Strat from Hell...

[erogenousjones17]

So my current Strat project is turning into a disaster. Latest problem: tuning peg ferrules don't fit. I've seen posts about working too-tight ferrules into place, but I have the opposite problem. The holes in my peghead are too large. What have we learned from this? Always double-check measurements when buying parts for an ebay neck; the seller info might be wrong. But anyway, any tips for making this work, short of returning the tuners and getting another set? I'd like to make these work, a) to save the time and hassle of returning them and waiting for a new set; and b) these are the tuners I wanted (Gotoh vintage locking).

Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[Watershed]

Perhaps wrap some sort (I don't know) of material around the ferrule, thus making it bigger?
Sandpaper perhaps?  Tin foil?

Perhaps superglue used to build up some material on the inside of the hole, this making it smaller?
I'm just brainstorming...

How about painting, and screwing up the headstock several times.
Each time you sand it back, you neglect to remove the material from inside the holes.
By the time you get it right the holes will be much smaller.  Tried it.  :doh:

That's all I got..

James

 

[TroubledTreble]

Bummer..

I think I have seen some ferrule adapters that are made for this purpose. A quick search found these, I'm sure there are others.

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tuners/Tuner_parts/3/Tuner_Bushings.html

https://melodymusiconline.com/index.php?main_page=product_reviews&products_id=727

Good luck!

 

[mayfly]

K-Rap.  Depending on how off they are, you could fill the hole with some sawdust mixed with glue.  This works best if they are just about right, but fall out (were talking about 1mm here).  Then just smear some sawdust/glue mixture around the inside of the holes, put in the ferrule, and pack the glue in from the other side.  You'll need to expose the raw wood inside the holes for this to work.

BTW - yes, I've actually done this and it worked.  :icon_thumright:

 

[erogenousjones17]

I think I may have to go with the bushings. I know the sawdust/woodglue trick would work (I've used baking soda and crazy glue as filler for worn-out strap pin holes and that worked fine), but I think the holes are too big; there's room for the ferrule to move around a fair bit. So much so that a tiny sliver of the hole peeks out from under the flange if I move the ferrule as far as it'll go to one side. Not sure how I fudged this one up so badly...  :icon_scratch:

Although I could always try that and ream it out again if it doesn't work, right?

 

[mayfly]

Hmmm.  I think your holes are too big for the glue-sawdust trick.  Go for the oversized ones.

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

Conversion Bushings

http://store.guitarfetish.com/vitucobu.html

 

[Mor Paul]

What size reams did you order?

 

[erogenousjones17]

What size reams did you order?

The wrong size, Max. Obviously.  :icon_biggrin:

Seriously though, based on the info I got when I bought the neck (which I can't check now, seeing as how I'm at work...) and the dimensions from StewMac, they should have been snug. Somebody effed up, and it's probably me.  :laughing11:

Also, I'm a little confused as to how these things actually stay together; the tuning pegs on all my other guitars are secured by nuts, but these just kind of sit in the bushings? I'll admit I haven't had tme to fiddle with it with it very much (except to realize that something is wrong), so I might just be missing something obvious.

 

[erogenousjones17]

On a more positive note, the tortoise shell pickguard and trem plate look wicked on the surf green!

 

[erogenousjones17]

Bump.

Ok. So the tuning pegs are designed for 11/32" diameter peg holes. The ebay listing said the headstock had 11/32" peg holes, but once I got out the ol' measuring tape I found that they are actually 10mm holes (closer to 13/32").

So will either of these conversion bushings work?

http://store.guitarfetish.com/nivitucobu.html

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tuners/Tuner_parts/3/Tuner_Bushings.html

And while I'm at it, I figure I'll include a picture of the Strat in question, the Red-Headed Step Child (apologies to any redheads or stepchildren out there :laughing7.

 

[OzziePete]

Bump.

Ok. So the tuning pegs are designed for 11/32" diameter peg holes. The ebay listing said the headstock had 11/32" peg holes, but once I got out the ol' measuring tape I found that they are actually 10mm holes (closer to 13/32").

Sounds like an imperial to metric conversion situation, and I'd email both the suppliers you linked to find out if there's a conversion bushing for those dimensions.

 

[erogenousjones17]

Bump.

Ok. So the tuning pegs are designed for 11/32" diameter peg holes. The ebay listing said the headstock had 11/32" peg holes, but once I got out the ol' measuring tape I found that they are actually 10mm holes (closer to 13/32").

Sounds like an imperial to metric conversion situation, and I'd email both the suppliers you linked to find out if there's a conversion bushing for those dimensions.

Yeah I did some further poking around, and it turns out that this is a common problem with Mighty Mite necks (I may have neglected to mention that I had an MM neck...). The tuner holes are actually 10.5mm. Stewmac makes a 10.5mm set basically for that purpose. Ordered a set today. Hooray!

Thanks everyone. This forum is great!  :icon_thumright:

 

[erogenousjones17]

Update: Got new bushings, and while they do fit more snugly than the first set, I'm not sure they're snug enough (I can push tem easily into place with a finger), and in fact one of them will still fall out if I turn the neck over. Any suggestions for snugging things up a bit? Plumber's dope on the bushings? Build up the tuner holes with something like glue or filler? Give up on the MM neck, toss it in the fireplace and buy a nice Warmoth nek?  :laughing7:

Thanks a lot for any input.

 

[mayfly]

if they are really close, glue mixed with sawdust will work fine.  try to pack it in from behind as best you can.

 

[erogenousjones17]

Good to know. I think they are really close. Like I said, they stick, but since the're not held in by anything like a nut, I'd like 'em to stick a little more. Now, and this is the ridiculous part, to track down some sawdust...(I live in a small apartment and thus don't really do much actual woodworking)

try to pack it in from behind as best you can.

That's what she said. Bah dum bum tssh.

 

[erogenousjones17]

New update, more problems! After the tuner bushings and the lost pickups (which finally arrived and have been installed), it turns out I have the wrong bridge! The string spacing is too wide, and the outer strings don't line up with the pole pieces, or even worse, the fretboard. I really have no idea how I effed this up so badly...

Anyone else ever have a project that made them question whether or not they should be doing this in the first place?  :sad1:

 

[Mor Paul]

Gary, get that violin and play us a sad song.

 

[erogenousjones17]

Yeah I know...I need a little cheese to go with this whine.  :laughing7:

 

[NLD09]

Yeah I know...I need a little cheese to go with this whine.  :laughing7:

Dude i feel you on the strat from hell thing. I ordered a wenge/bloodwood neck for my strat. Got it a week and a half ago. First my luthier ran out of graphite randomly... had to make my own nut and i finally strung it up. Then the fretboard started delaminating and separated entirely from the 16th fret down. Turns out the neck was flawed and Warmoth is having to make a new one. Got a 5+1 wilkinson bridge for it in black, there must be a design flaw or something, but there was no tremolo range at all... i put the old one back on.  Also stripped two tuning head screws which i've never had a problem with before...

the new pickguard worked fine though.  :icon_thumright: