Preventing loose strap buttons

kev_nz · #1 11-17-2009, 05:00 AM

Hey guys,

I've just bought my first solid-body electric.

I understand that loose strap buttons (i.e., worn/stripped threads) are a very common and troublesome occurance that can happen over time with the entire weight of the guitar resting on the strap buttons.

Is there anything easy I can do while the guitar is still brand new to stop this from happening in the future?

E.g., drip some wood glue into the strap button hole to strengthen the wooden threads?

Or apply some loctite to the wood screws?

Any ideas would be much appreciated!

Cheers,
Kev

SonicProvocateur · #2 11-17-2009, 10:10 AM

You've got the right idea. What I did as a guitar tech if someone had a stripped thread was to take some super glue (sounds silly, but totally works, and will last!) and sawdust and refill the thread hole. Once it is set, you can re-install the strap button and it will be good as new!

The sawdust is very important; all that guitar weight will tear through superglue, but using sawdust will "remake" the wood there and help grab onto the threads.

Hope this helps!

MJ Slaughter · #3 11-17-2009, 01:30 PM

A good quick fix I've used a couple of times when my strap buttons become loose is to put a piece of toothpick or wooden matchstick in the hole then screw in the button. It doesn't take much. Using the soft wood toothpick or matchstick was always enough to give the screw a good hold and I never had a problem after that.

j.t..i. · #4 11-20-2009, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MJ Slaughter

A good quick fix I've used a couple of times when my strap buttons become loose is to put a piece of toothpick or wooden matchstick in the hole then screw in the button. It doesn't take much. Using the soft wood toothpick or matchstick was always enough to give the screw a good hold and I never had a problem after that.

was gonna say this. a toothpick

spudler_t · #5 11-20-2009, 09:37 PM

I just bought a body where the strap button was pulled out. I took a couple toothpicks cut them to little slivers the depth of the hole. I took some wood glue dipped each sliver in the glue then stuffed them in the hole added a little more glue to the hole. I then threaded the button and screw in the hole till it was about 1/16-1/8 from tight, waited till the next day, removed the screw and button. I then cleaned up any glue or tooth picks that stuck out. I reinstalled button and screw, Tightened it and it worked great.