[Z Gentle (Z Alex Gentle)]

Hello all,

I have a ridiculously simple need for a 1999 Gibson '61 SG Maestro, which needs a new nut, bolt and washer for the Maestro tremelo bar. My former guitar tech lost them a few years back when he was doing a pickup replacement, and the trem bar has fallen off on a regular basis ever since then.

Today I called Gibson tech support to try and get a replacement nut, bolt and washer, so I can actually USE the tremelo (after all that's why I got a Maestro in the first place), and Gibson said they had no parts, they just build guitars ( I am sure they get the parts from someone) and gave me the names of two parts suppliers, neither of which sold anything but the trem bar itself (no nuts or bolts). Frankly, the Gibson tech support guy must have been thinking about his weekend, because he sure didn't sound like he really cared whether I got my guitar fixed or not. Lets just say he sounded a bit on the arrogant side and leave it at that.

I have called a total of 4 guitar parts dealers across the USA and no one I contacted carries anything but the trem bar, if that. No dice. One of them recommended I get back with Gibson, since someone HAS to make the nuts and bolts for THEM. Does anyone here know ANYONE that makes parts like this for Gibson? I could sure use some help with this basic little problem. The usual suspects in the guitar parts business do not carry these parts.

Thanks!

Z Gentle

Gibson Rocks... the best in the biz

[D Garden (Davie Bluesman)]

Can't you 'experiment' with similar sized nuts and bolts? I mean there must be a hardware store near you, just till you get the correct parts. Try putting a 'wanted' ad in some music mags or have a look on Ebay.

[Z Gentle (Z Alex Gentle)]

D Garden (Davie Bluesman), on 13 August 2010 - 03:33 PM, said:

Can't you 'experiment' with similar sized nuts and bolts? I mean there must be a hardware store near you, just till you get the correct parts. Try putting a 'wanted' ad in some music mags or have a look on Ebay.

Actually what I have right now is the result of my experimenting (I have something like a wood screw holding the thing on but it does not work well at all). It would be a lot easier if I had the origingal missing parts but like I said they are gone, so it would take a lot of experimenting. I have had a series of nasty back surgeries lately so my getting out and doing the research at Lowes or Home Depot is not going to happen. However, I do have a friend in the home repair/handyman business who might be able to do something like you propose. At 75 bucks an hour and a 50$ trip fee, it will not be cheap, but it would be worth it long run. At least it will be fixed.

However my first choice would be a matching nickel nut and bolt from an authentic guitar parts dealer, rather than 75 cents worth of non-matching aluminum or brass parts (for a 4 thousand dollar guitar) from the local hardware store. It seems almost absurd to be discussing cheap machined aluminum parts in the same sentence as Gibson Guitars.

Given the realities I just mentioned, I may have no other choice than to pick out (or have my buddy pick out) some cheap parts from a hardware store and make do. First call I make Monday morning will be to my handyman friend. I am sure he can throw something together. I thought the whole concept of Gibson was Prestige, Quality, and Professionalism. "throwing together" 75 cents of hardware parts somehow does not fit in that elite Gibson context, at least in my book. I guess in this case it does. To me, if you are going to present yourself as a world class leader in something, you had better be prepared to live up to it. Even on the nickel and dime stuff.

Thanks for the post..

Z Gentle

[D Garden (Davie Bluesman)]

If you can identify the thread size etc, someone somewhere will probably alraedy make it with a chrome finish.

[D Garden (Davie Bluesman)]

I was just thinking, I'm surprised that a moderator on this forum has not picked up on your problem and tried to help you out with Gibson themselves. I know you've said you phoned them but maybe you were taking to the company retard you know? Why don't you copy your post into the TALK TO HENRY J. part of the forum, your enquiry can't go any higher than him. Where are you based if you don't mind me asking?

[Z Gentle (Z Alex Gentle)]

D Garden (Davie Bluesman), on 14 August 2010 - 03:28 PM, said:

I was just thinking, I'm surprised that a moderator on this forum has not picked up on your problem and tried to help you out with Gibson themselves. I know you've said you phoned them but maybe you were taking to the company retard you know? Why don't you copy your post into the TALK TO HENRY J. part of the forum, your enquiry can't go any higher than him. Where are you based if you don't mind me asking?

D,

Actually I have talked to multiple Gibson folk on this. Seems some were more interested than others, but the bottom line is we make guitars, not parts, and our parts distributors are proprietary info so we can't give that out, so you are on your own. Pretty lame, and I agree with your assessment. I had thought of posting this in Henry's area, but I got chewed out for doing a cross/dual post on the Marshall forum once, when I didn't get a proper answer, so I hesitate to do that. I am in Gibson's hometown, which makes this all the more frustrating. There ought to be a way to solve this silly, simple, but perplexing problem. One would think one phone call and end of problem, but it is way more complicated than that. Believe it or not, this is the ultimate simple problem with no good solution.

