Help! ... intonation screw hole stripped on Floyd

[memphiskat]

Hello- I have a Schaller Floyd in my Jackson Pro. The screw hole in the base plate for holding the saddle down in the proper position for intonation is stripped. It's the hole closest to the fine tuners for the low E string. The hole closest to the neck is to far forward to properly intonate that string.

What can I do? Any ideas? Do I have to scrap the bridge?

Thanks, Karl

[zeegler]

Re: Help! ... intonation screw hole stripped on Floyd

Don't tighten it so much next time. You must have really reefed on that sucker. Having said that, you might need a new baseplate. Maybe someone else can suggest a fix.

[Zerberus]

Re: Help! ... intonation screw hole stripped on Fl

[ QUOTE ]
Don't tighten it so much next time. You must have really reefed on that sucker. Having said that, you might need a new baseplate. Maybe someone else can suggest a fix.

[/ QUOTE ]

Unfortunately I have to agree.. if you use the short end of the allen key in your hand and the long end in the screws as shown in the manual, this can´t happen unless you´re Superman. Oh, well, you live you learn...

Solutions:
1. Have the screw hole retapped by a machine shop
2. have a threaded brass insert put into the baseplate by a machine shop
3. buy a new baseplate from www.stewmac.com
4. live with it

I recommend solution 3 [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[mm2002]

Re: Help! ... intonation screw hole stripped on Floyd

If you know exactly where the saddle needs to be, you can put a dab of epoxy under the saddle and in the screw hole, then lightly snug the screw and let it harden. It'll get you by until you can get another baseplate or replace the whole unit. I did one like that years ago and it held as long as I owned the guitar. (probably still holding!)

[dg]

Re: Help! ... intonation screw hole stripped on Floyd

I'm off today & had a few minutes, so I just checked this out on a Schaller I had sitting here. The stripped hole is #4 - 48 thread, which is a bit of a specialized finer thread. 4 - 40 is the more common thread count. Sometimes you don't have to enlarge the hole to make a fix if you change the thread count, so if you have access to a tap & die set you might be able to re-thread it to take a 4 - 40. Then get a 4-40 x 5/16" socket head cap screw. They have them in black here:

http://www.boltdepot.com/socket-products.aspx

http://www.boltdepot.com/dimension.a...s=71&cm=25

part #7874 here, you might have to settle for knurled rather than smooth. Doesn't specify.

http://www.boltdepot.com/product.asp...25&cd=1217

You may be able to find the part locally, but around here they only have stuff like this at specialty fastener places that only sell to business account holders. Before I had a business, I'd just make up a name & open a cash account, no prob. If you don't have a tap & die set, they have cheap chinese ones at Northern Tool or Harbor Freight that are under $20 & will do fine for a small job like this.

[memphiskat]

Re: Help! ... intonation screw hole stripped on Floyd

hello- thanks so much for the quick replies. I have to leave for work so I'll go over all these tonight. I think it may have been stripped when I got the guitar. When I pulled hard up on the whammy the saddle would slip and spring forward. I reset it and it kept happening. That's how I discovered it was stripped. Thanks agian! Karl

[jimbilly]

Re: Help! ... intonation screw hole stripped on Floyd

I've got one similar, I used a tiny piece of copper house wire as a spacer between the screw head and the saddle (about 1/16" spacer), which puts it in the right place for proper intonation. A new screw holds good enough that it works fine. I think retapping it one size bigger might work too. Taps are pretty cheap, and you've got nothing to lose.

[MountainDog]

Re: Help! ... intonation screw hole stripped on Floyd

+1 on the tapping to next bigger size. I've done that with good results.

FYI, before I did the larger screw size, I bought a slightly longer version of the stock screw and also bought a matching nut. I replaced the stock screw with the longer one which stuck out below the plate and threaded on the nut and tightened it down. This locks the saddle in place, but the only bummer with this method is you have to take the floyd off the guitar to do it, and its more of a pain if you have to adjust for intonation. You also need to see if there is clearance between the plate and the wood in order to make room for the nut.

[jacksonaxes]

Re: Help! ... intonation screw hole stripped on Floyd

Can't you just get a longer screw and put a small nut on it similar to the JT-6 trem ?

[jimbilly]

Re: Help! ... intonation screw hole stripped on Floyd

Jacksonaxes: that should work too. My local Ace hardware has a giant nuts/bolts area, and I've bought spare floyd saddle bolts (the stripped ones we're talking about). I'll bet there are longer ones and nuts to match, I'll have to stop by and have a look.

[memphiskat]

Re: Help! ... intonation screw hole stripped on Floyd

hello- Thanks again for all the responses. I ended up going the crazy glue in the hole route and it's holding fine. I will look around for a tap to put a bigger screw in. The hole is really stripped and I don't think retapping for a different thread count is going to work. I thought about just replacing the base plate, but it doesn't seem like anyone sells these seperately. I checked on all the different parts sites I could find and they sell all the other parts, but not the plate alone. So the glue appears to work for now, but I think the best answer is to retap to a bigger screw. Thanks again, Karl