Help my pickup has slid out of my jaguar

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auxiliaryjoel
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Help my pickup has slid out of my jaguar

Post by auxiliaryjoel » Sun Nov 07, 2021 3:29 am

I was getting too shrill / harsh a sound from my japan traditional 60s jagaur bridge pickup so I used a screwdriver to drop it down lower.
that worked. But then I screwed it slightly lower againand now one end of the pickup won't stay down at all. It just slides all the way out / up from the guitar body and pushes into the low e string.
I can push it down with my finger and screw it down but then I t just slides back up again.
what is going on? How do I fix it?

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adamrobertt
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Re: Help my pickup has slid out of my jaguar

Post by adamrobertt » Sun Nov 07, 2021 4:18 am

You stripped the hole. You'll need to fill it with something that the screw can grip onto.

Usually a dab of glue and a toothpick will work. Wood glue is best, but it takes awhile to dry. Super glue is faster but more brittle. You can either redrill the hole after it dries, or shove the screw in there manually without redrilling. The second method usually gives me a better hold in the end, but you'll have to bear down quite hard to get the screw to grab onto the wood. Make sure you cut them flush with the surface too.

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auxiliaryjoel
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Re: Help my pickup has slid out of my jaguar

Post by auxiliaryjoel » Sun Nov 07, 2021 4:20 am

adamrobertt wrote:
Sun Nov 07, 2021 4:18 am
You stripped the hole. You'll need to fill it with something that the screw can grip onto.

Usually a dab of glue and a toothpick will work. Wood glue is best, but it takes awhile to dry. Super glue is faster but more brittle. You can either redrill the hole after it dries, or shove the screw in there manually without redrilling. The second method usually gives me a better hold in the end, but you'll have to bear down quite hard to get the screw to grab onto the wood. Make sure you cut them flush with the surface too.
Wow talk about quality. I screwed each one marginally. This is brand new guitar and first time I ever adjusted them. I'm pretty ticked off to be honest.

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Re: Help my pickup has slid out of my jaguar

Post by adamrobertt » Sun Nov 07, 2021 4:23 am

Meh, it's pretty common. One of the downsides of using the foam with screws directly into the wood method of mounting pickups. Who knows how many times they've been adjusted prior? Also it's possible that the screw happened to hit a weak or soft point in the wood.

I work in instrument manufacturing and during setup this type of repair has to be done sometimes before new instruments even leave the factory.. and on pretty expensive instruments too.

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auxiliaryjoel
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Re: Help my pickup has slid out of my jaguar

Post by auxiliaryjoel » Sun Nov 07, 2021 4:32 am

adamrobertt wrote:
Sun Nov 07, 2021 4:23 am
Meh, it's pretty common. One of the downsides of using the foam with screws directly into the wood method of mounting pickups. Who knows how many times they've been adjusted prior? Also it's possible that the screw happened to hit a weak or soft point in the wood.

I work in instrument manufacturing and during setup this type of repair has to be done sometimes before new instruments even leave the factory.. and on pretty expensive instruments too.
This is a bit beyond my skills. So I guess I'll pay a guitar repairer to fix my less than one week old brand new guitar.

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JSett
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Re: Help my pickup has slid out of my jaguar

Post by JSett » Sun Nov 07, 2021 4:49 am

auxiliaryjoel wrote:
Sun Nov 07, 2021 4:32 am
This is a bit beyond my skills. So I guess I'll pay a guitar repairer to fix my less than one week old brand new guitar.
Putting a dab of wood glue on a toothpick and putting it in a hole is beyond your skills? It's less complicated than changing a string.

Try it. Learn something. Grow.
Silly Rabbit, don't you know scooped mids are for kids?