Z

[R Nahum (Robin Nahum)]

Hi,

Strange that Gibson won't even source the bits from the manufacturer for you.

Some thoughts - I don't know whether you've tried these.

I've found Classic Ax in Nashville very helpful when looking for harder to get Gibson spares.

StewMac seem to pride themselves on having solutions to more complex guitar problems as evidenced by their Tech Tips newsletter. Have you tried dropping them a line?

Failing that, you could try what we in Australia call engineering suppliers. These are outfits that sell high quality hardware. Your talk of using a wood screw worries me.

RN

[K Bolas (lespaul1963)]

D,

Try calling Gruhn Guitars in Nashville. George Gruhn and his people should be able to help you if Gibson can't. Their phone number is (615) 256-2033.

[D Garden (Davie Bluesman)]

Z Gentle (Z Alex Gentle), on 14 August 2010 - 05:50 PM, said:

D,

Actually I have talked to multiple Gibson folk on this. Seems some were more interested than others, but the bottom line is we make guitars, not parts, and our parts distributors are proprietary info so we can't give that out, so you are on your own. Pretty lame, and I agree with your assessment. I had thought of posting this in Henry's area, but I got chewed out for doing a cross/dual post on the Marshall forum once, when I didn't get a proper answer, so I hesitate to do that. I am in Gibson's hometown, which makes this all the more frustrating. There ought to be a way to solve this silly, simple, but perplexing problem. One would think one phone call and end of problem, but it is way more complicated than that. Believe it or not, this is the ultimate simple problem with no good solution.

Z

"Try calling Gruhn Guitars in Nashville. George Gruhn and his people should be able to help you if Gibson can't. Their phone number is (615) 256-2033."

[j waldo (BadBluesPlayer)]

You must have a hardware store in town. Can't you take your guitar into the hardware store and tell the guy you need a nut, bolt and washer? Or is that something you expect Gibson's CEO to talk to you about?

If you can't go to the hardware store, order the stuff online.

What happened when you contacted the people who made the tremolo?

[Z Gentle (Z Alex Gentle)]

R Nahum (Robin Nahum), on 15 August 2010 - 08:53 PM, said:

Hi,

Strange that Gibson won't even source the bits from the manufacturer for you.

Some thoughts - I don't know whether you've tried these.

I've found Classic Ax in Nashville very helpful when looking for harder to get Gibson spares.

StewMac seem to pride themselves on having solutions to more complex guitar problems as evidenced by their Tech Tips newsletter. Have you tried dropping them a line?

Failing that, you could try what we in Australia call engineering suppliers. These are outfits that sell high quality hardware. Your talk of using a wood screw worries me.

RN

Hi RN-

Have checked with these and they don't carry but the trem bar itself. Luckily, I came across a Gibson Custom Shop Supplier on the web today quite by accident, and they are shipping me what they think are the appropriate parts today.

Someone mentioned speaking with the manufacturer of the tremelo bar itself. Not possible. That is one of the things Gibson refused to give out to me. And no, I don't expect the CEO of the company to tend to something this trivial, but one would hope some staff member (it is quite obvious that CEO Henry J is not the only Gibson employee who reads these forums) would take an interest in a situation like this, since tech support sure showed little interest in it.. A missing part is vital whether it is a pickup, or a tremlelo bar that falls off every time you try and drop a note or two with the trem. Yep, the wood screw was the best my former guitar tech could come up with when he lost my original parts. Hence the term FORMER guitar tech. The wood screw comes off as soon as the right parts arrive.

All the best, and thanks for writing,

Z

[Z Gentle (Z Alex Gentle)]

Z Gentle (Z Alex Gentle), on 17 August 2010 - 05:28 PM, said:

Hi RN-

Have checked with these and they don't carry but the trem bar itself. Luckily, I came across a Gibson Custom Shop Supplier on the web today quite by accident, and they are shipping me what they think are the appropriate parts today.

Someone mentioned speaking with the manufacturer of the tremelo bar itself. Not possible. That is one of the things Gibson refused to give out to me. And no, I don't expect the CEO of the company to tend to something this trivial, but one would hope some staff member (it is quite obvious that CEO Henry J is not the only Gibson employee who reads these forums) would take an interest in a situation like this, since tech support sure showed little interest in it..

