The Steel Guitar Forum

Yesterday I was stringing up my Sho Bud Professional, while tuning my 6th string (G#) it broke, well I thought that it broke. I look down at the string which was all there and realized the the end pin had broken off of the guitar. So do I drill the old old out? What do I replace it with? Thanks for you help.

Hey Joe so sorry that happened pal.....I've had that happen on a couple of different guitars I've had.....not my shobud.
JB weld is the thing to do if you have the pin.
If it broke flush....I guess the only way is to drill it out.....But the pins that have broken on my guitars..just basically came outta the hole....and was able to put some JB Weld on the pin and it set up and was stronger than ever.
Good luck pal.
Ricky

If you try to drill it out, there is a good chance that the drill will 'wander' off centre, because the steel pin is harder than the ally finger, thus worsening your problem. My advice to you, if the pin has broken off flush, is to drill a fresh hole, either above or below the existing pin.

I feel for ya.

That has always bothered me but I don't have the answer.I had a MSA at one time and it had slots for the ball end of the string,I thought it was great.It was easyer to change the strings because the ball would stay in the slot easyer then on the pin.
ZUMSTEEL FOREVER

Joe,
If the pin is accessable without disassembleing the changer you migh be able to drill it out with a carbide bit 1/16" on most .If you are not comfortable with doing it yourself take it to a machine shop,they may give you a price that you had rather pay them do it,besides they have the proper tools,good luck.I would think twice about letting anyone take the changer apart tho.if they are not familiar with it.
Bill Ford

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Just get het out of the O.R. and it looks like a success! Drill out the broken pin, mixed up some JB Weld and inserted the new pin. Thanks for all of your help, Ricky I wish that I could be there to see you play with AATW, man that's gonna be a great show. As we say on the west coast... later.

Happened to me once on an ZB. It was on string 10 of the C6th neck. I was stringing it up and tugged "lightly" on the string to stretch it and capooey, she broke. Zane sent me a new changer (free of charge).

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Carter D10 9p/10k
Richard Sinkler

The pin is most likely harder than your drill bit and drilling out a 1/16" pin is going to be really expensive, .0625 carbide drill bits are not an off the shelf item. If you are really commited to using the same hole, you could take it to a broken tap removal shop and they will soak the aluminum finger in a sulphuric acid bath and dissolve the pin. Or as it was stated earlier, you could drill another hole and press in a new pin, if you drill above the old hole, be sure that the string wrapping from the ferrule is below the radius of the finger..

That JB Weld is SOME TOUGH STUFF!

Joe, did I understand right that you got the pin out and have the problem fixed?
Jerry

Joe,
Tell us how you got it out,I worked in a machine shop for 20 odd years til I retired a couple years ago. It may help me/us if it happens to one of us.I am always open to sugestions,thats the way we learn.
[That JB Weld is SOME TOUGH STUFF!]

Bill Ford

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Joe, this exact thing happened to my Sho-Bud Pro III. I was able to remove the pin by drilling and then I just cut the end of the drill bit off to the same size of the pin and happily went on my way.

I didn't remove the bridge/finger to do this but I should have , it would have been easier.

good luck
tp

On a Sho-Bud it's easy to take out just one finger.

Well, I went down to the local hardwarwe store and bought a quality 1/16" drill bit, a couple 1/16" tension pins, also know as roll pins and some JB weld. Drilled the old pin out, mixed up some JB Weld and inserted the new pin, waited 6 hours strung her up and it's good as new. That was a long 6 hour wait... last saturday I had the pleasure of getting a lesson with Ricky Davis and that was going to be my first chance to sit down and go through all of the cool things that Ricky tought me.

<SMALL> I just cut the end of the drill bit off to the same size of the pin and happily went on my way.</SMALL>

The end of the drill bit that goes into the drill motor isn't hardened, like the "business" end so it's possible that over time it will bend up. Dowel pins are hardened and there's a slight taper on the ends so that it can be pressed into the hole, which is what keeps it from slipping out, also the pressure from the string helps to keep it from slipping.

Roll pins are basically springs, they aren't as "positive" as a dowel pin, but would probably work fine especially if the split is up.

"it's possible that over time it will bend up"
Chas..
Well I suppose so, but this happened back in the late 70's and it was fine until I sold the guitar in the early 90's. So I would conclude to say that if anyone has a Black ProIII D10 out there that you bought after say '94, check the pins on the E9th fingers, one may be a drill bit cut off and it may be time to change it !

tp

Must have been a quality drill bit. I've had the string ferrule just hook over the very end of the pin when I've been in a hurry to make a change, like in the middle of a song.

Hey Joe glad that worked out pal; now you can get busy on the stuff....I know I crammed alot in your head...but it will come out pal.
I know this proceedure of the pin thing well...as the Electrotone I got sometime ago and then sold it to Brother Stephen "Red Eye" O'Brien......had half the pins loose and I worried about it. So I pulled them "ALL" out and JB Weld them all back in and I even hit one with several times with a blunt object to see if it would loosen and it did not. I bet Stephen hasn't had a prob. with those pins in a couple of years now, and never will I'm sure.....and he can attest to it........."JB Weld is the only way to go".
Ricky