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smokey

Active member
Joined
Oct 22, 2010
Messages
41
Location
Geelong - VIC - Australia
Hey guys,

I recently picked up a Big Al 5 second-hand which has an issue with the bridge pickup. On the B String side of the bridge pickup, the brass washer / nut (that the screw from the bridge pickup anchors into) has come out from the body. I took off the pickguard today and can see that on the G string side of the pickup, the brass washer appears to be under the laquer.

The previous owner disclosed the issue in his sale ad, but also noted that he had resolved the issue with superglue. It appears that transporting of the bass to me has made the issue re-emerge. As a side note, I do wish to clarify that I have dealt with the seller before in other transactions and have found him to be straight forward and honest in our dealings, so I have no issue about the information he has disclosed and told me.

The hole and the brass washer both appear clean, the issue is going to be getting the washer to stay in place with the force of the spring on the pickup wanting to pull it out and it appears that the top of the hole has rounded out, so the grooves in the brass washer will not grip as they previously would. Previously with similar issues of a hole being de-threaded, such as on strap pins, I have resolved by stuffing toothpicks into the hole before reinserting the screw. I don’t think this solution is going to work in this case, so thought I would post a thread to see if anyone had any other ideas before I try superglue to get the washer back in place?

Cheers
 

J Romano

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 15, 2010
Messages
878
Location
Rochester, NY
Email customer service with some pictures and a description and I am sure they will get back to you. Best to go thru the source.............
 

Golem

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 30, 2005
Messages
2,278
Location
My Place
`

I'm thinkin that glue WILL work, but not sooper gloo.
SG really needs perfectly mated surfaces to offer a
strong bond, a far cry from a hole in the wood and
the brass fitting that fell out of it. You need a glue
that expands and fills in gaps. I've found Gorilla Glue
to be even more sooper than Sooper Glue, cuz most
jobs DO involve some need to fill gaps. GG is far less
convenient to use than SG, but there is a reward for
your extra effort.


`
 

fevitz

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 21, 2012
Messages
111
Location
gold coast australia
I assume when you say the washer , you mean the part that the P/UP screw goes into to adjust the the P/UP height ! If it is i wouldnt glue it , You,ll need a snug fit in this situation . Cant make the hole smaller , so you,ll need to make the washer bigger so when it goes back in the hole it wont come out . Can you sleeve it ? Or find another identical brass nut or washer just a tad wider in diameter enough to stay put in the hole ?
 
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