Removing tune o matic style bushings

Hey guys,
I was helping my friend fit off his guitar yesterday night, and in the head of things we forgot to run a ground wire before fitting in the bridge tailpiece bushing... Ouch...

So I'm trying to find the best way/s of removing a tailpiece bushing without causing damage to the finish.

I've read I can use a bolt, washers and a piece of wood to lift the bushing out by screwing the bolt in in.
Does it sound right?

Also would you know what bolt dimension I'd need for a standard PBG issued bridge? Is that M6 or M8?
Thanks!

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Fred i wire the earth in to the bolt hole, make strands or flatten out the wire bring it up and out of the bushing then screw the bolt back in.

Hi Tony,
That was the plan! And that's how I did it on my 12 strings.
But we forgot and bashed in the bushing before running the wire yesterday on my friends SG... so now I'm trying to see how I can remove the bushing in a 'non-destructive' way! :)
Thanks!

Not sure you got me, wrap wire around the bolt then screw back in to bushing? Another i have got away with was solder the wire to the bottom of the blot.

Oh right! Sorry!
I might try the wire-wrapping technique to try and pull out the bushing.

I can't access the bottom of the bolt from the cavity otherwise...

Thanks!

I just unscrew the post 1cm then use a claw hammer to lever it up using the gap.

cheers,
Gav.

I was a bit scared to use the 'big claw hammer', but I'll try that one first and see if I an protect the finish.

Thanks guys for your help!

Fred don't use a hammer claw you will risk damaging the finish.

take the bolt and a spare bush if you have one to a hardware store and get a same size and thread bolt to fit the bush.
Then if you destroy the top of the hardware store bolt no loss. Get some of the adjustable claw plier/clamp and gently pull on the bolt and pull side to side. Once the bush starts moving you should be able to pull out the bush. Have the pliers nice and tight on the bolt head or under the head

Quote:

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Originally Posted by tonyw

Not sure you got me, wrap wire around the bolt then screw back in to bushing? Another i have got away with was solder the wire to the bottom of the blot.

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I can't see why Tony's technique isn't better....it doesn't require removal of the bushing.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by wokkaboy

Fred don't use a hammer claw you will risk damaging the finish.

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Yes, true. I never use this technique on a finished guitar only on the mock build.

cheers,
Gav.

@Andy40: I don't see how I could run this wire to the cavity of the SG if I don't remove the bushing?
The hole running from cavity to bridge post is now obstructed by the bushing.

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I agree Fred, the bushes don't have holes in the bottom from memory. Try pushing a wire from the control cavity to the bush hole Fred, I think it will be too hard with the bush in place

Do you mean I could try leaving the bushing and just push a wire to make contact with the bushing from the cavity?
I thought about that but was concerned that it wouldn't give enough contact to ensure efficient shielding...

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Just found out my 12 string doesnt even have a hole for me to send the earth wire in or out, haha, guess i am going to have to drill for one, fantastic not....

@tonyw: that's weird, my 12 string had one (and I didn't forget the ground wire on that one!...). That's the one you got from DIYguitars like mine, isn't it?

Yep same mate i am going to drill through the bridge pickup route and go in that way.

I can get through the bushing, they have no bottom but that wasnt the plan haha, i thought i would just feed off the treble side didnt even look duh

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1ppKxEIF1M

Thanks for that... that's one of the methods I saw online.
I'll see if I can pull it off gently tonight, otherwise I'll get supplies from the green shed tomorrow to build a 'bushing extractor'. SHould be easy enough. :)

With the 12 strings, you may be able to drill through the bushing hole at an angle towards the cavity. It shouldn't be much more than a few cms. Mine was like that, started near the top of the bushing hole. I ran a long speaker cable that I then fished out through the f hole.

Was that on the treble side bushing? and i cant see anywhere for the ground to come out, maybe its tucked up real tight in the F Hole block? that will teach me for being a smart butt and not checking just assuming because i had done it before.

I think i will make myself a jig like that one, may never use it again but someday someones going to ask me to take out a bushing :D

I would use a bit more than paper towel under it though

Was checking the photos on my build diary and yes it was on the treble side (quite logically)

You can see the white wire on this pic (I bent it back in the hole while I was finishing the top):
http://www.buildyourownguitar.com.au...1&d=1453982038

And the pics in this post show you where it runs as it would be straight:
http://www.buildyourownguitar.com.au...ll=1#post99593

Thanks Fred its way higher than i thought it would be thats what caught me out, pays to check these things before making decisions but umm you know lol assumptions always catch me out.

Thanks Fred its way higher than i thought it would be thats what caught me out, pays to check these things before making decisions but umm you know lol assumptions always catch me out.

And its treble side of the stop tail stud, never seen that on any of the Gibsons i have worked on, but this is a Chibson lol

Tell me about assumptions catching you out... I didn't run the ground wire at the start on my mate's guitar because I assumed I'd remember to install it before bashing the bushing in... fail...

yes fellas never assume anything. I've built half a billion kits - well almost and drove a longer neck screw through a fingerboard couple of weekends ago - found out after the neck screws were about 5mm longer than they should have been

Quote:

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Originally Posted by FredA

@Andy40: I don't see how I could run this wire to the cavity of the SG if I don't remove the bushing?
The hole running from cavity to bridge post is now obstructed by the bushing.

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Ahh right sorry, can you drill a small hole in the bottom of the bushing?

Try a small piece of rubber hose on a bolt with a washer either side. Tighten up the rear nut and the tubing will be squashed making it grip the insides of the bushing, then the gentle wriggling and pulling begins

Just spoke to a mate whos a Luthier of many moons. As simple as putting a smaller screw down the bushing, head side down and tightening up the TOM bolt with a flat head screw driver.

Back to Fenders for simplicity for me lol

Okay, so that's the rig I came up with:
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...e4b34cf58a.jpg
That's using an M8 bolt with a mudguard washer:
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...56ba240ba1.jpg

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:D Glad you got it!

Me too!
I tried putting a smaller screw down the bushing as Tony suggested but it's a basswood body and I could feel the screw was embedding itself in the wood while the bushing wasn't moving... Got scared it was going to come through!
Anyway job done. And we now have a wire in the right spot!


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If you remove the post put a rod of metal or something hard in the hole. Put the post back in tighten it, it will gradually lift the bushing right out as you tighten it.

Good luck
Kimball

Good looking jig you made there Fred

Cheers.
Worked pretty well.
Because I used an M8x40 bolt and the wood bits were not too thick I reckon the bolt was pushing at the bottom of the hole while the washer was pulling up, so came out super easily!

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Got it done, too easy, i used the screw method, but i am going to make up a jig for the future.