stripped pickguard screw holes

[lankybass]

I think a couple of the holes in the body of my bass are stripped as changing screws has not helped. Should I buy bigger screws? or.. is there some kind of trick I can apply to get things working again.. because everytime I pull the cord out of my p-bass, the pickguard almost goes with it which is rather irritating.

[lupa]

put a toothpich in the hole, break it at the top of the hole and and your good to go

[Gandalf5150]

put a toothpich in the hole, break it at the top of the hole and and your good to go
:agree

Or a matchstick/or 2. Has worked for me.

[guitkrazy]

:agree2!! It works like a charm

[scmavl]

Yep. I dip the toothpick in a little woodglue then stick it in the hole and let it dry overnight. Then screw it in, no problem. Works for strap buttons too.

[fumbler]

A little wood glue on the toothpick/matchstick first and this fix will be more permanent. Put the screw in immediately; don't wait for the glue to dry.

[lankybass]

Well I guess I have my answer then, I'll certainly be giving this a shot when I get home. Thanks guys

[peskypesky]

some people just put a little superglue in there.

[tbonesullivan]

woodglue works better because it is more pliable. super glue tends to crack.

Another trick is to avoid cross threading the holes. When you put the screws back in, apply slight pressure and turn the screw backwards. It will drop into the threads once you rotate enough. Then screw it in, and you won't be weakening the threading in the wood.

[supa-fuzz]

Last resort if the hole is too big, fill with a water based wood filler, let dry, and then screw.