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Re: Help my pickup has slid out of my jaguar

Post by adamrobertt » Sun Nov 07, 2021 4:54 am

johnnysomersett wrote:
Sun Nov 07, 2021 4:49 am
auxiliaryjoel wrote:
Sun Nov 07, 2021 4:32 am
This is a bit beyond my skills. So I guess I'll pay a guitar repairer to fix my less than one week old brand new guitar.
Putting a dab of wood glue on a toothpick and putting it in a hole is beyond your skills? It's less complicated than changing a string.

Try it. Learn something. Grow.
Lol yeah this is pretty basic... also not much can go wrong unless you're completely insane and squirt glue all over your guitar or something.

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auxiliaryjoel
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Re: Help my pickup has slid out of my jaguar

Post by auxiliaryjoel » Sun Nov 07, 2021 4:59 am

johnnysomersett wrote:
Sun Nov 07, 2021 4:49 am
auxiliaryjoel wrote:
Sun Nov 07, 2021 4:32 am
This is a bit beyond my skills. So I guess I'll pay a guitar repairer to fix my less than one week old brand new guitar.
Putting a dab of wood glue on a toothpick and putting it in a hole is beyond your skills? It's less complicated than changing a string.

Try it. Learn something. Grow.
I know what your saying, I think I'm just really ticked off that I should even have to be doing this with a brand new 2k instrument. I guess I'll get over it.

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alexpigment
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Re: Help my pickup has slid out of my jaguar

Post by alexpigment » Sun Nov 07, 2021 8:39 pm

auxiliaryjoel wrote:
Sun Nov 07, 2021 4:59 am
I know what your saying, I think I'm just really ticked off that I should even have to be doing this with a brand new 2k instrument. I guess I'll get over it.
I understand your frustration in concept I suppose, but keep in mind that anyone checking over the guitar wouldn't have noticed the problem, as it didn't start until you screwed the pickup in lower. I'm not saying you did anything *wrong* by screwing the pickups lower, obviously, but it's not reasonable to assume that subpar workmanship is the cause. The screw just stripped the wood. Trees are not grown in labs, and the densities and grain properties of each piece of wood is highly variable. This kinda stuff just happens, and it's fortunately an easy fix.

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Re: Help my pickup has slid out of my jaguar

Post by auxiliaryjoel » Sun Nov 07, 2021 10:08 pm

alexpigment wrote:
Sun Nov 07, 2021 8:39 pm
auxiliaryjoel wrote:
Sun Nov 07, 2021 4:59 am
I know what your saying, I think I'm just really ticked off that I should even have to be doing this with a brand new 2k instrument. I guess I'll get over it.
I understand your frustration in concept I suppose, but keep in mind that anyone checking over the guitar wouldn't have noticed the problem, as it didn't start until you screwed the pickup in lower. I'm not saying you did anything *wrong* by screwing the pickups lower, obviously, but it's not reasonable to assume that subpar workmanship is the cause. The screw just stripped the wood. Trees are not grown in labs, and the densities and grain properties of each piece of wood is highly variable. This kinda stuff just happens, and it's fortunately an easy fix.
One thing maybe someone can help me with :
Once I get the problem fixed. Should I never adjust pickups ? Or are they meant to be adjustable?
I'm just curious how often this would happen. It seems a lot of people recommend adjusting pickups heights but it sounds like the wood is not really going to take many adjustments that well?

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JSett
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Re: Help my pickup has slid out of my jaguar

Post by JSett » Sun Nov 07, 2021 10:51 pm

You shouldn't have to adjust your pickup heights particularly often - once you have them dialed in they're a bit 'set and forget'. Most of mine go up and down a few times until they're at the perfect place then left the hell alone indefinitely.

It's just a little bad luck and nothing to sweat or stress over. Once you've done the 2 minute fix I doubt you'll ever have to worry about it ever again - unless you're one of those incessant tweakers and for some reason go nuts with adjusting them constantly and, even then, only run the risk of it happening again if you over-tighten one. Or bad luck hits twice. Fwiw, rubbing the pickup screw a little on a wax candle before winding it in makes a good lubricant and is good practice on a tight hole. I've had this happen with pickguard screws more than a few times. Just one of those things.

