*Temporary* solution to stripped pickup height adjustment screw *holes*?

[DC in ATX]

If you raise the floor of the cavity—using popsicle sticks, for example—your effective screw embedment depth diminishes. Since you are no longer bedding down to the bottom of the existing screw cavity, you are counting on the screw threads catching on the threaded wood in the middle of the screw cavity. But the tips of the screws are tapered, meaning they don't make solid contact with the sides. So, the effective thread purchase is minimal and easily stripped out.

When you drive a screw into an existing hole, just keep in mind that the wood is already deformed and displaced. Especially with a soft wood, it is very easy to strip a screw. In that case, you can install a longer screw, a wider screw or you can put some wood back into the hole. With guitar work, the latter is often the best solution. (Some strap buttons have longer or wider screws than others.)

Here's a modeler builder's trick that might work selectively with guitars:

• Add a few drops of water to the stripped screw hole.

The water will swell the wood. That swelling may be adequate to allow a screw to gain purchase. Given that water can damage a guitar, proceed with caution. A drop of water likely would do no harm. A drop of glue and a toothpick in a pickup hole is more or less guaranteed to do no harm.

 

[Riff Ranger]

Since you are no longer bedding down to the bottom of the existing screw cavity, you are counting on the screw threads catching on the threaded wood in the middle of the screw cavity. But the tips of the screws are tapered, meaning they spin in free air without making contact with the sides. So, the effective thread purchase is minimal and easily stripped out.

Does the same thing happen when adjusting pickup height toward the strings in ordinary circumstances, then?

 

[DC in ATX]

Does the same thing happen when adjusting pickup height toward the strings in ordinary circumstances, then?

Exactly. If the pups get bedded down real low and then you adjust them significantly higher, you could run out of purchase pretty easily. It's probably not going to be a problem in Year 1. But by Year 10, multiple adjustments will hog out the hole.

FWIW, I don't really think of the toothpick fix as a hack. When I was a carpenter hanging and adjusting doors, I often had to repair stripped screws in a door or door jamb. The fix is to plug the hole and drill a new pilot hole after the glue dried. If this fix works for a 50-pound or 100-pound door, it outta work for a little ol' pickup.

 

[Matt Liebenau]

That Westone is pretty cool. I have a white Pantera guitar. Wouldn’t mind finding the matching bass at a fire sale price.

 

[Riff Ranger]

That Westone is pretty cool. I have a white Pantera guitar. Wouldn’t mind finding the matching bass at a fire sale price.

Eric Brittingham from Cinderella played the Pantera bass long enough to be photographed with it (I don’t have the shot), very likely through a few of these (the shot of which I will bust out at any excuse!)

Electra and Westone prices don’t seem to have shot up during the pandemic like so many other things have (such as U.S. Peavey basses—yikes! ). They made a guitar with this body shape in red (the “Futura”) and a reverse in white—ouch!

… but I might have missed the opportunity to scoop up one of those inexpensively.

 

[Riff Ranger]

I decided to do this right-ish and ordered some pre-packaged, purpose-built foam-and-springs things. I’ll have the toothpicks and glue in place by the time the foam arrives. Will Elmer’s wood glue suffice? It seems to have done the job on that strap button of mine.

I’ve got a fresh set of Stringjoy .120/.095/.070/.055 nickel rounds for BEAD waiting, too

 

[BassNugget]

Elmer's is fine.

 

[C Stone]

I decided to do this right-ish and ordered some pre-packaged, purpose-built foam-and-springs things. I’ll have the toothpicks and glue in place by the time the foam arrives. Will Elmer’s wood glue suffice? It seems to have done the job on that strap button of mine.
View attachment 4395262
I’ve got a fresh set of Stringjoy .120/.095/.070/.055 nickel rounds for BEAD waiting, too

That'll do it, yoga foam, chunk of a Magic Eraser, a sink sponge ect... OR pre-packed, purpose-built foam-and-springs things even better!

 

[Riff Ranger]

That'll do it, yoga foam, chunk of a Magic Eraser, a sink sponge ect... OR pre-packed, purpose-built foam-and-springs things even better!

I didn’t have much around and the price was right

 

[Riff Ranger]

Well … that couldn’t have gone much worse.

Two of the screws stripped and are stuck fast. The other two broke off.

I should have just taken this to a professional in the first place.

 

[DC in ATX]

View attachment 4402899
Well … that couldn’t have gone much worse.

Two of the screws stripped and are stuck fast. The other two broke off.

I should have just taken this to a professional in the first place.

You drove the screws too deep during the cure time.

Starting the screws is just saving you from having to drill a pilot hole later. So, you don’t even need to drive the screw as deep as it will be with the pickup; just get a hole started.

