Disastrous morning on Tokai Love Rock

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Tried replacing cracked pickup rings but couldn’t remove one shot screw whatever I tried. Getting pickup screwed back in took an hour as fiddling with bloody springs was a nightmare. Superglued old rings as replacements as I could see replacements didn’t quite fit. Otherwise I’d of sacrificed the ring with shot screw. Next up, on taking out tailpiece screws I found one to be warped and on screwing it back in it snapped leaving half a screw in the hole. I’ve managed to put remaining screw into the remaining hole but how can I get the broken piece out?! Not a good morning. 
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  • mr-macmr-mac Frets: 200
    Small disc on dremmel to cut small slot or similar with a few drill holes and chissel then use screwdriver to take out.
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    This is one reason I don't like setting the tailpiece studs high out of the body as has become fashionable - it can bend the studs.

    Worst case - drill a 5mm hole about 1/2" deep into the broken stud and thread it for M6, then use an M6 steel bolt to pull the whole stud and insert out of the body. Then hold the insert in a vice, and tighten the M6 bolt so it drives the broken stud out through the bottom of the insert. Then refit the insert into the body.

    Better still, don't refit it but remove the 'good' one as well and replace both complete stud/insert sets with higher-quality ones.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • scarry67scarry67 Frets: 143
    Is that how you would remove the insert, by pulling it out via a screw then? I imagine it would be easy to damage surface of guitar as it came out forcibly. (Should’ve stuck to Telecasters!)
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  • FunkfingersFunkfingers Frets: 14323
    scarry67 said:
    Getting pickup screwed back in took an hour as fiddling with bloody springs was a nightmare.
    Try this.
    1. Pass one height adjustment screw through the plastic mounting surround. 
    2. Leave the corresponding spring to one side for now.
    3. Engage the screw into the threaded hole in the baseplate lug.
    4. Pass the second height adjustment screw through the plastic mounting surround.
    5. Pop on the spring for this screw.
    6. Wrestle the screw and spring combination into submission until it engages into the threaded hole in the pickup baseplate lug.
    7. Get enough turns on the second screw so that you can let go of it.
    8. Unfasten the first screw.
    9. Pop on the first spring.
    10. Wrestle again as per Step 6.
    11. Job done.
    Be seeing you.
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    scarry67 said:
    Is that how you would remove the insert, by pulling it out via a screw then? I imagine it would be easy to damage surface of guitar as it came out forcibly. (Should’ve stuck to Telecasters!)
    Yes, I use a massive crowbar to pull the bolt up :).

    No really...! Yes, I protect the body with a cloth and then a piece of flat soft wood, so the crowbar rests on that. The reason for using it is that it actually gives you far more control than trying to pull hard with a smaller tool - the amount of force you need on the other end of the bar is very small, so you can keep a close eye on the guitar body for lifting finish or the wood coming up with it, and stop immediately.

    It's fun to do this in front of a customer with their vintage Les Paul that needs the ground wire replacing ;).

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • FunkfingersFunkfingers Frets: 14323
    ICBM said:
    It's fun to do this in front of a customer with their vintage Les Paul that needs the ground wire replacing ;).
    Do you let them watch the insert being knocked back in? ;)
    Be seeing you.
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  • BridgehouseBridgehouse Frets: 24579
    ICBM said:
    It's fun to do this in front of a customer with their vintage Les Paul that needs the ground wire replacing ;).
    Do you let them watch the insert being knocked back in? ;)
    He uses an old transformer to do it as well... :D
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    Funkfingers said:

    Do you let them watch the insert being knocked back in? ;)
    He uses an old transformer to do it as well... :D
    Nah.

    I use the Communist Hammer for that.



    Made in the GDR... perfect for smashing the chains of capitalism.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • BridgehouseBridgehouse Frets: 24579
    ICBM said:
    Funkfingers said:

    Do you let them watch the insert being knocked back in? ;)
    He uses an old transformer to do it as well... :D
    Nah.

    I use the Communist Hammer for that.



    Made in the GDR... perfect for smashing the chains of capitalism.
    Brutal.


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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    Bridgehouse said:

    Brutal.
    Same principle as the crowbar actually - because it's very heavy, you can tap gently and it will drive the insert in smoothly without having to hit anything hard. Obviously I protect the top of the insert as well.

    It used to be my dad's. When I was about 8, I was helping him do a job and he asked me to pass the hammer... it somehow slipped out of my hand and landed on my foot - and I didn't usually wear shoes or socks when I was a kid. Not that we were poor... I just liked not to. You can imagine how much that hurt!

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • BridgehouseBridgehouse Frets: 24579
    ICBM said:
    Bridgehouse said:

    Brutal.
    Same principle as the crowbar actually - because it's very heavy, you can tap gently and it will drive the insert in smoothly without having to hit anything hard. Obviously I protect the top of the insert as well.

    It used to be my dad's. When I was about 8, I was helping him do a job and he asked me to pass the hammer... it somehow slipped out of my hand and landed on my foot - and I didn't usually wear shoes or socks when I was a kid. Not that we were poor... I just liked not to. You can imagine how much that hurt!
    Lol - I was referring to the chains of capitalism - but I’m sure it was brutal on your foot too..:
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  • scarry67scarry67 Frets: 143
    Bloody hell. Wish I’d left pesky screws well alone. Hammers, crow bars and Cold War. 
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    scarry67 said:
    Bloody hell. Wish I’d left pesky screws well alone. Hammers, crow bars and Cold War. 
    If you’re lucky, mr-mac’s method might work... but I suspect that if you turned it with enough force to snap off a 5/16” bolt, it’s well and truly jammed in there and very little short of nuclear weapons will shift it.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • scarry67scarry67 Frets: 143
    If all was ok but I wanted to replace the “inserts”, what would be the normal procedure for taking them out safely? 
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  • WezVWezV Frets: 16547
    If the bushing is open at the bottom you can put a bolt down the hole.  Then put the stud back in and tighten it.. it lifts the bushing out as it gets tight..  But this method is not suitable for thinner guitars like SG’s

    a hammer or crowbar work very well as long as you take the time to protect the body and/or stud. I keep a bolt of the right size in the repair kit so I only have to worry about protecting the body

    you can also buy or make bushing pullers as simple or complex at you like... have a google. The simplest solution is a bit of pipe, a bolt and a washer.


    even with a bushing puller, the crowbar still makes an appearance for the really stubborn ones.

    heating the metal with a soldering iron can also help, but isn’t needed for most bushing removals... just the glued in ones, usually with some sign of previous repair
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    Of course, there is also a much easier solution to all this...















    http://www.bigsby.com/vibe/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/trem_b7_l.jpg

    :)

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • scarry67scarry67 Frets: 143
    Longer term perhaps...
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