Missing saddle adjustment screw -- where can i buy these?

[AusTexTeleGuy]

I recently sold a G&L Bluesboy ASAT Classic guitar to a guy in New York state, and when he got it he noticed that one of the saddle adjustment screws was missing.

In the uploaded photo, you can see that the missing screw is in the saddle for the G string.

Anyway, I went to a few music stores in Austin, TX, and it would be a lot easier if I had one of the screws to show them so they could be matched up, but I don't. It's a six-saddle ASAT bridge. Any ideas on this would be appreciated, because it's definitely my fault for not noticing it was missing and it's definitely my responsibility to find the guy the missing part.

Thanks for any help you can give,

Jasper

 

[boris bubbanov]

Bluesboy?

Means it is fairly new.

Well, BBE went bad on us and these bridge assemblies are from overseas. The hardware is M3 and that screw should be about 3/8ths inches long.

How am I to tell people this guitar compares to Fender Custom Shop if it has imported pieces like this (yes, I know about Gotoh)?

 

[pchilson]

If it is overseas (metric) then it should be M3 x 50 x 8mm (can vary on length). Thats what I just bought for one of mine with the samy style saddles.
Boris has it pegged.

 

[AusTexTeleGuy]

If it is overseas (metric) then it should be M3 x 50 x 8mm (can vary on length). Thats what I just bought for one of mine with the samy style saddles.
Boris has it pegged.

That's helpful. Where did you buy the screws?

Jasper

 

[AusTexTeleGuy]

Also, it's not a Tribute model. Just sayin'. Here's a better photo of the actual guitar.

I found the M3 8 mm at allparts.com, but only in black. I need silver or chrome or nickel or whatever it really is -- stainless steel? Anyone know where I can order these?

Jasper

 

[boris bubbanov]

Also, it's not a Tribute model. Just sayin'. Here's a better photo of the actual guitar.

I found the M3 8 mm at allparts.com, but only in black. I need silver or chrome or nickel or whatever it really is -- stainless steel? Anyone know where I can order these?

Jasper

She's a beauty.

Yeah, I'd understand fully that the Tribute parts were metric, but I am kinda hurt that they switched all the bridge manufacture of the USA models overseas, too.

8 mm? Never have seen that in anything but black, in the USA. There's 6mm and 10mm in stainless. You could maybe swap some of the other saddle screws for the other strings and get it looking right with 6mm.

Frankly that's the very reason I got real and tapped all my M3 Tele stuff out to 6-32, because I couldn't find the good lengths in metric but I could easily in Imperial. www.mcmastercarr.com.

 

[AusTexTeleGuy]

She's a beauty.

Yeah, I'd understand fully that the Tribute parts were metric, but I am kinda hurt that they switched all the bridge manufacture of the USA models overseas, too.

8 mm? Never have seen that in anything but black, in the USA. There's 6mm and 10mm in stainless. You could maybe swap some of the other saddle screws for the other strings and get it looking right with 6mm.

Frankly that's the very reason I got real and tapped all my M3 Tele stuff out to 6-32, because I couldn't find the good lengths in metric but I could easily in Imperial. www.mcmastercarr.com.

Thanks for the help, Boris.

Are we absolutely sure it's 8mm? Maybe it's 3/8 like you said at first. I did find these, it's the model GS-0002-005 on the left. (link removed)

Obviously, I'm hampered by not having the guitar in front of me. I'll try to get the new owner to measure another screw.

Thanks again for the help, though.

 

[pchilson]

All I was able to find locally was black. All the stainless were M4 or larger. I went with black as I needed it now. Just went and did all of them. Looks ok.
Bought at Ace Hardware...

 

[AusTexTeleGuy]

Thanks, guys.

 

[Wardpike]

+1 to what our brother from Austin had to say.

Click here for a $22 solution

Also, it's not a Tribute model. Just sayin'. Here's a better photo of the actual guitar.

I found the M3 8 mm at allparts.com, but only in black. I need silver or chrome or nickel or whatever it really is -- stainless steel? Anyone know where I can order these?

Jasper

 

[boris bubbanov]

Thanks for the help, Boris.

Are we absolutely sure it's 8mm? Maybe it's 3/8 like you said at first. I did find these, it's the model GS-0002-005 on the left. (link removed)

Obviously, I'm hampered by not having the guitar in front of me. I'll try to get the new owner to measure another screw.

Thanks again for the help, though.

My fault for mixing metric and Imperial (SAE) units of measure.

3/8ths is an approximate length. But once you know the needed part is metric in thread type, you gotta translate the length to metric, also. The stuff there at GPS that is 3/8ths long is also either 4-40 (strats) or 6-32 (teles and basses) which is Imperial or SAE thread type and not compatible with your overseas part on your USA G + L guitar.

 

[AusTexTeleGuy]

+1 to what our brother from Austin had to say.

Click here for a $22 solution

Well, I might have to bite the bullet and do this. I was just hoping to avoid the pricey solution, since all I need is one height adjusting screw. I was hoping for more like a five buck solution, tops -- including shipping.

This was more complicated than I figured it would be. That said, I really do appreciate all the help I'm getting from all y'all.

Jasper

 

[boris bubbanov]

I think the whole guitar sounds better with a 3 barrel setup anyway.

Such a shame to have to go to such trouble over that bridge - IMO easily the weakest component on the whole guitar.

