Ok, I know a lot of you guys/gals are awesome guitarists...so I figured you could easily answer a guitar hardware question for noobie me....
The nut on my Fender Stratocaster amp plug-in hardware keeps coming loose (I know...it sounds like a personal problem, right?) and I'm wondering if there is an easy fix to keeping it tight?
Seems like they would have designed this nut as a lock-nut of some kind.
Here's what/where I'm talking about - any ideas?
Posted by Del Badry (Member # 114) on :
loc-tite..... ?
Posted by Ben Diaz (Member # 7319) on :
I've got a mexican strat and it does the exact same thing. I've kinda just learned to live with it. If you can tighten it down real tight usually it will stay for a good amount of time, but it always loosens eventually. I wouldn't put any type of adhesive in there because you'll never get it out again. Just think of the little problems like that as "character". I used to have a guitar that I kept a bubble gum wrapper under the strings at the end of the neck to keep them off of the fretboard. Looked pretty silly, but didn't really make the guitar sound bad.
Posted by George Perkins (Member # 156) on :
Replace it with a locking nut. I'd take that plate off and see if there is a backing nut on it that could be adjusted to get more threads to poke out of the hole. Might make it easier to get a nylon locking nut on it. Right now it looks like the only choice you will have is a locking nut with a serrated flange on it. Find a hardware store with a good selection of various nuts. Lowe's and Home Depot are OK but a well stocked old time hardware store is even better.
Posted by Adam M Cranmer (Member # 8100) on :
That is a very common problem. I wouldn't think a small amount of Loc-Tite would hurt anything. Either that or constantly tighten it by hand like the rest of us.
Posted by coop (Member # 504) on :
Teflon tape ( like plumbers use ). Couple times around the threads, put your nut back on, and trim any excess with an exacto. Got one that's been no trouble for 5 years now with this method.
Werks fer me. YMMV
Posted by Neil D. Butler (Member # 661) on :
I have the same Problem On my Gibson Hollow Body, and it drives me "Nuts"..get it? Nuts.
Posted by Todd Gill (Member # 2569) on :
Great suggestions folks! Thank you....
Posted by John Deaton (Member # 925) on :
Try not and use anything that wont allow you to reverse it later. That could make it hard to do any work on the strat. Ive used the teflon tape and it works good. Had that same problem for a year or so until I did that. Posted by David Harding (Member # 108) on :
Five pounds of Magic Smooth and that thing will never come loose again!
If you don't like my suggestion, just send the guitar to me and I'll try real hard to cope with the problem.
Posted by John Byrd (Member # 825) on :
A drop of clear fingernail polish on the threads before tightnig.
NO wait! I mean ...er...What a PIECE!!! Box that poor excuse for an instrument up and ship it to me for immediate disposal!!
Posted by Brian Snyder (Member # 41) on :
Loctite makes lots of products. What you want, specifically is Loctite BLUE threadlocker...
Don't use red or green.
Posted by Doug Bernhardt (Member # 1568) on :
Okay...you can all go green now....I have a 1960 and never had this problem. Am tempted to open it up just to see why, but will have to resist. I haven't actually played it in 20 some years....thats a shame and hated admitting it.
Posted by Brian Snyder (Member # 41) on :
Hasn't happened cause you aren't plugging it in enough! "Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar"
Posted by David Harding (Member # 108) on :
Doug, it rusted in place from lack of use! Send that thing down south and I'll get it loosened up.
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