I have a Gibson Faded Flying V (Mahogany) and recently the guitar cable was yanked, pulling and stripping a screw from the pickguard. Is there a good way for me to fix this?
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Replace the screw.– user28Jan 9 '13 at 1:41
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This is kind of a hack, but I have a Strat that was fixed this way more than 30 years ago...
Break a wooden toothpick off in the screw hole and reinsert the screw. Do not over-tighten the screw or you'll end up back where you were.
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5To play safe, add some drops of wood glue in the hole along with the toothpicks pieces– Mr ShunzJan 9 '13 at 8:57
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1Depending on the size of the screw and the toothpick, you may have to split the pick lengthwise.– IndrekJan 9 '13 at 10:29
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Should I just fill the hole with toothpicks and re-drill a pilot, or is that overkill? Jan 9 '13 at 22:29
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@cadmium: Drilling is overkill. 1 toothpick is usually enough. A drop or 2 of wood glue does not hurt either.– JimRJan 10 '13 at 13:37
The toothpick is definitely the first thing to consider, but let me add to that. It sounds like your basic problem is that the hole is too big. Adding a toothpick can change the direction of the hole or cause it to be off-set. I would consider 3 options (just think of these as tools in your mind's toolkit).
- If the tooth pick is too large, use a sharp blade to split it or shave. You can also fill with the shavings.
- Use a paper clip in addition to the toothpick and wood glue. Stick the paper clip in first in the position you want the screw to be. Then stick your glue and toothpick in. The glue won't stick as well to the paper clip and so you can remove it after it dries. Then your hole will be at the perfect angle and correct location.
- If all else fails, glue the tooth pick in the hole to fill it. Then drill the new hole. It's really not much work.
In any case, you really should use glue to make it a permanent solution. It's a small effort to never have to worry about it again.
