@#@#@$#!!! stripped locking nut screw, 7 hours before a gig!

[Drew]

And it's a toga party at THE party house on campus, too...

I was just screwing with the whammy bar on my 7620, doing some dives and everything, when suddenly i felt something slip and the G string went WAY flat. The others might have, too, but that was the one i really noticced... So i stoped playing gave it a visual once over, then checked the tightness on the back of the locking nut. One was a little loose, so i tightened it up... the other was spinning freely.

I have NO idea how this happened, and I have NO idea where the nearest ibanez dealership is- i think there's one in burlington, but I'm not sure.

damn, i'm pissed/concerned...

Any suggestions? It's middlebury, VT, so I don't know whayt we're goign to have for hardware stores...

-Drew

[vaijem777]

Yikes! What a nightmare. One thing that MIGHT work is plumbers' thread tape-the white teflon stuff that you put on pipe joints. Stretch a bit of that stuff around the stripped screw and give it a shot. It might tighten it up enough to get you through.

Otherwise...it's the perfect example of why you should always keep a backup guitar handy

[Rich]

Outside of a drill and tap to a larger thread I don't know of any "quick fixes", and with the nut listing at $125, it's better to buy another 7620 to raid for parts!

[Drew]

Damn you guys are fast...

I managed to rig a fix together... There are two little spacers inside the two bolts that mount through the back of the nexk into the nut, presumably to pretect the wood a bit from the screw, or something. I removed those, which gave me enough exposed "unstripped" screw to make contact with the threads inside the nut itself. Not perfect, but it'll work for tonight.

$125 Hmm... Well, I've been lusting after one of those new 1527's for a while now, and that's like almost a quarter of the price right there, lol. Rich, as soon as i get myself gainfully employed, expect an e-mail (pity a $5-600 guitar is barely worth the effort, given profit margins and whatnot... rest assured man, one day I'll be buying a UV off you... )

I'll try to find a replacement screw in the meantime.

And I DO have a backup... a 6-string Fender US Strat. Just, well, t's only got 6 strings...

Thanks again for your quick responses. My pulse is now back under control (and I NEVER freak, lol) and my chances of getting laid tonight are still good.

-Drew

[Rich]

Pull that pad off, if the screw isn't fully to the top of the hole you can use a little longer screw to get a little extra bite

[Drew]

i can see through to the holes from the top... looks like i've got another few mm. Time for some replacement screws...

Don't suppose you happen to know the bolt's guage, rich? thanks a ton, man

-Drew

[Rich]

Sears hardware [or similar], take the screw in to match the thread. It won't be an allen head but it will work

[littlegreenman]

it will be metric just so you know, don't try to put an SAE one in there or you'll just kill the threads more. Something you might try though, go to a machine shop and see if they can retap the hole with the next size larger SAE bolt. Probably wouldn't cost you more than $25

[Drew]

I think the threads inside the nut are still ok, just the bolt itself is stripped... Anyway, it held up perfectly at soundcheck, so we'll see...

-Drew

[DirtyBird31]

You cant jsut buy another 7 string nut off of Ebay or somewhere? I know I've seen Carvin selling a 7 string locking nut piece.. for around $25 I think. And Im pretty sure Fender sells an OFR 7 string nut on ***************...

I would just use a different guitar or fix it the best I can and not do too many tremolo tricks.

Nevermind, I just remembered that OFR's have different neck radius measures... And who knows if the neck width is the same. And in your case I would try to get some junked/destroyed 7 string with the same neck as yours and salvage parts out of it...

[frankfalbo]

Am I missing something, or do you just need the bolt that comes up from the back? Because that is readily available from most parts resellers including Stew Mac, and theirs were a little longer than the Ibanez if I remember correctly. I'm pretty sure I have some if you want one. Your lock nut sounds fine, right?

[Rich]

I was the one missing it, I thought he stripped the nut base.

I've seen these $35 7 string nuts, they're junk. I'm sure there's probably a decent cheaper substitute out there but I haven't seen it yet. Frank probably has. The factory nut is a high quality part and I would only use factory in my buisness anyway.

[Drew]

Frank, I definately would. I'll have to take it off to make sure, but I'm 99% sure the nut itself is fine.

Meanwhile, I want to break something. Pop on over to the gear and equiptment forum for the details... Tonight's just been one big disaster on a number of levels.

And f*ck, I didn't even get laid.

-Drew

[frankfalbo]

If the screw looked stripped, then the nut is probably okay. In a stripped bolt situation, there is usually a clear winner and loser. You usually see both stripped only in the case of long term wear and constant retightening. Then it's not so much stripping as it is deteriorating. Plus the Japanese lock nuts are pretty solid. Sorry Rich, I haven't seen anything better for less. Everything cheaper is from Korea or China and is absolutely craptacular. If you want a good one it has to be Japanese or German, and you pay quite a bit more. But the good news is Drew won't have to. Even if the beginning threads are stripped, he said there's more that isn't, so the longer bolt will fix him right up.

[Rich]

I totally agree Frank. But there's got to be a cheaper source for the Gotoh nut than buying from the Ibanez distributors, I just haven't bothered doing the legwork to try and track down a source. You've got to admit that $125 list is just too much, considering it's more than double the list on the same unit in a 6