Robben Ford Discussion

[UncleSalty]

I haven't been around in a while but it seems that most of the regulars are hale and hearty and that there are quite a few new faces around, too.

I'm hoping that someone can help me. I got a little over-exuberant at a gig the other week and broke the whammy bar off at the bridge. The guitar is a '97 Strat 57 RI. Any suggestions as to how I can get the broken part out?

Sorry to come here after many months away only to ask for help but I would greatly appreciate any suggestions.

Cheers

Salty

[Red Suede]

Sometimes they have to be drilled out.

[BlueRunner]

There is a type of tool available at some home improvement stores that's essentially a "reverse screw" system. What happens is that you drill a hole in the bolt, screw or stud that the top has broken away from, and then put in what's essentially a reverse-threaded screw, i.e., it goes in counter-clockwise, and when engaged keeps turning and forcing out the stuck or broken screw or stud. I can't for the life of me remember what the tool system is called, but recall fondly that I got a lot of regular use out of one 30 years ago when I owned a Volkswagen Squareback and had a regular hobby of busting the head off of the bolt that capped the oil pan.
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- BlueRunner

[frank0936]

Car techs usually call them "ease outs", but I've seen them marketed as "screw extractors". Sears has several different sets including one called a "Micro Drill-Out Set" (part # 0952155) that might be just what you need.
Frank

[roadwarriorfortheblues]

Frank, do you think they have a Sears Store in Ibaraki
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Travelling by train of thought

[BlueRunner]

WR for the B's: There's gotta' be a WalMart over there, right?

And Frank: "ease-outs" Thanks! THAT'S what I used all those years ago on the VW (and a lot of other stuff around the house I used to be able to fix myself). These days it's a wonder I can remember the cats' names (or even my daughters'), let alone something I haven't had any dealings with for 20 or more years.
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- BlueRunner

[UncleSalty]

Cheers on that everyone! I knew I could count on you guys for good, friendly advice.

For the record, there is no Sears or Wal-Mart in Ibaraki or the rest of Japan,as far as I am aware, although I think they both have stakes in local supermarket chains. I'll look for a screw extractor at the local hardware store but usually I'm pretty disappointed with the selection there. So many things I took for granted in Oz, I've never seen here.

A friend suggested putting a small drop of superglue on the broken end and then attaching an old screwdriver to it and trying to get it out that way. Sounds dicey but I'm getting desperate.

[JohnnyZ]

They have McDonald's in Japan but no Sears or WalMart?

Salt Man, however desparate you may be, I recommend that you don't try the super glue method. No matter how small a drop and how carefully and precisely centered you may place it, some most likely will find its way to the threads, and then you're really screwed (pun and no pun intended).

If you can't find a screw extractor in a local store, just order one online. Heck, I'd bet you can easily buy the part number that Frank suggested.

Assuming you need an immediate solution, I'd try spraying or dropping a tiny bit of penetrating oil such as WD-40 onto/into the threaded area, then taking something like a needle-nosed plier or even a small pair of pointy scissors, and with a good amount of downward pressure over the broken surface, try unscrewing the stud.

If all else fails, have some fun and impress your friends and audience with the guitar a la Pete Townsend or Jimi...

[frank0936]

If there is any of the whammy bar left sticking up at all, you might also try grinding or filing a slot across the top and use a screwdriver to back it out. Just remember to take the tension off of the bridge first to make it easier to back out.
Frank

[StratCat]

No Bunnings or Mitre-10 either?



Chris
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because I rock, and that's important.

[Aeolian]

Uncle Salty. It will take awhile, but take the whole bridge assembly out of the guitar. After you remove all the saddles, you'll find a number of screws (usually 3 or 4) holding the sustain block (that's the long piece the strings go through) to the bridge plate. Take this apart. If you are lucky, there's enough of a stub of the arm sticking out to get vise-grips or diagonal wire cutters into. EZ-Outs (trade name) need a hole drilled first. This can be tricky. If you can grind the end of the broken piece flat with a file or Dremel tool it will help. Then get an automatic center punch. These have a spring inside so as you press it down it "pops" making a punch indentation in the center of the broken stub. This is much easier than trying to hammer a hand held punch. The closer to the center you can get it, the better off you will be. Now, you drill a hole in the broken stub smaller than the surrounding threads but as large as you can get away with. This is why you want the pilot indentation to be as well centered as you can get. The whole thing is pretty small and you need a decent size hole to get even the smallest EZ-Out in there. The EZ-Out (screw extractor) looks like a tapered reamer with the spirals going backwards. You put it into a handle used for thread taps, and wind it in turning to the left. Hopefully you got a nice hole that it can dig into. Remember the hole has to be deep enough that the tapered part of the EZ-Out can bite into the the sides at the top edge.

After you've gotten the broken stub out. Try and true up the top surface of the sustain block. You can lay a very flat file on the table and pass the block back and forth, don't try to hold the file in your hands unless you are a very experienced machinest (in which case you would have known what an EZ-Out was). Or you can put some sandpaper on a piece of glass and rub the block over that, holding it as squarely upright as you can and minimizing any rocking back and forth. Cast pot metal sustain blocks tend to have a lip around the outside edge and don't make good contact with the bridge plate, adversely affecting sustain and tone.

Alternatively, you can order a high quality replacement block from Callaham, I think it's less than $50 and will make a huge difference in the sound of your Strat.
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[nineacres]

... and then ... hard-tail it
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"Creativeness often consists of merely turning up what is already there. Did you know that right and left shoes were only thought up a little more than a century ago?" - Bernice Fitz-Gibbon 1894-1982

[UncleSalty]

I realise it has indeed been an eternity but I finally got around to fixing the guitar today. Aeolian's suggestion worked a charm! Thank you! And thanks to everyone for their suggestions and/or levity. Much appreciated.

Cheers

Salty