Stripped Strap Screw

[shredmonster]

I have an import Alder git and one of the strap button screws is stripped.

Is this easy to fix or do I need to bring it to a repair shop?

[Vass]

The head of the screw is stripped you mean? Or the screw hole?

Vass

[thetruthguy]

If it's the screw hole, the easiest fix is to push in two or three toothpicks, dump in some wood glue, wait for it to set, and then screw back in the strap button. Or you could custom fit a dowel and redrill the hole.

[shredmonster]

Sorry, the hole guys.

[shredmonster]

I will try the toothpick method.

I have some liquid nails - that should work.

[rjohnstone]

NO!!! Don't use liquid nails... get some wood glue.

[dg]

+1

Don't use that stuff! It'll harden in a clump in the hole, then you may split the body when you put the screw back in. Wood glue is the right thing to use. It's cheap & easy to find.

[SEEGERMANY]

It won't hurt to use wood glue in conjunction with the toothpicks. However, I've always used a kitchen match stick without glue. Once you start inserting the screw, the expansion of the kitchen match will cause more than enough pressure to hold the screw in place without glue. Both ways work well, just offering an alternative method.

[Newc]

If it's a Dinky/Strat-style, the screw was probably mounted on the tip of the horn, causing the guitar to lay flat instead of tilt up slightly. In that case, you can re-mount the strap pin just under the tip of the horn so it tilts up inot a more comfortable playing position.

I did that on my DK2 HRF and it was effortless to play then.

[CharvelRocker]

The most permanent and fool proof way imo is to drill out the hole slightly, drop in a dowel bad glue it, let it dry, drill a pilot hole, and then put the button back in. BTW, is this by chance with Schaller strap locks? Just had (ironically if you know the situation) the same thing happen on the top button of my Fender Tele, and the Schaller lock screws are the same size, but the threads are a lot finer which makes it easy for them to kill the hole.

[shredmonster]

I don't know if they are Schaller or not. Never bothered looking.

Hmmmmmmm..........I like the dowel idea. Where the hell do I find one small enough though?

[petedz]

Craft stores like Michaels or Hobby Lobby usually have a selection of improbably tiny dowels. After doing this a few dozen times, though, toothpicks really work fine.

[Rsmacker]

Craft stores like Michaels or Hobby Lobby usually have a selection of improbably tiny dowels. After doing this a few dozen times, though, toothpicks really work fine.

What? On a few dozen guitars, or did you have to do the same one that worked fine again and again?

Just kidding about, if you don't do the dowling thing, toothpicks (or like SeeGermany, I use matches) will do fine.

[Newc]

WalMart should have skinny dowel rods in the Arts & Crafts section. I got some there a few years ago. They're about 3 feet long, but you can cut them to any length, and you'll always have them for other projects.

[petedz]

What? On a few dozen guitars, or did you have to do the same one that worked fine again and again?

:ROTF: Never had to do the same guitar over....the toothpick/wood glue solution is permanent.