I'm definitely in the 'fix it, forget it and get over it' camp. You're definitely making a mountain out of a molehill.
Silly Rabbit, don't you know scooped mids are for kids?

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auxiliaryjoel
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Re: Help my pickup has slid out of my jaguar

Post by auxiliaryjoel » Mon Nov 08, 2021 4:53 am

johnnysomersett wrote:
Sun Nov 07, 2021 10:51 pm
You shouldn't have to adjust your pickup heights particularly often - once you have them dialed in they're a bit 'set and forget'. Most of mine go up and down a few times until they're at the perfect place then left the hell alone indefinitely.

It's just a little bad luck and nothing to sweat or stress over. Once you've done the 2 minute fix I doubt you'll ever have to worry about it ever again - unless you're one of those incessant tweakers and for some reason go nuts with adjusting them constantly and, even then, only run the risk of it happening again if you over-tighten one. Or bad luck hits twice. Fwiw, rubbing the pickup screw a little on a wax candle before winding it in makes a good lubricant and is good practice on a tight hole. I've had this happen with pickguard screws more than a few times. Just one of those things.

I'm definitely in the 'fix it, forget it and get over it' camp. You're definitely making a mountain out of a molehill.
I was trying to fix and forget the harsh treble I was getting. but instead I fixed and f$%ked it.
It's never happened to me before so I was after advice, sorry if that's too much of a molehill for you.

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Re: Help my pickup has slid out of my jaguar

Post by JSett » Mon Nov 08, 2021 10:00 am

auxiliaryjoel wrote:
Mon Nov 08, 2021 4:53 am
I was trying to fix and forget the harsh treble I was getting. but instead I fixed and f$%ked it.
It's never happened to me before so I was after advice, sorry if that's too much of a molehill for you.
I think you're misconstruing my parlance. It's no molehill for me but you definitely seem to be overreacting by saying things like "Should I never adjust pickups?". I have no beef in this battle of yours but you'll definitely have to get used to either fixing your own guitars or paying someone to do it as things will break eventually, they always do.

Anyway, in the time it took you to respond to most of these posts you could have fixed it 10x over. Is it still broken?
Silly Rabbit, don't you know scooped mids are for kids?

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auxiliaryjoel
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Re: Help my pickup has slid out of my jaguar

Post by auxiliaryjoel » Mon Nov 08, 2021 2:08 pm

johnnysomersett wrote:
Mon Nov 08, 2021 10:00 am
auxiliaryjoel wrote:
Mon Nov 08, 2021 4:53 am
I was trying to fix and forget the harsh treble I was getting. but instead I fixed and f$%ked it.
It's never happened to me before so I was after advice, sorry if that's too much of a molehill for you.
I think you're misconstruing my parlance. It's no molehill for me but you definitely seem to be overreacting by saying things like "Should I never adjust pickups?". I have no beef in this battle of yours but you'll definitely have to get used to either fixing your own guitars or paying someone to do it as things will break eventually, they always do.

Anyway, in the time it took you to respond to most of these posts you could have fixed it 10x over. Is it still broken?
Nah Not fixed yet. I was toying with the idea of putting lollars in. Now this happened I figured it's the perfect time. I have them on order. Will do the repair and install them once they arrive.
And asking questions is always helpful.
That's pretty much what forums are for right?
I wasn't dramatising or over exaggerating when I asked "should I never adjust pickups?" I was generally curious as I never knew how the pickups stayed in place and now seeing the way I do I wondered if they're not meant to be adjusted.
Geez you're right though, in the time I made this reply I could have baked a cake. Damnit I've let you down again.
I should just create a forum thread and never read or reply on it.

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adamrobertt
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Re: Help my pickup has slid out of my jaguar

Post by adamrobertt » Mon Nov 08, 2021 2:25 pm

Lies. Baking a cake is definitely above your skill level, based on previous information.

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