Have you called G + L in Fullerton?

Or get on www.guitarsbyleo.com and post a "help" request to Darth Invader.

(when I cross threaded a screw on a Keystone, I got in touch with Becky and she sent me a whole handful of replacements).

 

[AusTexTeleGuy]

Yeah, I'm gonna try all that stuff on Monday.

Jasper

 

[milocj]

Not to argue too bad with Boris (I know he has lot more experience with tearing them apart) but I just checked my 6-saddle G&L and it has what I'm assuming to be #4-40 saddle screws. I pulled a screw out of my spare Reverend saddles (assuming M3) and they didn't fit. I grabbed one out of a brand new set of Glendales that I believe are #4-40 and it is a direct replacement. I had a couple of extra #6s sitting around and they're too big. My Asat Classic is a four-bolt neck so it could be from close to the same era as yours, or only a couple of years older. If I had an extra screw I'd send you one, but the Glendales are slated for a different Tele.

Somebody at the GbL, or even Darth should be able to help you out, but if they can't I surely wouldn't buy a whole new set of saddles to get the screws.

If you have a good, old-fashioned hardware store or a good hobby shop (that sells radio-controlled or train stuff) you should be able to find these things locally without too much trouble. I would just buy an M3 x .5 x 8mm lg, and a #4-40 x 3/8 lg and you've got all bases covered when you send them to the buyer. I can't believe you don't have a good hardware or hobby store around and the two parts shouldn't cost more than $1 total and won't cost you any shipping money.

 

[boris bubbanov]

Not to argue too bad with Boris (I know he has lot more experience with tearing them apart) but I just checked my 6-saddle G&L and it has what I'm assuming to be #4-40 saddle screws. I pulled a screw out of my spare Reverend saddles (assuming M3) and they didn't fit. I grabbed one out of a brand new set of Glendales that I believe are #4-40 and it is a direct replacement. I had a couple of extra #6s sitting around and they're too big. My Asat Classic is a four-bolt neck so it could be from close to the same era as yours, or only a couple of years older. If I had an extra screw I'd send you one, but the Glendales are slated for a different Tele.

Somebody at the GbL, or even Darth should be able to help you out, but if they can't I surely wouldn't buy a whole new set of saddles to get the screws.

If you have a good, old-fashioned hardware store or a good hobby shop (that sells radio-controlled or train stuff) you should be able to find these things locally without too much trouble. I would just buy an M3 x .5 x 8mm lg, and a #4-40 x 3/8 lg and you've got all bases covered when you send them to the buyer. I can't believe you don't have a good hardware or hobby store around and the two parts shouldn't cost more than $1 total and won't cost you any shipping money.

I agree totally with your approach, outlined in the last paragraph, and if you cannot find exact, cut a longer one down.

I wonder how old your G + L ASAT (USA) is? That's why I emphasized the fact his was a Bluesboy because I think (and I could be wrong) that the switch from 4-40 to M3 in the USA ASAT Classic was several years before the official Bluesboy introduction.

I did kinda like you did. I took a saddle screw off my 2006 ASAT Classic (USA) and a saddle screw off a MIM Std. Strat (M3) and they switched easily. First I had tried several 4-40 screws in the ASAT Classic saddle and it wasn't a fit and you could see the difference between the 40 pitch of the 4-40 and the M3 pitch which I think is 50.

 

[milocj]

I haven't pulled the neck on this one to check for dates. It's a 4-bolt which should put it at 1998 or newer, and I have an Asat '50 that also has #4 screws in the bridge plate. I think those were made in 1998 or '99. I don't remember when the production BB came out.

I don't know if it means anything or not, but these bridge plates have a 12 stamped on them between the B and E string saddles. Maybe it coincides with a change of manufacturer/source.

Regardless, I would think that one screw of each size could be found at a decent local hardware/hobby shop for little coin, and save a lot of trouble.

 

[soflphillyfan]

Get in touch with Chris @ G & L. Bet if you give him the serial number he'll send you some screws or point you in the right direction.

crobosan@bbesound.com

Can't say enough good things about my warranty and customer service experience with Chris and G & L.

Bought a new ASAT Tribute on Ebay last year. Turns out it was from a dealer who went out of business. Got a great price.

When it arrived all of the pickguard screws were loose and would not bite into the body. Guess someone had changed them at some point and replaced with smaller screws, or just torqued them, stripping the wood. I sent it to Chris figuring maybe they could make sure that all was well in other areas too. Mentioned that this dealer had shipped in a non G & L gigbag even though it was sold as new.

Woudn't you know it they took care of everything and shipped it back in a new G & L gigbag.

Great service!

 

[AusTexTeleGuy]

Well, I may have gotten lucky on this. I found a guy at Ithaca Guitar Works who says he could probably find the screw for it among parts he already has. Then I asked the guy I sold the Bluesboy to if he ever heard of the shop. Apparently, he works next door.

Still, I think I'll write the guy at Guitar Works and tell him the screw (or screw choices) we're looking for. Couldn't hurt. Thanks, guys.

 

[boris bubbanov]

If your G + L was built before 2005, it should be 4-40.

If it was built in 2005 or after, the screw should be M3.

The precise dates on which the switch was made is unknown - G + L usually uses up what is laying around. All of my G + Ls are 2003 or 2004, or the they are 2006 so I'm no help on that.