If you ever do a repair like this again, don’t drive the screws any deeper than they will sit with the pickups. Doing so increases the odds that the screws will not have adequate purchase with the pickups. It also makes it harder to remove the screws, as you discovered.

 

[Zooberwerx]

View attachment 4402899
Well … that couldn’t have gone much worse.

Two of the screws stripped and are stuck fast. The other two broke off.

I should have just taken this to a professional in the first place.

That's with toothpicks & wood glue?!?

Riis

 

[DC in ATX]

That's with toothpicks & wood glue?!?

Riis

Look at the remaining screw head. (Lower left.) I’m surprised the tip of the screw didn’t pop through the back of the body.

 

[Riff Ranger]

If you ever do a repair like this again

That’s feeling like a pretty big “if” right now.

 

[Riff Ranger]

You drove the screws too deep during the cure time.

Starting the screws is just saving you from having to drill a pilot hole later. So, you don’t even need to drive the screw as deep as it will be with the pickup; just get a hole started.

If you ever do a repair like this again, don’t drive the screws any deeper than they will sit with the pickups. Doing so increases the odds that the screws will not have adequate purchase with the pickups. It also makes it harder to remove the screws, as you discovered.

I can’t get mad at people offering solicited advice for free, but I’m pretty mad at myself for listening when I had my doubts about this approach. I certainly wish I had known about this possibility beforehand.

That's with toothpicks & wood glue?!?

Riis

Yup. It didn’t sound like it would be a problem. But apparently this can be royally botched.

Look at the remaining screw head. (Lower left.) I’m surprised the tip of the screw didn’t pop through the back of the body.

Ah, so it could have been worse!

 

[Zooberwerx]

Yup. It didn’t sound like it would be a problem. But apparently this can be royally botched.

Well, this has turned more into a post-mortem. When did it start to go wrong: during re-introduction of the screws or attempted removal?

The remaining screws can possibly be removed by super-heating with a soldering iron. Normally, I'd use a Dremel cut-off wheel to slot the screw head(s) but there may not be enough "elbow room" to navigate successfully. I've also used micro-burrs to etch a slot which accommodates a flat head screwdriver. I'd leave removal of the stubs to somebody with a little more experience. The bravest-of-the-lot use homemade extraction bits fabricated from brass tubing.

Riis

 

[Riff Ranger]

Well, this has turned more into a post-mortem. When did it start to go wrong: during re-introduction of the screws or attempted removal?

The remaining screws can possibly be removed by super-heating with a soldering iron. Normally, I'd use a Dremel cut-off wheel to slot the screw head(s) but there may not be enough "elbow room" to navigate successfully. I've also used micro-burrs to etch a slot which accommodates a flat head screwdriver. I'd leave removal of the stubs to somebody with a little more experience. The bravest-of-the-lot use homemade extraction bits fabricated from brass tubing.

Riis

I’m taking this to a luthier up in Springfield, Oregon that I’m confident will get it right (who shares my appreciation for Matsumoku-built instruments and doubts about the toothpick trick). I’ve got other instruments that need attention beyond what I was even willing to attempt before this, anyway, but I was hoping to save this one a trip and myself several dozen dollars. If it wasn’t a three-hour drive to people willing and able to do real repairs on instruments and amplifiers, I probably would have just started with them.

 

[Zooberwerx]

I’m taking this to a luthier up in Springfield, Oregon that I’m confident will get it right (who shares my appreciation for Matsumoku-built instruments and doubts about the toothpick trick). I’ve got other instruments that need attention beyond what I was even willing to attempt before this, anyway, but I was hoping to save this one a trip and myself several dozen dollars. If it wasn’t a three-hour drive to people willing and able to do real repairs on instruments and amplifiers, I probably would have just started with them.

Is it a bolt-on...can you just ship the body?

In all honesty, I've never seen this as a direct result of a toothpick repair but, then again, I live a sheltered life.

Riis

 

[Riff Ranger]

Is it a bolt-on...can you just ship the body?

In all honesty, I've never seen this as a direct result of a toothpick repair but, then again, I live a sheltered life.

Riis

That’s a really good idea, and I could do that with my other instruments as well (other than the $175 bass that needs a $350 refret—fortunately that can wait longer than the others). Thank you.

 

[Riff Ranger]

Well, this has turned more into a post-mortem. When did it start to go wrong: during re-introduction of the screws or attempted removal?

It seemed more difficult to reintroduce the screws than when I (successfully) repaired a strap button hole this way. Even though I know pickup screws strip if you look at them funny and tried to take extra care, I must have stripped them on the way in, because I couldn’t get any purchase on those two when I tried to back them out. The two that broke off crumbled more than they snapped—I had barely applied any force when they broke.