him play I think I wouldn't even let him touch my bass.

To be fair, he seems to have toned down a bit in his older age