Tech: guitar tuner advice

Subject: Tech: guitar tuner advice?
From: meself
Date: 04 Aug 09 - 01:28 PM

Meaning the part involving the gear that is turned to tune a string - not the digital gizmo for checking your tuning.

The guitar .... A Fender "F-35", acoustic; about 30 years old. A great old workhorse that has stood me well over the years.

The problem. I have long had bother with the tuner for the G string (I think it began with some adjusting I had a techie do), so that the tuner has been removed and put back on a few times. As a result, the two screws that fix the tuner to the headstock no longer grip their holes firmly enough; as I tighten the G string, the screws lose their grip and the tuner lifts from the surface of the wood. I can tune the string up to F or F# - then the gear mechanism gets so out of sync with itself that it slips and I'm back down to D.

I've tried wrapping a bit of thread around the screws, and also kleenex, but no luck. Any suggestions would be appreciated - but please bear in mind that my "fine motor skills" (i.e., finger+hand/eye co-ordination) are in the "non-existent" to "appalling" range, and I am at best dull-minded in mechanical matters ...

Subject: RE: Tech: guitar tuner advice
From: s&r
Date: 04 Aug 09 - 02:03 PM

Dip a cocktail stick in PVA glue and push it into the holes. Cut flush with a sharp knife when dry. Screw into the filled hole. Use fine awl to start the screw if needed.

Stu

Subject: RE: Tech: guitar tuner advice
From: GUEST,highlandman at work
Date: 04 Aug 09 - 04:17 PM

"Toothpick," if you are in the US. The hardwood variety, not the cheapies.
I have done lots of woodworking and a bit of luthiering and I can't think of any better way to make this fix than what Stu suggested.
If the hole is really buggered you can put two slivers in. If you make the hole too tight, just run a small drill bit CAREFULLY back into the hole so the screw gets a new bite.
-Glenn

Subject: RE: Tech: guitar tuner advice
From: Amos
Date: 04 Aug 09 - 04:31 PM

If you have a bit of hardwood you can also trim it down to toothpick size with a razor knife and, as above, dip it in Gorilla Glue or horsehide glue, insert in hole, trim to flush.


A

Subject: RE: Tech: guitar tuner advice
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 04 Aug 09 - 05:23 PM

NO!

You will then be crewing into end-grain.

Either cut and insert a proper plug (with transverse grain), or take the short-cut.

Waht is paper made from? Wood-pulp.

Roll some paper up tight. Put it in the hole.

Put in superglue. Mash it all up with a coktail stick - BUT REMOVE THE COCKTAIL STICK. Repeat until the hole is full. You can use accelerant, or apply mild heat and wait.

You now have a hole full of chipboard or MDF.

Use screw in the usual way. Don't forget to relieve the shoulder.

Subject: RE: Tech: guitar tuner advice
From: meself
Date: 04 Aug 09 - 05:28 PM

Thanks, gents. I have a container of "Gorilla Glue", so I might try that, if nobody thinks there might be problems with it. It doesn't say "PVA" anywhere on the package, but ...

Subject: RE: Tech: guitar tuner advice
From: meself
Date: 04 Aug 09 - 05:35 PM

Richard: What do you mean by "relieve the shoulder"?

Subject: RE: Tech: guitar tuner advice
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 04 Aug 09 - 05:36 PM

I recommend cyanoacrylate - as above.

If you were in the UK I'd say try Brian Rodgers (near Chatham, Kent, England): an obsessively obsessional guitar tech.

Subject: RE: Tech: guitar tuner advice
From: s&r
Date: 04 Aug 09 - 06:01 PM

Gorilla glue's ok; don't use too much because it expands. Superglue is usually OK but it's brittle, which is why I said PVA which has elastic qualities. End grain might matter when rebushing a fiddle peg, but it won't matter at the scale of a toothpick plug.

Stu

Subject: RE: Tech: guitar tuner advice
From: s&r
Date: 04 Aug 09 - 06:10 PM

It's worth mentioning that there are two causes that are common for screws coming out of tuners: on a three each side headstock the two tuners at the end of the head are prone to being knocked if the guitar falls, and if the metal bush around the tuner spindle is missing there is a lot of strain on the fixing screws.

Stu

Subject: RE: Tech: guitar tuner advice
From: Ross Campbell
Date: 04 Aug 09 - 06:19 PM

I used Gorilla Glue on the wrong thing (something that couldn't be cramped tight) a while back and found the stuff expanded like polyurethane foam.

I have found the wedge shape of toothpicks allows you endless scope for infill jobs like this - from worn-out screw-holes as above to small splits and cracks (shave to fit). The ones sold by Boots the Chemist in the UK are made of beech, less likely to compress in use than slivers of pine or other softwood; but for adhesive the stuff that's sold as wood-glue (usually PVA) would be my choice. Any old repair material should be cleaned out first.

Ross

Subject: RE: Tech: guitar tuner advice
From: meself
Date: 04 Aug 09 - 11:41 PM

Thanks again for the help, gents; I believe I've got the situation under control. Okay, it's time to go play Kumbayah ....

Subject: RE: Tech: guitar tuner advice
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 06 Aug 09 - 04:32 PM

PVA yields under constrant strain. THerefore not good in this use.

Subject: RE: Tech: guitar tuner advice
From: Taconicus
Date: 06 Aug 09 - 04:37 PM

I don't know how poor you are, but most good guitar shops have a luthier working for them (or know where one is) who can fix up guitar problems like that (and much worse) for very modest cost. Patronizing these people -- and keeping them in the business -- is a good thing.

Subject: RE: Tech: guitar tuner advice
From: GUEST,Phil Williams
Date: 07 Aug 09 - 04:44 AM

I agree get it done professionally, it should only cost an hours labour at most, and at the same time they could check out the rest of the instrument and you might end up with a much better result all round.