A missing part is vital whether it is a pickup, or a tremlelo bar that falls off every time you try and drop a note or two with the trem. Yep, the wood screw was the best my former guitar tech could come up with when he lost my original parts. Hence the term FORMER guitar tech. The wood screw comes off as soon as the right parts arrive.

UPDATE!! I have finally found an answer!! I had a friend of mine over the other day. Happens to be an engineer. I showed him the problem and was about to send him off to the hardware store to find a longer bolt when he said "why are there not two washers on this fitting?" . To which I had no answer, except Gibson ships it that way, and the parts suppliers ship the replacements with ONE washer. Gibson's SG Maestro comes with ONE washer. The All Parts nut and bolt set come with ONE washer. George's set has ONE washer. I said I didn't have a second washer up on the top of the trem, because they only come one washer per nut/bolt set. "Lets try it with one washer on the top of the trem bar, just under the top of the bolt, and one UNDER the trem bar itself near the bottom of the bolt." He said.

We set it up with TWO washers and lo and behold: IT WORKS and the trem bar does not come loose and/or fall off when you swing it around!! Why Gibson has not figured this out, and why the parts suppliers have not figured this out is beyond me. Simple problem, simple solution. I would not have been able to solve this had I not bought an extra nut/bolt/washer set to go with the replacement that I ordered.

EVERY part supplier needs to change their Maestro trem bar replacement kit to include a nut, a bolt and TWO washers, from today on. Someone with Gibson, please note this!!

All the best, and thanks to everyone for writing,

Z

Well, there is a happy ending to this story. After carefully researching this, All Parts told me they thought they had a Bigsby nut and bolt set that fits the SG Maestro-- sort of. Its bolt is the right width and thread config as the SG, but it is about 1/3" too short to make in to the other side of the Maestro trem bar, and therefore mate up with the nut. So it does fit, but it doesn't.

The only snag is, the new parts fit the thread size, but the tremelo bar STILL falls off the guitar if I swing it around and do a dive. The bolt is simply not long enough to anchor it with the nut, so it is really not fixed.

It will, however, allow me the ability to get someone to the hardware store and find a similar but longer bolt, so I can connect the other side to the nut and washer(s). In the meantime, I will have to put up with the trem bar falling off until I can find a longer bolt.. This is a lot of hassle just from one nut/bolt combination. At least the trem bar fits. The first tremolo bar that came with the Maestro was angled wrong. It fit too close to the mahogany finish when tucked back, and stuck out way too far when swung around. Someone did not do their homework, but Gibson did finally send me the correct size. Took about a year but they did fix that.

UPDATE!! I have finally found an answer!! I had a friend of mine over the other day. Happens to be an engineer. I showed him the problem and was about to send him off to the hardware store to find a longer bolt when he said "why are there not two washers on this fitting?" . To which I had no answer, except 'Gibson ships it that way, and the parts suppliers ship the replacements with ONE washer'.

Gibson's SG Maestro tremolo set comes with ONE washer. The All Parts nut and bolt set come with ONE washer. George's set has ONE washer. I said I didn't have a second washer up on the top of the trem, because they only come one washer per nut/bolt set. "Lets try it with one washer on the top of the trem bar, just under the top of the bolt, and one UNDER the trem bar itself near the bottom of the bolt." He said.

We set it up with TWO washers and lo and behold: IT WORKS and the trem bar does not come loose and/or fall off when you swing it around!! Why Gibson has not figured this out, and why the parts suppliers have not figured this out is beyond me. Simple problem, simple solution. I would not have been able to solve this had I not bought an extra nut/bolt/washer set to go with the replacement that I ordered.

EVERY part supplier needs to change their Maestro trem bar replacement kit to include a nut, a bolt and TWO washers, effective as of today. Someone with Gibson, please note this!!

In another topic and post someone from Gibson said they were aware of problems like this and were working on it, so at least the general subject of replacement parts is getting someones' attention.

[p carlino (jimihendrix)]

This one appears to ship with two washers...check out the phone number/parts number in pic...

[p carlino (jimihendrix)]

Strangely...this one only ships with one washer...

[p carlino (jimihendrix)]

The parts can be bought here...

http://www.guitar-pa...-Tailpieces.htm

Parts is Parts
P.O. Box 208
East Dover, Vt 05341

Phone
802-365-7257

Toll Free
800-590-0014

Fax
802-365-7259

E-Mail
info@partsisparts.net

[J Floro (JFLO)]

Speaking of parts, where would one go to find rare pickguards. I have a circa '64 Barney Kessel Custom and I need the pickguard for it. Any leads would be appreciated. Thanks.