String unravelling

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RideTheCrash

RideTheCrash

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I have a Jay Turser Les Paul knockoff, which I actually like quite a lot (got it for free anyway) and I was just playing it and my low E string unravelled at the bridge. I had this problem years ago when I was jamming with an old friend was who using a beat up '93 Mexican Strat and he had his bridge doing the same thing to strings.

This will at least give me reason to finally buy new strings and clean the neck up -- but what should I do to prevent this, can I use a file or something to carefully file at the string groove on the bridge?
 
Well, it was my father in laws and he seems to change them a good amount, though he stopped playing this guitar much in recent times. The strings were in pretty good shape when I got them. Either way, my buddies Mexi Strat would do the same thing to new strings because I remember going through them fast and it was always annoying to have them unravel.

Two more questions while I'm asking this stuff: How do you guys solve loose jacks? Seems like all the guitars I ever play eventually develop loose jacks, then I tighten it up, and it lasts for a month or two. The Fender styled jacks are worse.

And any good tips for removing the knobs? I need to tighten up the two tone pots because they are slightly loose and these suckers won't budge.
 
RideTheCrash said:
And any good tips for removing the knobs? I need to tighten up the two tone pots because they are slightly loose and these suckers won't budge.
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Work the edge of a cloth in under the knob, then just pull up the cloth.

As for the jack - just have to suck it up tighten it up every few months.
 
32-20-Blues said:
suck it up tighten it up every few months.
Click to expand...

Do we mean the contact or the collar? You can bend the contact though it becomes a pain in the ass.
 
First off any old wound string that breaks will do that. Rarely will a wound string break that snaps completely without unraveling.

Second, the saddle could have a sharp divot in it.

I palm mute very hard and break my low strings every 2 weeks if I am playing regularly.

I did however have a problem with a particular guitar where I could physically see the sharp divot in the saddle and I took my guitar in to a shop and they filed down the saddle so it wasn't causing it to snap.
 
Yup, just like golf replace your divots, or in this case, get a very fine file (the round ones) be careful, just enuf
 
I'm sure it's the divot being sharp...I have old strings on a guitar that must be well over a year and I've never had the string unravel. As for the input jack, it's the nut I have to tighten, the actual contact is fine.

I managed to get the knobs off. I found a good way to tighten them up (the pots) because my first try didn't work so well. I applied a tad of Loctite I had lying around too.
 
While trying to fix the second pot, I was pulling on the knob and the damn pot shaft came right out of the base. I can see where the bottom of it fits back in, and it'll sit there, but I can't make it stay there properly. Looks like it should just slide back it but did I break it? Really not in the mood to go find a replacement pot and solder it back together considering my garage is frickin' freezing this time of year.
 
RideTheCrash said:
While trying to fix the second pot, I was pulling on the knob and the damn pot shaft came right out of the base. I can see where the bottom of it fits back in, and it'll sit there, but I can't make it stay there properly. Looks like it should just slide back it but did I break it? Really not in the mood to go find a replacement pot and solder it back together considering my garage is frickin' freezing this time of year.
Click to expand...

You broke it. Sorry.
 
Okay, so I ran out to the store and got some strings and a new pot. It's the same type -- Alpha 500k, but it's like twice the size of the original pots, which are mini...I assume that is fine and this pot will fit, but I just want to make sure I don't need to take it back for whatever reason. This one knob gets so stuck, I'm afraid of busting another pot now...
 
One more thing -- the ground wire and resistor are soldered onto the bottom of the pot -- like the round base...so when I solder the new one on, do I just solder the ground and resistor on the same area? The other sides have eyelets to solder onto.
 
Solder it to the base, like it was. Give it a little rub with some sandpaper first, lots of pots are coated with a clear material that solder won't stick to very well.
 
boingoman said:
Solder it to the base, like it was. Give it a little rub with some sandpaper first, lots of pots are coated with a clear material that solder won't stick to very well.
Click to expand...

And use some solder paste.
 
Thanks guys, I got the pot soldered in. Bit tricky 'cause it was larger but I managed to have enough lead left on the resistor to solder it on. And I did use some sandpaper, thanks for the tip. Works like a charm.
 
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