[spindlergallery]

I have a older rg550 I am refinishing. I have noticed that one of the studs has an ever so slight play to it. A guitar tech I talked to said to pull the whole thing out and add some white glue or wood glue(which he said would be better as it will fill in the gaps and stop the play w/o adhereing to the metal) paying careful attention not to add too much covering the set screw??? Is this what I should do? or is there a better way of doing it? Is there any newer studs on the market that would be better. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, I would hate to make things worse!! Should I just leave it as is?? thanks so much, Tim..................

 

[CrossingStar]

A stud wuld have an ever so slight play to it if it were not a locking stud. Or if it is a locking stud, maybe the set screw isn't being used. To see if it is a locking stud, unscrew it and take it out. Look at the bottom of it. Does it have a small set screw at the bottom?
My other thought is you might be talking about the bushing, the part the post/stud screw into that is embedded in the wood. Those sometimes get loose. In that case I would pull the loose bushing out and use 2 part epoxy to set it back into the wood.

 

[rgr]

I think he is talking about the insert, not the screw itself. Yes, some wood glue, not white school glue, is what you want to use. It also works great for fixing stripped screw holes, not that that ever happens in basswood8O. Just put some on the sides of the insert hole, put the insert back in, and let it set for around 24 hours. Wouldn't hurt to put some in all the screw holes before you put it back together, that way all the screws will go in nice and tight, don't fill the holes, just use a toothpick to smear some around the sides, it makes a nice surface for the screw to thread on.

Roger

 

[frankfalbo]

I'll assume you're talking about the anchor/bushing. If there's not a lot of play, or a big crack, my favorite method is to drip the thin superglue down there. It is so thin that it will penetrate the wood fibers and actually strengthen the area so it doesn't pull any further. If you're afraid you'll spill over to your threads, cover the hole by puting tape across it and then razor knife the circle around it. If you're careful it shouldn't be a problem. Just be sure to pull the anchor back as far as you can towards the trem cavity. In other words, you don't want to glue it in the forward angle position. The superglue will go down in there, saturate the area, and eventually rise up to the top. That's where you have to be careful it doesn't spill over into the threads. The key is to put a little bit at a time and watch it suck down there. Then you can tell when you're reaching the top area. It has to be from a hobby shop, and be the water thin kind. Don't go get something from the grocery store. I recommend using the accelerator with it. Almost all my trem anchor repairs are done with superglue, but sometimes the method is different based on the problem at hand.

 

[spindlergallery]

some good ideas, putting some wood glue in all screw holes to tighten them up is something I would have over looked.. I cant get the stud out of the anchor it just turns in the bushing cavity.. Should I A: pull them out and add the 2 part apoxy or wood glue?, and if so is there a easy method to yank the bushings out? B: use the thin hobby store super glue method.(is there any precautions if this is a set screw stud with this method)? the thin super glue sounds the easiest way givin there is hardly any play, this method seems like it would penetrate and fill the minute space trouble is I cant get the stud out w/o it turning so Im going to have to take the bushing out of the body and put back in so the superglue method would work great if I could get the studs out but I cant. So ill have to remove the bushing and add either wood glue or 2 part epoxy then replace bushings into body, I then should be ok? Question? Are these bushings and studs suposed to be rock solid tight? I really appreciate your help and input in the matter, thanks much, Tim

 

[Rich]

14. The trem post anchor has become loose. The trem posts screw into a metal anchor that is press fit into the body wood. Over time this anchor can become loose, especially on guitars where the trem post set screws have not been tightened allowing play between the post and anchor. Remove the trem and with the post set screws tight try to wiggle the posts with your fingers to see if there is any play. If they don't move use a junk stud and try again using pliers. [I've had many you couldn't move with fingers alone but pliers showed how loose they really were] If they are loose you will need to pull them out of the body. Make sure to cut the paint from around the top of the anchor, grab the post (preferably using an old junk post to use just for this) with a pair of pliers and work it out of the body. [I use a cats paw [tool for pulling nails] with shims laid across the body to protect the finish] If the play is minor use a good quality wood glue dabbled around the inside lip of the hole. Press the anchor back into the body the same way you pulled it with pliers on the post. Let sit for at least 24 hours before reassembly. [Many lower line guitars do not have post anchors. Some screw right into a metal plate that is screwed to the body. You get what you pay for.]

You'll have to do the same thing if your anchor is tight, but spinning in it's hole. Sometimes a set screw can be so tight you'll bend an allen wrench trying to get it loose, and turning the post without looseing the set screw causes the anchor to just spin. The only way to free the post is to pull the anchor out so you can grip the anchor with pliers while wrenching out the post. Reinstall as above.

If a loose anchor is neglected long enough it can actually oblong the hole, sometimes to a great extent. You can actually see that the post is not at 90* to the body. If the oblong is within 1mm using wood glue will fill it enough. Be careful not to use too much glue or when you press the post back in it will be forced in through the hole in the anchor's base. Use plenty, but not too much If the oblong is larger than .5mm you'll need to use a good non shrinking acetone based wood patch on the neck side of the hole. Pack it in, most at the top than in the middle of the hole, but not too much. While it's still wet [work fast, wood patch has a tendency to dry very fast] press the anchor back into the hole and seat it. Try to press it in at a perfect 90* angle to the body. When it's seated pull it straight back out keeping it at the same 90* angle. Let the patch cure for 24 hours and then reinstall the anchor using wood glue as described in the first paragraph. [Always check the bottom of the hole for excess wood patch that has been forced down there when "forming" the new hole. If there's too much it will prevent the anchor from fully seating. Use anything to scrape it out so the anchor can fully seat]

 

[spindlergallery]

thanks so much for taking the time to help me out, I really do appreciate it!. this is my first project so wish me luck! Ill post some pics when finished, thanks, Tim...