It is currently Mon Mar 16, 2020 6:05 pm

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 11 posts ] 
Author Message
Post subject: An issue with the 4 screw on the MiM body
Posted: Tue Sep 05, 2017 2:22 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Mon May 15, 2017 5:30 am
Posts: 49
Hello,

I have MiM Stratocaster with the standard 4 screws on the neck.
just re-attaching a neck to MiM Strat (see the photo enclosed). I have found that one of the bolts (I marked the place on the photo) was attached very loosely (it looks like screw-thread is broken in this place).
https://www.dropbox.com/s/9u9d6x1h3clyk ... 8%402x.png

The question - this is the problem on the neck or the body strat? Or mb what I need is just to replace a screw in the problem spot for the another one?


Thanks!

Gleb


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject: Re: An issue with the 4 screw on the MiM body
Posted: Tue Sep 05, 2017 5:06 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Thu Aug 23, 2007 1:57 pm
Posts: 1089
Location: Rossendale UK
Let's go back a bit.
Start with the neck detached from the guitar body.
What happens when you try to push (no screwdriver involved) the screws through the holes in the body?

_________________
Chris :)

Never argue with an idiot. They will only bring you down to their level and beat you with experience.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: An issue with the 4 screw on the MiM body
Posted: Tue Sep 05, 2017 11:59 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2015 6:57 am
Posts: 2238
Location: UK
stratmangler wrote:
Let's go back a bit.
Start with the neck detached from the guitar body.
What happens when you try to push (no screwdriver involved) the screws through the holes in the body?


I am fascinated as to where this is going.

_________________
John

After all this time I should be better.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: An issue with the 4 screw on the MiM body
Posted: Wed Sep 06, 2017 8:07 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Mon May 15, 2017 5:30 am
Posts: 49
this is good idea to check it :-)

I will let you know asap because usually I attached a neck to the body and then mounted the screws into the wholes.

But if the problem on the neck it will be very difficult to fix it, right?

Also as I checked even if one of the screws is a really loosed, the neck stays in a correct orientation being aligned with the body and the guitar stays in tune.

Gleb


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: An issue with the 4 screw on the MiM body
Posted: Wed Sep 06, 2017 9:11 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician

Joined: Wed Dec 15, 2010 7:06 am
Posts: 1662
My suggestion if you find the screw hole in the body (neck pocket) too big or stripped, you can but some bits of wooden tooth pick in the screw hole, and this should make the screw a little more snug when you screw it back in
mud


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: An issue with the 4 screw on the MiM body
Posted: Wed Sep 06, 2017 12:39 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Thu Aug 23, 2007 1:57 pm
Posts: 1089
Location: Rossendale UK
Just see if you can push the screws through the body.
No screwdriver needed, just push with your thumb.

_________________
Chris :)

Never argue with an idiot. They will only bring you down to their level and beat you with experience.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: An issue with the 4 screw on the MiM body
Posted: Wed Sep 06, 2017 1:00 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star

Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2007 1:53 am
Posts: 4241
I share Mr Sims' fascination...

But to make things simpler - and I hope I'm not blowing anyone's surprise party...

Usually it doesn't matter if the holes in the body are worn a bit too big. The screws grip to the neck, and the friction between the neck/body keeps the neck in position.
Actually, many (including me, that's how I was taught w-a-y many moons ago...) hone the screw holes in the body slightly to ensure a good wood/wood contact - don't know if that's real or just psychological, but at least it calms my OCD.
If the screw holes in the neck are worn, that's where mud's piece of wood + glue trick comes in handy.
Another thing; neck joint screws should be snug but not hulkforce tightened.

BTW, does anyone know who/what the typical MIM stamps mean (big W.W. here, other one often seen is F.P.S.)?


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: An issue with the 4 screw on the MiM body
Posted: Wed Sep 06, 2017 1:22 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Thu Aug 23, 2007 1:57 pm
Posts: 1089
Location: Rossendale UK
I'm going nowhere with the questioning.
My MiM Strat has holes in the body at the neck pocket that permit the screws to be pushed through, and my American Deluxe Stratocaster is the same.

My son's 60s Lacquer Strat has holes that are tight (you have to use a screwdriver).
I was just interested in whether it's a recent thing with MiM guitars (the tight hole thing).
Having a vintage style guitar, and tight screw holes in the body, is a right royal pain when you need to adjust the truss rod - it isn't possible to pop the neck, so you have to take it off.

_________________
Chris :)

Never argue with an idiot. They will only bring you down to their level and beat you with experience.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: An issue with the 4 screw on the MiM body
Posted: Wed Sep 06, 2017 1:27 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Thu Aug 23, 2007 1:57 pm
Posts: 1089
Location: Rossendale UK
The OP's issue sounds like an overworked screw hole in the neck.
The fix could be a simple sliver of wood being put into the offending hole, or it could be to drill the hole out large enough to fit a dowel and redrill the hole.

_________________
Chris :)

Never argue with an idiot. They will only bring you down to their level and beat you with experience.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: An issue with the 4 screw on the MiM body
Posted: Wed Sep 06, 2017 8:55 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jan 12, 2009 4:50 pm
Posts: 7998
Location: ʎɹʇunoɔ ǝsoɹ pןıʍ
jmattis is bang on about it not mattering about the body holes.
They can be a little bit stripped and it won't really matter.

The neck holes do matter though.
A lot.

_________________
Image
Just think of how awesome a guitar player you could have been by now if you had only spent the last 10 years practicing instead of obsessing over pickups and roasted maple necks.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: An issue with the 4 screw on the MiM body
Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2017 2:19 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2015 6:57 am
Posts: 2238
Location: UK
jmattis wrote:
....
Actually, many (including me, that's how I was taught w-a-y many moons ago...) hone the screw holes in the body slightly to ensure a good wood/wood contact - don't know if that's real or just psychological, but at least it calms my OCD....


This is a very real thing.

If the screw threads get a bite on the first piece of timber it will sit on the threads. Subject to where the second piece of timber bites the screw threads there can be a gap between the two bits of timber which wont close until one of the timber threads is stripped.

Think of it like two nuts on the thread of a bolt. If the nuts are apart, but you hold the faces of the nuts parallel, so they can't turn in relation to each other (like a neck in a neck pocket) no matter how much you turn the bolt the gap between the nuts stays the same.

Back to guitars. If the screw threads get any purchase on the timber of the body, creating a thread in the body by the screw, this body thread has to be stripped to ensure a good contact with the neck. The body thread stripping can increase the strain on the screw to neck thread contact.

As discussed previously (and a particularly favourite soap box of mine), any screw to timber contact is diminished each time you remove and reinsert a screw. The timber fibres in contact with the screw are eroded and there is no guarantee that the new screw insertion will pick up on the previous "thread" in the timber then cutting a new thread parallel. Every time you take the screw out you have to tighten it a little bit more to get the same grip as there are less wood fibres pulled around by the rotation of the screw which then resist counter rotation.

Each time you take the neck off is one less time available before you ultimately strip out the timber forming the screw threads in the neck.

_________________
John

After all this time I should be better.


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 11 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 7 hours

Fender Play Winter Sale 2020

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: