Is installing tremolo bridge studs difficult?

[Jet-Jaguar]

If you have a rubber mallet, is it hard to install the bridge studs on a tremolo?  I'm thinking of getting a hipshot contour tremolo; last time I had my guitar tech do it, but I'm thinking of either sending it in to warmoth or doing it myself.

 

[Cagey]

Rubber mallet is not gonna do it. Framing/carpenter's hammer would be more like it, if you gotta bang 'em in. But, that can be dangerous. Be sure to surround the hole with something you can hit without damaging the body in case you miss the stud. Also, it helps to cushion to the stud with a piece of wood or a magazine or something. It's best if you don't bang on the stud; you get a bolt that will thread into the bushing and run it in until it stops. Bang on that, then remove it and replace it with the bridge mounting stud.

Ideally, you want to press them in. An arbor press or a drill press are the preferred methods.

 

[Verne Bunsen]

I've had good luck with a deadblow hammer and wooden dowel. For smooth-bore bushings/thimbles, I use a dowel that will fit inside. For the threaded ones, as Cagey said, thread in a bolt or even the bridge mounting stud itself and use a larger diameter dowel and beat on that. Do make certain that the hole in the body is cleaned up and ready to accept the bushing. If there is an accumulation of finish inside, the ID will effectively be too small and finish/body damage may occur.

One day I'll have a drill press in the shop for such things, but until then, this has been working for me.

Of course, for $10, the Warmoth installation ain't such a bad option either.

 

[Jet-Jaguar]

Of course, for $10, the Warmoth installation ain't such a bad option either.

Yeah, that's looking like the simplest answer.

Thanks, guys, for your input.

 

[dmraco]

+1on the wooden dowel.  I place the guitar on a hard surface with a towel or something under it.  Get the  inserts nice and straight by slowly tapping the in.  One you get 1/2 way I start with a little harder strikes. 

I use a dowel that has a larger diameter than the stud to evenly distribute the pressure.  When I get close to it being all the way in, I switch in inside the stud to avoid harming the body.

For some of the tom stops I install I have extra threaded inserts that I install and actually hammer those.  When the stud is flush I remove and insert the correct new insert.  I have NEVER harmed my threads.

But like Cagey said....a press is ideal if you have access,

 

[stratamania]

If you click on the strat build in my signature there are few photos of how I did it without a press. It isn't for the faint hearted.

I need a press at some point. Definitely worth $10 to have it done for you.

 

[GilgaFrank]

Deadblow hammer is the thing you need. And here's a brilliant tip I had to use recently, if you ever need to remove them.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1ppKxEIF1M[/youtube]

 

[mayfly]

Aaaaaand don't forget to ensure that there is nothing small and hard under the guitar body before you start hammering.  That little 4-40 screw that rolled under there will make your bad day complete.

Trevor

 

[aarontunes]

Aaaaaand don't forget to ensure that there is nothing small and hard under the guitar body before you start hammering.  That little 4-40 screw that rolled under there will make your bad day complete.

Trevor

Verified.  :sad: