cant screw in guitar strap - stripped wood

Yarr · #1 December 10th, 2006

i just bought a new guitar, and i'm unscrewing the old strap holding-things, to put on straplocks or whatever, and as i'm screwing in the new strap 'holder-things', i realize i've been tightening the screw for a little too long.. so I gently tugged on the screw and it came straight out of the guitar.. leaving a big, stripped, hole.

so, i'd like to know if its possible to get that repaired, and how much, or if the guitar place I bought the guitar from would do it for me. Obviously I realize that I could just take the guitar back and get my money back, but it took me 3 weeks of checking out different stores to find the guitar i wanted at the price it was.

thanks

OldG · #2 December 10th, 2006

A couple or three toothpicks wedged into the hole to plug the gap tends works for me -for a more permenant repair, I have used gripfill ( builders gap filling adhesive)to good effect , this sets well but still lets your screw in and out if you wipe a thin coat of light oil onto the screw then leave the screw in place while the adhesive sets overnight

Yarr · #3 December 10th, 2006

interesting, thanks for your reply, but i'm worried that any sort of filling adhesive could effectively harden, and then slide right out of the guitar, as if it were a mold. but again, thanks for replying, I will go back to the guitar store soon and ask for their opinion on a filling adhesive or repairing it.

OldG · #4 December 10th, 2006

I just noticed the description ' big,stripped, hole' in your first post.. the best option if the hole is much bigger than the original is to drill out to clean the hole then wood glue in a small dowel ( keeping everything smaller than the strap button diameter). All you need then is to pilot drill the screw hole and cover the repair with the strap button.

If the screw is just rotating in a tight fitting thread hole the the gripfill/toothpick fix will work fine, shrinkage shouldn't be a worry as gripfill is able to expand/contract when set...

As its a new guitar ,I'd see what the seller is prepared to do for you first though

allthumbs · #5 December 10th, 2006

Toothpicks or wooden matches are the most commom fix.

munky · #6 December 10th, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by allthumbs

Toothpicks or wooden matches are the most commom fix.

I've done this one a couple times without any trouble.

Rockerbob · #7 December 10th, 2006

I have repaired 100s of these. I use wooden kitchen matches. Shoved in the hole with a little titebond and then drive in the screw. I have never had a complaint. The repair is stable and will hold probably for the life of the guitar. BTW, don't use the match head.

Yarr · #8 December 10th, 2006

I don't really feel comfortable using toothpicks to hold up an expensive guitar ;x

Quote:

Originally Posted by OldG

If the screw is just rotating in a tight fitting thread hole the the gripfill/toothpick fix will work fine, shrinkage shouldn't be a worry as gripfill is able to expand/contract when set...

As its a new guitar ,I'd see what the seller is prepared to do for you first though

Yeah, I didn't mean to say it was a "big hole" it's just the screw rotating in a tight fitting thread hole.

Thanks for all your replies.