Some tips for a messed up strap button would be extremely helpful

Toothpicks and glue.

 

I would drill the the hole and glue a dowel in. It’ll be good practice if you ever need to repair a bass you really love.

 

Agreed with Jebmd.. A glued in dowel will be stronger.

 

Yes and no to a glued in dowel. You need to cut your own plug to go in there rather than a store-bought dowel - the key is that you don't want to open up and glue in a chunk of end grain from a dowel. The easiest solution really is just some toothpicks and glue.

 

Looks like a good sized hole. Use a chopstick instead of toothpicks. Whittle it to fit and glue.

 

+1 - I did this more than once and always worked flawlessly

 

I’m a believer in matchsticks and white glue. The pine sticks are soft enough to mush around the screw and “reform” the threads in the wood. Have done it many times without a failure. Toothpicks are usually maple and are a bit too hard for the job, IMO.

 

Just roll a toothpick in wood glue, stick it in the hole, beak it off flush, repeat until you can't fit anymore toothpicks (You can tap em in with the butt of your screwdriver as the hole gets full). Then screw the strap button in while the glue is still wet. The soft toothpicks and glue kind mush all together around the threads of the screw. Don't hang it from a strap for 24 hours to make sure it is setup. Use yellow glue not white glue (not strong enough), crazy glue, or epoxy (both are overkill, sticky and messy).

 

It never occurred to me to use match sticks. I like the cheaper, squared toothpicks cuz they are softer than the larger, round ones.

 

This is the correct answer and costs dinkus. Use yellow carpenter's glue or TiteBond. Once dried / cured, you can even remove the screw and apply thin super glue onto the wood threads. This wicks into the surrounding wood and strengthens the structure. This is more commonly used as a preventative measure with softer woods.

Riis

 

I've repaired stripped strap button holes with toothpicks, match sticks and dowels. They all work fine.
But there are limits. That one looks big enough that I'd fill it with whatever you like and then find a new location for the strap button an inch or two away in solid wood.

 

Matchsticks is a good idea. I've used toothpicks before that were nothing more than compressed wood dust.

 

This is a case where a plug is not a good idea - a dowel would be correct. You want the grain of the insert to be running the same way as the grain in the body- so a dowel is correct. A plug would have the mating surfaces having the grain at right angles, and the end grain on the plug would not bond well to the long grain in the body.

 

My main player is a G&L SB-2T. I used the toothpick and Elmer's glue fix for the top horn strap button hole that got too big. Been working for several months now.

 

This is exactly what I do. I install Dunlop strap locks on all my basses and they almost always wind up stripping out within a few days of playing. I use 1/4” poplar dowels from Home Depot. They’re about a buck each and the perfect softness. Once it’s done, it’s good for a lifetime.

 

You can do this, or use JB Weld...guaranteed to not get loose, again, ever.