Sunday, June 9, 2013

How to take off Bass guitar machine heads?

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 on Peace-making through Music: Sister City Jazz Ambassadors: October 2011
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Clothsline


Hey,

I am fixing my Dean Bass guitar. I unscrewed the screw on the back of the machine head but after I did that how do I take the machine head out because even after unscrewing it, it is still stuck in there.

-Thanks.
Just please help me!



Answer
Well it depends what machine heads you have on your bass guitar

I will explain them all to you so in case one of the previous answers were not good enough for you this will help.

Parts of a machine head are typically
Peg - Where the string goes.
Sprocket - Which is what it is.
Tuning knob - Which is what you use to tune the bass guitar. Also has a screw like end on the other end covered up by the back cover of the machine head.
2 - 4 Screws and/or Rail base.
Hex nut (sometimes on machine heads some times not)
Bushings - The washers that are jammed into the head stock holes where the machine heads go.

What to typically do is remove the string(s).
Next (optional if it has it or not) take off the hex nut which keeps a tight fit to the head stock.
Then you take off the back plate or rail(s) off.
Firmly with your thumb push the peg of the machine head down.
(You might need to use some more pressure depending how tight of a fit. If not Sewing Machine oil, or 3 in 1 Lubricant can help it out.)
Then you should see the Bushing which is the washer pushed into the head stock which prevents the wood from damaging on the head stock.
If you are planning on putting in new machine heads make sure the busing will permit it to fit into place. If not you will need to remove that also.

(to remove the bushing you will need to get an owe or Super dull ice pick and lightly tap around the bushng in 1/4 of the circle foing from the starting point to the complete other side. Then redoing the same thing for the parts you did not lightly tape out with a hammar. DO NOT HIT HARD JUST LIGHT TAPS MAKE SURE YOU DO NOT SCRAPE THE DRILL OUT HOLES FOR THE HEAD STOCK OF THE GUITAR)
Now when you are removing them to repair them the back plate will come out to exspose the workings of it.

If the pegs are hard turning all you have to do is drop some 3 in 1 Lubricant or Sewing Machine oil into the Sprocket, and around the part where the peg turns to reduce the friction of the peg.

To re attach them just follow the instructions I gave you backwards pretty much.

If you are putting on new machine heads make sure the bushings fit and the dilled in screw holes are matching the head stock. If not then you might have to get a cordless screw driver and drill new ones. Mostly they all fit the same.

If the pegs are warn down you can by replacement ones.
To put on new pegs all you gotta do is take a flat head or philps head screw driver to remove the screw on the sprocket inside the mechine head and the peg will come off.

**Be sure when you do this (All of this) To not lose any parts like screws back plates etc. It can cause difficultys to putting them back on.**



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