Trem Post Repair. - Costly? Trade In?

[eyeh8u]

I was planning on trading in my 1992 RG570 when I buy a new guitar but...
To make a long story short, the Edge post near the tremelo arm has worked its way somewhat loose, so that it no longer keeps it's tune very well. I discovered this when I removed the trem arm (which I almost NEVER used) and the Edge almost came with it! (the arm fits very tight, and requires some pull to remove, so the post isn't real loose) Between the previous owner and myself, the guitar is very worn, but plays very well, especially the neck.
Like I mentioned, I want to trade in this guitar to take the bite out of buying a new one. I'm not going to "hide" the fact that the post is loose from the dealer.

Should I:
1) Have the post reset? How much would this cost? Could I manage this repair myself?
2) Not fix it and tell the dealer that the post needs resetting when I trade in.

Any opinions? I feel this guitar should bring in a high trade-in value, so I'd like to repair this, but I'd like to know if it's worth it.
Thanks.

[rickboot]

Sounds like a simple fix. Personally, I would just get some super glue and glue it back in. You need to work fast though and make sure that the post is seated all the way back down. Some tone afficianados actually pull the posts even before they come loose just so they can glue them in to improve sustain.

If you are uncomfortable doing this work yourself, you can probably get it done cheaply. It is a simple job.

Rick

[Doink]

I'm kind of confused. Is it the screw that's loose? Or the "barrel" that the screw goes into?
If the screw is loose, there's a 1.5 mil screw inside the big screw that needs to be tightened down.
If the "barrel" is loose, pull it out, put some epoxy in there (not the cheap quick drying stuff), and re set the "barrel".
In the long run, this alone wouldn't bring down the value of the guitar much (like Rick said, it would probly increase the sustain), but you said it was pretty worn. Without being able to look at it, I'd say it's worth like, $300 max. You'll get considerably less on a trade in.
I'd try to sell it first, to get the full $300.

[Project Guitar]

And you wouldn't believe how many people jamb toothpicks in the edge beside the barrel to help tighten it up against the body as a quick fix.

[Project Guitar]

I'm not saying the method above (toothpick) is a good one as a matter of fact I would recommend resetting the barrel with epoxy as explained above.

If that is the problem you are up against....

[eyeh8u]

Thanks for the replies. I was indeed talking about the "barrel". I also discovered that the set screws were also loose and I took care of that. I plan on resetting the barrel with epoxy myself as recommended.

I wanted to buy a new Jackson USA, but I don't know if I really want to spend that much money on a guitar right now (+$1000!). Instead I think I'll reset the barrel and replace the worn parts on the trem like the posts for the trem edge. If I decide not to get a newer guitar, I may also sand off the neck finish and refinish the body (even if is does hurt the value).
This site is a godsend!

Thanks again for the replies.

[jeff l]

Yep,
* * * The same thing happened to me on a Jackson Dinky Reverse Pro that I had. I just epoxied the barrel back in and end of problem.

* * * * *Also, those early RG's are nice guitars....I'd think twice before selling it. You won't get squat on a trade-in either. You sound as if you're having second thoughts about selling it.....Maybe just slap some make-up on the old gal.

[Sands]

I just came across this old thread and thought I might be able to help. I've had two Jems where the trem post receivers worked loose. The best way to fix it is to drill out the weak section of wood, insert maple dowels and redrill for the receivers. Another good way to fix it, and I've done this twice, is to file the head off a large nail and lay it down across the front of the posts so they can't move forward. This quick fix works great and lasts forever, but looks wierd if that sort of thing bothers you.

-Eric Sands