Wobbly studs on Jackson DK2

[bringer of torture]

Okay, so we all know that the best way to fix wobbly studs (or prevent them in the first place, heh) on an Edge Pro equipped guitar is to order the locking stud mod from Rich (which I heartily endorse, btw; my RG2550 and PGM30 are very grateful). What about wobbly studs on a Jackson? I haven't bothered trying to find out if my old EP studs will fit in the Jackson inserts (I'm assuming they won't) so the stud mod is out. Has anyone tried plumber's tape or any similar fixes?

[albee1952]

Teflon tape should be okay for filling the gaps to tighten the studs a bit but I wonder if you couldn't install a set of Rich's locking studs and inserts. If the hole is not the correct size, an 11mm drill bit will fix that. The trick is to exactly center the drill to enlarge the hole. Here is the method that works for me if you have a drill press. Pull the old inserts out and find a drill bit that fits exactly in the old hole. Chuck the bit in the press and(motor off) pull the bit down into the old hole. Now you have aligned the chuck and you should clamp the body in place(I lay a towel over the drill press table and a use rubber pad under the clamp). You don't need to clamp the daylights out of it, just enough to keep the body in this exact position. Now raise the press and switch the bit to the 11mm bit(I place an insert beside the bit and mark it with a sharpie so I drill to the correct depth). using the 11mm bit, drill out the insert hole. Repeat the whole process for the other hole and your new studs should be exactly where the old ones were(except for any minor difference in stud diameter) with the exact same spacing. This all assumes you have studs that wobble in the insert as opposed to inserts that wobble in the body.

[bringer of torture]

That sounds like a pretty reasonable idea, albee; maybe I'll give it a shot. I don have a bit of experience with the drill press, from installing the locking studs for my Edge trem. I don't know, though, part of me wants to see if the EP studs will, by some miracle, fit in the DK2 stud inserts as is. I'll report back here with my findings, as I think they may be of some use to others.

[elcid]

Dont let them drink so much

[bringer of torture]

Well, I finally tried the teflon tape on the studs; lo and behold, the guitar stays in tune for the first time since I bought it! Also, as I never could stand the placement of the volume knob on Jacksons, I decided to take out the tone knob so I could place the volume knob further away from the bridge. The DK2 is now wired PGM30 style, lol. Although this guitar doesn't see much play these days, what with my 8 Ibanezes (and new JEM on the way!), it's nice to know that I can now pick it up and enjoy playing it, as opposed to before when it was just a thorn in my side due to the money I spent on it. Nice to have options.