Ric Blues

[Billy Apple]

I'm trying to spruce up my recently acquired '80 4001. The most immediate issue were 2 of the cog screws in the tuners were not original. They were smaller and had been jammed in with little bits of plastic. I'm lucky that this did not damage the thread in the tuner shafts.

This is how they were..



I called up Rosetti and they were very helpful in ordering me 2 screws and washers from RIC in the States. A month later they turned up, and I went to fit them yesterday. And guess what? Yes, they're the wrong size.

Original on left...



So I'm back on the phone to Rosetti, and we'll see what happens. Anyone like to hazard a guess as to the size of the original screw, or any specialist fastening supplier who may be able to supply me?

Anyway, that was the first thing. While doing this I noticed the surround of the bridge pup was standing slightly proud on the bridge side under the E string. I thought maybe a wire had jammed underneath, so I removed the four screws holding surround in place and removed it. All seemed fine with wire-age, but then I noticed additional screw holes (next to the originals) for the surround that looked fresh.

I remember the seller saying that he had put on a Seymour Duncan pup, that has its own surround. In fact he sent me a picture..

[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/GoR3RBJ.jpg?1[/IMG]

Clearly the original screw holes did not locate to the new plate, so they put some extras in, none of which can be seen as it's all hidden under the surround. The seller said the SD pup had made no difference and the original had been put back by a luthier.

What has happened is the screw in the new hole under the E string was tight and either the seller or his top luthier had managed to twist the head off the shaft and breaking it. Now the headless shaft is just poking up enough to prevent the surround sitting flush. Plus they screwed the original surround down tightly, that has put a small dint in it from the screw below.

Only a tiny bit of the screw is sticking up, and its so thin, it's like a pin.

I can take some peoples attitude towards Rics here on the chin. But here's one that has had a cock drawn on it by a cack-handed idiot.

I spoke to my own chap yesterday, and he suggests drilling down next to it, and getting it out that way. Then plugging the hole with a bit of maple. All of it will be hidden by the surround, but none the less

Sorry, I've got no pics of this, but any suggestions on how to remove a screw not much thicker than a darning needle, that is embedded in maple with a tiny bit sticking out would be welcome.

[KingBollock]

Why not just grind the proud part flush or maybe grind it down so that it is lower than the surface and drop a drop of paint in the hole to hide it?

[SubsonicSimpleton]

RE Tuner machine screws, there are a huge number of different screw threads, and the machineheads on your Rick could have been made using tooling pre-dating the bass itself by a long margin regardless of whether they were made in-house or bought in.

Go to your nearest engineering fastener suppliers, and take the correct original with you (if you can also take the tuner post much better, but don't bring the whole guitar) - they should have a proper selection of thread gauges and a micrometer to be able to correctly identify exactly what you need - if they don't carry it in stock, be sure to make a note of the exact details.

Call first to check they have the ability to identify what you need, (places like screwfix and suppliers to the building trade probably wont) if not, most jobbing engineering shops that do machining work will have thread gauges.

[icastle]

[quote name='Billy Apple' timestamp='1396524130' post='2414582']
Sorry, I've got no pics of this, but any suggestions on how to remove a screw not much thicker than a darning needle, that is embedded in maple with a tiny bit sticking out would be welcome.
[/quote]

Well if it's only a tiny bit sticking out, how about drilling a slight recess in the surround so it fit's over the piece of remaining screw?

[Thunderbird]

Or a dremel tool with the small cutter disk on and gently cut off the old screw head

[Billy Apple]

[quote name='icastle' timestamp='1396576066' post='2415355']
Well if it's only a tiny bit sticking out, how about drilling a slight recess in the surround so it fit's over the piece of remaining screw?
[/quote]

The pup surround is pretty thin, I'd risk going through altogether.

[Billy Apple]

[quote name='Meddle' timestamp='1396652575' post='2416238']
Bridge pickup looks like a Dimarzio X2N or similar. I didn't know SD did a hotrail with fat rails like that.
[/quote]

I think that is trick photography. You are looking at the side of the blades. If you saw it straight down they are quite thin

[Billy Apple]

[quote name='SubsonicSimpleton' timestamp='1396532869' post='2414753']
Go to your nearest engineering fastener suppliers, and take the correct original with you
[/quote]

I've just done exactly this. There are few bonus's living in Slough, but one of them is we have many engineering companies on the trading estate. [url="http://www.iberkshire.co.uk/profile/241424/Slough/Apex-Fasteners-Ltd/"]Apex Fasteners[/url] were extremely helpful and knowledgeable. The screw is a 12 UNC thread, by 3/8th inch long. Now, here's the ball-ache, it is very rare. This size comes between two other more commonly used threads so is rarely seen. They thought the only place I could get replacements would be the States.

However, they did have the same size in black with an allen bolt head. I got four of them, plus washers for £2 and they can get me up and running while I source them from RIC, or elsewhere in the States.

Getting there

Edited April 5, 2014 by Billy Apple

[Billy Apple]

Dink!...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12-24-no-12-UNC-Stainless-Pan-Pozi-Machine-Screws-Choose-Your-Length-/370804463197?pt=UK_DIY_Material_Nails_Fixing_MJ&var=&hash=item5655ab165d

[Billy Apple]

Had comms from Rosetti. Schaller are sending them the right sized replacement cog screws. Couple of weeks they reckon.

[HowieBass]

Can you get a small diameter nail punch and use that to flatten the sharp tip of the sheared screw?

[Billy Apple]

[quote name='HowieBass' timestamp='1397601248' post='2425653']
Can you get a small diameter nail punch and use that to flatten the sharp tip of the sheared screw?
[/quote]

Perhaps, but it's in the hands of a luthier now. I should check up on him and see what he's up too!

[Count Bassy]

[quote name='Thunderbird' timestamp='1396679372' post='2416277']
Or a dremel tool with the small cutter disk on and gently cut off the old screw head
[/quote]
What you need is a Sonic Screwdriver

[Billy Apple]

[quote name='Count Bassy' timestamp='1398386044' post='2433679']
What you need is a Sonic Screwdriver
[/quote]

It's not so easy to come across these, so I made my own..

[JPJ]

Easiest way to get that broken screw out is to heat it with a soldering iron until the wood around the threads starts to burn then pull it out using a pliers.