Removing tuner bushings

[El Pelo]

Hello everyone, I bought a neck online which I plan to return. I need to get the tuner bushings out cleanly but I can't see how that is going to be possible. They are snug in the headstock and I am afraid to damage the neck. There is really nothing on the back side to help push them through.

Anyone have any ideas?

[StevenO]

Find a long screw drive in which the shaft fits the tuner hole. From behind, have the screwdriver go through the headstock so that it grips the tuner ferrule and then lightly tap the end of handle of the screwdriver so that screwdriver pushes out the ferrule just through pressure alone. Do not try to pry loose from underneath the ferrule on the face of the headstock, that will wreck the headstock and cause pressure marks. This is generally what I always do to cleanly remove ferrules.

However, you should note that there is most likely going to be little pressure marks in the face of the headstocks left by the ferrules being pressed into place much like there are marks left by the tuners on the rear of the headstock that can be seen, not to mention the added screw holes. Not sure how return policies work, but that might void some warranties too...

Good luck!

[Larry Mal]

An unsharpened pencil can be used to pop them out of there.

[El Pelo]

Thanks for the ideas.

It's hard to tell from the pic, but the ferrules / bushings are exactly the same diameter as the tuner holes. There is literally nothing on the back to press against.

[HNB]

There is. I can see it in your picture. (The metal part of the bushing in the hole has thickness you can push on to press them out.) Use a screw driver or a socket from a socket wrench set that is the same size as the hole from the back of the headstock and gently press it against the back of the bushings and they push back out. They have to have some thickness in the hole or there wouldn't be anything holding them in. I like to use a socket because it can push the bushing out evenly all at once.

[StevenO]

Yeah there should be something there that can be gripped. A pencil could work, or a pen, I had better luck with a screwdriver, but try whatever might work that will also cause the least amount of damage.

[El Pelo]

I'll try to get a better picture when I get home, but these bushings are about flush with the tuner hole.

[Larry Mal]

I can only tell you that I've removed those bushings on more than a dozen occasions.

[Embenny]

Yep, you are getting the correct advice here. The bushings line the interior of the hole for a certain depth, you can see the metal in the photo you posted. It's not a huge amount of metal to grip onto, but it's there.

I went to YouTube and typed in "removing tuner bushings" and a million videos popped up. This was literally the first hit and doesn't even involve pressing from the back, though going from behind is my preferred method.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=P_JOFOlmWaw

[El Pelo]

Since I'm looking to return the neck, what are the chances this method will cause damage?

[Larry Mal]

If you do it right, by pushing with equal force on all sides of the bushings, then you have a small chance of damage. There is always a chance.

That being said, though, you will be able to see that the bushings had been installed there, like someone else mentioned. So if your return is predicated on sending back an immaculate instrument, that might be hard to do. You'll see some indentation in the gloss.

[El Pelo]

If you do it right, by pushing with equal force on all sides of the bushings, then you have a small chance of damage. There is always a chance.

That being said, though, you will be able to see that the bushings had been installed there, like someone else mentioned. So if your return is predicated on sending back an immaculate instrument, that might be hard to do. You'll see some indentation in the gloss.

This neck came off an American Original but the retailer sold the tuners and neck separately. So at one time it did have tuners but they were safely removed.

[Larry Mal]

There you go... get an unsharpened pencil if nothing else, push it until it makes contact with the bushings, and then give it a little blow with something. It'll come out.

If you have a metal piece that fits perfectly then that'll work also.

[El Pelo]

Thanks everyone for the help.

I used a flat head screw driver to tap the bushings out a bit then used the method from the youtube video above. Worked great! neck is safe!

[Embenny]

See? Crisis averted!