Fender Neck Screws

[Schlippy]

Few months back I had a Gibson style strap button mounted on the neck plate of my Fender Jaguar, I prefer the way the guitar & strap sit and the rotational movement allowed by the different orientation:

 

 

Only problem is it's started working it's way loose now. First time I tightened it back up and thought nothing of it but the second time I ended up taking the screw out to see if there was a problem inside. Seems like the fella that fitted it used a shorter screw than was needed so it's not fully gripping into the neck - the standard Fender neck screws are 4.2mm by 45mm, and the strap button is 10mm proud of the neck plate, but the replacement screw is only 50mm long.

 

Anyone know the kind of screws Fender use, and where a decent replacement could be sourced? From what I can tell the standard neck screws are 45mm long with a 4.2mm diameter and a 3mm shank, but I can't find anyone that sells that spec with a 55mm length.

 

Could just fill the socket with superglue before remounting I guess but I'd like the option of reverting to stock if I ever want to get shot.

Edited May 29 by Schlippy

[KevL]

It's possibly working loose due to being driven in to an already-threaded hole but the mismatched threads have resulted in the hole getting chewed.

 

Probably just easiest to plug the hole (use cocktail sticks and white wood glue, doesn't need to be anything fancy). A handy tip is to cut the cocktail sticks flush - after being placed in hole with glue - with end-cutters or side-cutters. A small diameter pilot hole may be needed before screwing in the same screw you have now. Being in newly-cut threads should ensure it holds fine.

 

If you want to return it to stock then you may find the original Fender screw will cut its way in without any more filling needed and, being longer, will cut enough new depth to be perfectly secure.

 

Do you have the original screw if you want to return it to stock?

Edited May 29 by KevL

[3below]

From what I read, Fender neck screws are 8 x 1 3/4. 55mm is 2.1" so 8 x 2" screws might be suitable.   These might be worth a try

 

 https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/361547596279?itmmeta=01HZ363NKT4JDF6HZSVJBNAFEW&hash=item542dea81f7:g:jsYAAOSwNptbyb-l&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAA4GIGaTJNJoW9nyTYfGFLL%2BNnBZsQ1zWPezYebmeURcnd%2FdMtR95V7Ox0YqhkGTLIjNv%2Bkmg%2BK23vBi89cXNgmP2BZsyctxwNt5HxSI5QAQGvIcqbMQoH0sC7KuVPxO%2BPq0COH4697NhW8ljq9HiVvaNTCuBt2d8rAUvNhf1IXwsS09876RRf169i6RvDKZoIX0e6pqF0m66QnsoGG9tk9Y462fEPX2L7Wn7A3zQb6KRtZ%2FKai0XkMhlioHE35FM7xCiO9FdIz%2BqYsBgFe1pm4hvtRiOw4HouanyH%2B0JF2SSA|tkp%3ABk9SR4Tajub4Yw

 

or

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/232283099384?itmmeta=01HZ363NKTP82S6379BXSK26QB&hash=item361526d0f8:g:aWwAAOSwsW9Yzc3~&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAA4M25%2B35hz0DA2jJv%2F7u%2Bx4%2Bgx1dzyNKRwYNxn%2FNwsDq4Qvwhf7HLAmS9YEllYud7EsRiMdGmbtKRny5UN7R1%2FQfPIWp0Tw3ZtyByMcIBa%2B74n08a%2F8nORviAMsVQgLTeFDI7kbkHu6C%2F9qJGCguVyYFH1cjiQoI0rngzBPonZN7XBVtV6hVZkuVXOrrAnRYY74%2BNl9INfLVySMgnpKqYEtqUnGfsXGB9jFdb3r4SmBBLtvi4I2YPu90RXriFSMJdOVYKV1ud0W5jZsjSQ%2FKtxoZaroUXCg2vkknnwA0S2mdj|tkp%3ABFBMhNqO5vhj

 

 

I had to buy a few types until I found something suitable when I did the same mod on my Chowny SWB-1.  The screw head required filing to make the diameter small enough to fit a straplock.  Check the depth measurements carefully (again, since you have done so), I had to file a small amount off the screw tip, emerging through the fretboard is best avoided.

 

 

[Schlippy]

5 hours ago, KevL said:

It's possibly working loose due to being driven in to an already-threaded hole but the mismatched threads have resulted in the hole getting chewed.

 

Probably just easiest to plug the hole (use cocktail sticks and white wood glue, doesn't need to be anything fancy). A handy tip is to cut the cocktail sticks flush - after being placed in hole with glue - with end-cutters or side-cutters. A small diameter pilot hole may be needed before screwing in the same screw you have now. Being in newly-cut threads should ensure it holds fine.

 

If you want to return it to stock then you may find the original Fender screw will cut its way in without any more filling needed and, being longer, will cut enough new depth to be perfectly secure.

 

Do you have the original screw if you want to return it to stock?

 

Still got the original screw, yup, and I think you're right about the insides of the hole getting chewed up. My problem at the minute is that I'm not sure the replacement screw is performing it's job of holding the neck in place adequately, given that it's gonna have at least 5mm less exposure to the neck.

 

17 minutes ago, 3below said:

From what I read, Fender neck screws are 8 x 1 3/4. 55mm is 2.1" so 8 x 2" screws might be suitable.  

 

I had to buy a few types until I found something suitable when I did the same mod on my Chowny SWB-1.  The screw head required filing to make the diameter small enough to fit a straplock.  Check the depth measurements carefully (again, since you have done so), I had to file a small amount off the screw tip, emerging through the fretboard is best avoided.

 

It looks like the replacement screw is an 8 x 2" (50mm), and it's an 8 x 2 1/4" (55mm) that's needed. Both the ebay links provided there only list 50/60mm screws. Think a 60mm would be in danger of breaching the fretboard, may well have to look at filiing one down then.

 

Cheers folks, the search continues.

[KevL]

Just plug the hole, as described earlier, and replace the existing 50mm screw. It will be perfectly fine in freshly-cut threads and there are the other 3 screws in there as well. If the neck was going to move then it would have done so by now, don't worry about it. 

Edited May 30 by KevL