I have a screw loose . . .

[mandogreg2]

I was changing the strings on my mandolin and one of the tuning pegs on the A string came off. The screw holding the tuning peg was missing! Anyways, it was so small I couldn't find it after a frantic search. I'd like to get a replacement screw but after searching the internet I couldn't find a replacement screw. I'm not sure what type of tuners are on my mandolin. Any help would be appreciated.

[Fretbear]

First thing you need to do is identify the proper replacement screw size.
You can do this by removing another screw (Don't lose it!) and have someone at a hardware store or machine shop determine it's length and thread count.
If you post clear pictures and the tuners are common, someone may be able to tell you the proper size and a source for them.

[Jeff Mando]

This is a very, very, common question that is asked on the Cafe. It is also a pet peeve I have, in that the solution is usually to send someone on a wild goose chase, which I have done myself many times, trying to locate a tuner screw at a hardware store -- only to find out they are not going to have it. It is a SPECIALTY SCREW. Oddball stuff! I personally have wasted many hours, even going into days, thinking the next little town up the road might have an old fashioned hardware that has this type of screw -- THEY DON"T. The GOAL is to find a screw, yep a screw that costs 3 or 4 cents, but with my time, gasoline, etc, I always end up having more than the cost of a new set of tuners in locating that one teeny tiny screw! I have mentioned this before and got one positive nod, but no action. What I propose, would be for someplace, like the Mandolin Cafe, perhaps? to serve as a clearinghouse to provide an answer to this common problem -- LOST TUNER SCREWS. OK, the good news is there are only a handful of manufacturers that have provided tuners for 99.9 percent of the mandolins made in the last 40 years or so -- Gotoh, Schaller, Grover, etc. The manufacturers have buckets, no make that bins the size of railroad cars full of these teeny tiny screws. There can't be more than 10 different sizes used in the last 40 years. If we include vintage USA tuner screws of the last 120 years, maybe another 10 different sizes. So we ONLY need 20 small "buckets" of screws that someone can store in a closet shelf or garage. Good chance the manufacturers might even "donate" a bucket of their screws to such a cause, who knows? At any rate a couple gross of each size wouldn't be a big expenditure, peanuts really, especially when you consider the down time of having your mandolin out of commission. How it would work, you say, I lost a screw, here is a picture of my tuners. We say, OK, you've got Gotoh's and send you a couple screws in the mail (an extra one for a spare!). You go to the donation page of MC and send $5, because you've just saved having to buy a new set of tuners and you've also saved a couple afternoons driving to Home Depot and searching the internet in vain. And, more importantly, your mandolin is back working in a couple days, maybe a week at the most. NOT DESIGNED AS A MONEY MAKER, just a service to help mandolin players. Any thoughts?

Back to the old boy scout training, always carry a spare. Or put another way, a broken $10 radiator hose can strand a $50K automobile on the side of the road, but who carries a spare?

[BradKlein]

...like the Mandolin Cafe, perhaps?

I nominate Scott Tichenor! Anyone second the motion say, aye. ;-)

Kidding aside, take a photo of your tuning machines, Greg, if that is your name, and someone here at the Cafe will point you in the right direction. Until the tuner screw buckets get organized... (by Scott Tichenor)

[pops1]

If you put a little dab of fingernail polish on the threads before tightening up the screw it will not come off. If I have an instrument that seems to have screws come loose I do it to all the screws.

[Hudmister]

Jeff Mando has a great idea, very kind in helping another poor mandolin owner with a missing screw. The problem is management and someone to respond to the missing screw hotline.

[Astro]

I noticed I lost one (its gold colored) from my 2012 Gibson F5Gc. I tried to FB message David Harvey awhile ago but he never responded as I'm sure a pm from an unknown goes into a cyber vacuum. At least I know mine does. I didnt want to post such a question on his newsfeed as its his personal page and would seem inappropriate.

Anyone know where/how I can get one? BTW the peg stays put tight. So I just keep playing it. Risky, I guess.

[Billy Packard]

This has happened to me too, in fact when I read your post I immediately looked at my Gil A3 and sure enough one was missing!

(Here's your tip of the day!)

The first place I looked was in the mandolin case and there it was in the corner!! (Whew)

This happened on the Weber Fern I have also before Bruce Weber sold his company. I contacted them and the sent a few out. Try contacting the manufacturer.

Pops has a good idea and there are other products designed to fix screws into their holes.

Billy

billypackardmandolin.com

[mandogreg2]

Thanks for all ideas. I checked my case for the screw but no luck. It might of been lost before I changed the strings. Attached is a pic of my tuners. If I find out the manufacturer I can contact them for a screw - hopefully.

[LadysSolo]

I just went over to Stewart-Macdonald (NFI) to check, and they DO sell tuner screws, no guarantee that they would have the correct size but it's worth a try to check, I would think. Good Luck!

[BradKlein]

Thanks for all ideas...

I THINK those are Grovers, although they have changed slightly over the years. Available from StewMac HERE .

They will take care of you, or point you in the right direction.

