Ferrule advice please

normula1

I've a 99 American Deluxe Tele bought used earlier this year and looks totally untouched. There's not even a scratch on it. However it has one small issue in that the ferrules all fall out when doing a string swap.

They're smooth sided and slip in and out of the body quite easily. It seems to me that either the body holes are a touch too wide or the glue that held them in (assuming of course that's how they did it) has failed.

There is what looks like white residue in the holes but I suppose this could be polishing compound.

Anyway, the question is, what's the best way to hold them in without risking getting glue all over the finish? Would wrapping a little PTFE tape around them before gently tapping them in stand a chance of working?

Many thanks,

Jeff

DiscoStu

I can't see why that wouldn't work. You could try a Rizla paper too.
When I have fitted ferrules to my builds I have bought the ones with grooved sides so there's a bit of bite in the hole.

ICBM

One turn of paper masking tape on each one should do it.

thermionic

One or two on my Tele are not as tight as they should be. I was going to put a tiny smear of Titebond (PVA would do) on them if they get worse.

Gagaryn

I'd use PVA too

Sarge

Would it not be more prudent to get the correct size ferrules?

ICBM

They are the correct size. It's the holes that are very slightly too large .

You won't be able to find ferrules in the microscopically bigger diameter that will make them a push fit, anyway. And even if you could, why bother when you already have some which can be fixed easily?

The masking tape is the right method, trust me - I've done it on dozens of them.

normula1

Thanks everyone. Masking tape it is

Sarge

I disagree when it's such a low cost fix.
8, 9 & 10mm bushings are readily available for £5 or thereabouts.
I'm guessing the OP's are 8mm, I'd go with a 9mm and clean out the hole with sandpaper on a dowel, a far better solution than tape, having said that I am a cheap bastard so fully appreciate the tape option, and wouldn't rule out doing that myself.

normula1

This guitar is so clean, for some strange reason I'M m trying really hard not to change anything. Failed already on the pickup's and scratch plate which are now safely stored, but everything else is staying put.

WezV

just don't do what a mate of mine did.

lost a ferrule during a mid gig string change so strung up without it.  Rather than get it fixed he carried on doing this for a few months.

by the time he brought it to me there were 2 ball ends wedged in there and the string hole was totally mangled