57 Reissue question.........

[Blueswede]

I have a new tailpiece and Historic upgrade kit from RS Guitarworks that I'll be installing in my 57 Historic. My question is that a lot of people recommend replacing the studs with ones sold by Pigtail. How do you get the old ones out? Is there a secret to this, or do they just come right out? Anyone out there have experience doing this? Does it really make a lot of difference? Thanks in advance. Steve

[brent]

Use a bolt and a socket.

Get a 5/16-24 bolt, a steel washer, a rubber washer and a standard well socket big enough to receive the bushing and for the bolt to go throuh the square opening (3/8 worked for me.

Place something like a rubber washer to protect the finish, put the socket over the bushing. put a washer on the blot to pull against and put it through the square opening on the socket; thread it into the bushing and tighten against the socket to pull the bushing into the socket well

Make sure you score around the old bushing if there is finish covering it

Press the new bushings in to place by hand then put the bolt into the bushing and tap the top of the bolt lightly to push it the rest of the way in.

[Denyle_Guitars]

What Brent said.

You can use the pigtails stud with the factory bushings. No need to remove them, IMO.

[Blueswede]

Brent- thanks for the very good procedure. But if I read you correctly, Denyle, you're saying to just leave the Gibson installed bushings in and just use the new studs. Am I correct? Steve

[BPlexico]

I bought a set of the Historic sized Pigtail Studs/Bushings for my 56 Goldtop (actually got the tailpiece as well).

I did not remove the existing bushings. The fit of the Pigtail studs are much more solid and snug with the existing Gibson bushings than the Gibson studs that came with the guitar. Much less slop/wiggle/play.

I have not gotten to installing the bushings and not sure if I will in fact do so.

-- Barr