[MikeEdgerton]

The OP's tuners are Grover. I identified the Gotoh sizes last year, I suppose I could start a project from the Schaller and Grover sizes. The gold one's above that Astro posted are Gibson Grover tuners. I "had" extra silver screws for those that I got from Danny Roberts several years ago. I'm not sure if I have many of those left. Probably the best you can do there is brass in the correct size. If the older Grover tuners with the black worm gears are the same size as the Gibson Grover tuners it should be fairly easy. I'll start looking at it tonight. The hardest part is getting the right head on the screw. Grover uses a little built in shoulder washer on the Gibson Grover models. I've never found those.

As far as getting those screws from Stewmac, they might be able to help you. They generally do that if they have a set they have scavenged. They were only able to give me Waverly screws because they had a set to pull them off of. You've probably got a better chance contacting All Parts. In the past they have been able to supply Cafe members buttons and screws for Grover mandolin tuners.

The other thing that has worked lately has been to contact the manufacturer directly. It's worked with Schaller as of late, Grover wasn't real responsive over the years.

[mandogreg2]

Thanks again for all the suggestions. I looked at Stew-Mac and I don't think they have the screw I need. I found a website called Allparts that sells guitar parts and it looks like they have a set of 6 screws that might work for $2.80 but you have to buy $10 worth of merchandise. I'm going to keep looking.

[Astro]

And I just emailed customer service at the Gibson Acoustic section off the Gibson Webpage. I'll report back what happens from here.

[MikeEdgerton]

They will refer you to All Parts or another vendor if they are doing what they have done in past years. Let us know. From his posts on FB it looks like Dave Harvey is traveling this weekend.

[MikeEdgerton]

You're better off calling AllParts. Just to put that AllParts price in perspective, if you end up having to order any metric or SAE screws online you're going to pay a lot in shipping for one or two screws. If Fastenal turns out to be the only source for that screw size you'll pay about $16.00 in shipping for up to about a hundred screws.

[Astro]

I just looked at Allparts. They didnt have the screw like mine with the collar attached.

[Folkmusician.com]

Ongoing, difficult situation... I agree with Jeff, this could be easily remedied the world over by a couple of volunteers.

Why don't dealers take this on? It is not just about the labor. Scott just posted in a unrelated thread "no good deed goes unpunished". This holds true for handling small, not 100% standardized parts like this.

Jeff mentioned a donation system, and this is actually brilliant for more than one reason....

If you sell these, or even give them away and charge actual cost of shipping (around $3 with the bubble mailer for first class mail), people will be upset when it is the wrong screw, it doesn't quite match cosmetically, the gold plating is not the same quality etc... This is understandable. If you just paid $3+ for a single screw for your nice mandolin, and it doesn't look the same, you won't be happy. For a business, this can easily offset any otherwise goodwill. For an individual (or group), it should be fine, especially if you only accept donations from those who are satisfied.

This is such a needed service!

I believe I found the correct screws at McMaster at one point. Not an exact match, but the same length/threads.

[MikeEdgerton]

I actually considered selling slot head sets to replace the Phillips head sets on the Gotoh's. Because of the quantity you have to buy I figured I'd need to get somewhere around $30.00 for the 8 button screws and washers and the 8 screws for the cogs. Assuming nobody would pay that I got off that idea right away. I have been giving away Gotoh and Grover screws now for a few years. I've eaten the postage each time and I've been happy to do it because it's a pain when you lose one screw. I've started checking sizes for the Grovers but it's hit and miss. I own a whole lot of sizes of metric screws right now. I'll eventually narrow down the sizes and identify sources but nobody is going to make money selling these.

Just an example. The tuner button screw on a Gotoh is a size that nobody imports but it's almost thread for thread the same size as an SAE screw that hardly anybody sells. I'm pretty sure I'll never find the button screw for the Gibson Grover tuners with the shoulder washer but I'll find the correct size and a washer than can go on it. It's just a real pain if you can't get them from the manufacturer.

[MikeEdgerton]

I just looked at Allparts. They didnt have the screw like mine with the collar attached.

Yours are gold. If they were silver I'd suggest just buying a $25.00 set of the Gibson Grover a style tuners that are out on eBay right now. Same screw but they are silver.

[MikeEdgerton]

I just contacted Grover asking for an online source and the screw sizes for the 308, 309, and Gibson Grover tuners. Gotoh provided me with their size information last year, I just couldn't find the screws for a while. Hopefully they will be just as kind.

[MikeEdgerton]

I have a phone number and name to call tomorrow at Grover. I'm optimistic.

[UsuallyPickin]

Taking one out , putting it into an envelope and taking it to a hardware may get you the correct replacement. I have done that and things worked out once and didn't once. If there is a Fastenal in your neighborhood that would be the place to find the right screw. It is likely a pan head 10/32 or smaller..... luck R/

[MikeEdgerton]

Most Fastenal stores don't stock that small (from experience) and when you have to order the shipping charges are huge. If the local store has it that's really cool.

[indexless]

Mandogreg2

PM me or email me rnewman@sonic.net I have lots of different screws loose, if you make a small Cafe donation, I'd be happy to send them to you