HELP! I have Warmoth modified Mustang bridge and set screws impossible to find

[thesjkexperience]

Sorry for the drama, but I am pulling my hair out!  The set screws that came with: http://www.warmoth.com/Modified-Mustang-Bridge-Chrome-P616C820.aspx  are all too long and I have searched and searched and I can't find the correct size set screw.  All the screws are over 1/16" too tall and it makes it harder to mute the strings without cutting up your hand.

The bridge itself is fantastic and even with the screw problem I prefer it to a stock JM and the Mastery I had for a year.  It has 2 to 3 times the sustain of the stock JM bridge, but it doesn't leave Jazzmaster-land tonally the way the Mastery does.  Plus the string spacing is much better on the linked bridge!

It seems the set screws I need are  2.6M,  .45 thread  and about 6 mm tall.  I suspect it is common in Japan, but I can't seem to find anyone who will sell less than a pallet full.  The screws are Stainless so sanding is out.  I thought I could get away with no screws at all, but the two E string saddles need to be raised to hit 9.5" radius.  If all else fails I will have to look into a small vice and a very sharp and fine hack saw.

Any help is appreciated! 

 

[Updown]

Can buy different intonation screws in different heights, if that's what your after.
Must be some suited for it somewhere.
http://www.guitarpartsresource.com/screws_bridge.htm

http://www.allparts.uk.com/online-shop/guitar-bass-parts/hardware/screws-and-springs/bridge-screws-and-springs/saddlebridge-height-screws-c-277_1_47_69_71_72.html

I don't have that bridge so I don't know the correct size's.  :toothy11:
And don't stick it in the vice and start grinding away .... (then shoots off to never be seen again)  :doh:
Before having some spare ones.
Or even try your local music tech guy / store, they usually have spares of all sorts.

I gotta change some on a Tele Bridge on one of mine, before I slice my wrist ........................  :icon_biggrin: 

 

[thesjkexperience]

Thanks for the ideas!  The trouble is 2.5M and 3M set screws are easily available and I am lucky to live near a hardware store that stocks a huge assortment of screw types that can be purchased in etches or boxes. 

The Warmoth bridge uses 2.6M - .45 set screws and I can not find them anywhere.  I even called Warmoth and they do not have any either.  Maybe I should drill them out and tap them for something more common!

 

[Cagey]

I gotta change some on a Tele Bridge on one of mine, before I slice my wrist ........................  :icon_biggrin: 

I had to do the same thing. Bought some Graphtech saddles, but while they were better even those turned out to have set screws that were too long. So, I got those short ones from Guitar Fetish, and I'm loving it now.

Yeah, it's disgusting. Must be playing it too much. Hey! Dust mites gotta eat, too! Anyway, see where those set screws end up? Don't even know they're there.

 

[swarfrat]

Are you certain it's 2.6M45 ? If it's not 2.5M-45 it's got to be a #3-56 is the only other 'standard' screw size even close.  And by standard I mean not single point threaded by someone on a lathe or simply out of tolerance.  (When's the last time you found a #1-72 screw in the hardware store? It's a standard size)

M2.5x.45 is nominal OD 0.0984", 56.4tpi
#3-56 is nominal OD 0.0990", 56pi.

M2.6 would be 0.1024" nominal OD, and the closest thing on the standard chart in metric or english is #4 @ 0.1120 - not even close.