Lost nut on Gibson pickguard bracket

[floatingpickup]

Twice now, I have lost the little nut from the end of a Gibson pickguard bracket. This is the "closed" nut/cap that fits on the outside end of the threaded rod. Last time this happened, I had to buy a whole new bracket (very expensive) just to get the nut. Does anyone know where you can get one of these nuts? Note: the aftermarket brackets have a different thread size, so they're no good. I don't want an "acorn" nut either, because that is not correct for a Gibson. I haven't tried Gibson, but I don't think they will sell miscellaneous parts anyway. Any ideas?
Keith

[oldane]

I don't know. But use locktite when you have got one.

[floatingpickup]

I don't know. But use locktite when you have got one.

I certainly will next time.

[rpguitar]

My local hardware store has a jillion little drawers of threaded hardware (nuts, bolts) behind the counter. I would bring the bracket in and see what they might find. Maybe you have a similar option. Although if you truly need a proper, exact Gibson replacement you'll no doubt want to hold out for one.

People dislike the uglier Norlin era flat, bent bracket with its simple bolt attachment to the guard... But it's more trouble free than the traditional design for several reasons.

Good luck.

[BigMikeinNJ]

I agree with Roger, go down to the hardware store with you guitar, a brass one would not look TOO out of place.

[floatingpickup]

I agree with Roger, go down to the hardware store with you guitar, a brass one would not look TOO out of place.

Yes, you can always put a brass nut on the end and if you adjust it just right, it looks ok. The original smooth nut/cap looks better though. I agree with Roger, that the Norlin era brackets actually work better. That type of bracket was good enough for John D'Angelico. Mark Campellone also uses them. But we must keep our Gibsons original!
Keith

[Danny W.]

People dislike the uglier Norlin era flat, bent bracket with its simple bolt attachment to the guard... But it's more trouble free than the traditional design for several reasons.

Good luck.

I've owned about 150 guitars that use the threaded rod and have never had "trouble" with any of them; I have, however, had the nut under the pickguard fall off the bent bracket. The only difference is that finding a replacement nut is much easier.

Danny W.

[Greentone]

Yeah...those Norlin era brackets make more sense.

[edh]

That happened to me. I have lost the cap nut on my pickguard bracket. If you find one let me/us know.

thanks
edh

[wintermoon]

it's called an acorn nut....

[rpguitar]

I've owned about 150 guitars that use the threaded rod and have never had "trouble" with any of them...

Great! But I have. The glue attaching the plastic block to the pickguard can dry up and rot, which causes the guard to fall off. Had that happen on a couple of guitars. The pickguard angle is certainly adjustable on the old style brackets, but you have to take the entire thing off and screw the rod into or out of the block, whereas with the Norlin kind, you can slide the pickguard along the bracket while it remains in place.

The older style is a more fragile apparatus overall than the newer kind. Especially with vintage guitars, which represent the bulk of my Gibson ownership over the years.

This being said, I prefer the look of the traditional bracket. It's just more of a PITA than the flat kind.

[GoergeBenson]

Great! But I have. The glue attaching the plastic block to the pickguard can dry up and rot, which causes the guard to fall off. Had that happen on a couple of guitars. The pickguard angle is certainly adjustable on the old style brackets, but you have to take the entire thing off and screw the rod into or out of the block, whereas with the Norlin kind, you can slide the pickguard along the bracket while it remains in place.

The older style is a more fragile apparatus overall than the newer kind. Especially with vintage guitars, which represent the bulk of my Gibson ownership over the years.

This being said, I prefer the look of the traditional bracket. It's just more of a PITA than the flat kind.

Yeh I second Danny but I also agree that whenever I see the newer flat style, it looks cheap to me and oddly I wouldn't want to pay as much for a guitar that had it because its usually associated with more budget models.

[Patrick2]

Twice now, I have lost the little nut from the end of a Gibson pickguard bracket. This is the "closed" nut/cap that fits on the outside end of the threaded rod. Last time this happened, I had to buy a whole new bracket (very expensive) just to get the nut. Does anyone know where you can get one of these nuts? Note: the aftermarket brackets have a different thread size, so they're no good. I don't want an "acorn" nut either, because that is not correct for a Gibson. I haven't tried Gibson, but I don't think they will sell miscellaneous parts anyway. Any ideas?
Keith

Is it gold or nickel? I have two Custom Shop L5s that both have the gold cap nut you are describing. So, I'm sure they've got a small parts bin full of them. Also, now that Memphis is making the Reissue '59 ES175. I would think that you could contact Gibson's Nashville Custom Shop and get a gold nut . . . or their Memphis Custom Shop for a nickel one. They'd probably send it our at N/C as a customer courtesy.

Just tell them you're a friend of Danny W.. Lord knows he's probably funded their early retirement with all the Gibson archies he's bought over the years. (oops! Please excuse me . . my envy is showing!)

On a more serious note, you've bought a few yourself. Just give them the serial number of one you bought new and that'll probably get it done for you.

Meanwhile, just let me know if it's gold or nickel. I'll place a call over to Heritage. They've got some old left over Gibson hardware lying around. Maybe they can scare one up for ya.

[rpguitar]

I wouldn't want to pay as much for a guitar that had it because its usually associated with more budget models.

But then Goerge paused, reached into a dusty case in the corner, and shouted,

"Hey wait a cotton pickin' minute, then why did I buy this dang guitar?! I didn't get it for cheap, either! Man."

[2bornot2bop]

I've sorta fussed over the traditional vs. Norlin mount as well. The Norlin somehow didn't appear as clean to my eye. Problem was, when I paid a luthier to install the traditional mount, it wasn't half as stable as the Norlin, nor did it look right...so after paying the man, of course I pulled it, along with the fancy pickguard, and reinstalled the original Norlin.

But I'd not have known the difference had I left well enuf alone....

[2bornot2bop]

But then Goerge paused, reached into a dusty case in the corner, and shouted,

"Hey wait a cotton pickin' minute, then why did I buy this dang guitar?! I didn't get it for cheap, either! Man."

I never knew Benson played knock off Asian archtops

[Patrick2]

But then Goerge paused, reached into a dusty case in the corner, and shouted,

"Hey wait a cotton pickin' minute, then why did I buy this dang guitar?! I didn't get it for cheap, either! Man."

What the hell is George doing with my guitar in his hands??? He seems to be holding onto the fin of that '59 Cadoo like he's afraid someone's gonna drive off without him. He looks like Sonny Liston in that photo.

Here's mine . . .

[floatingpickup]

Is it gold or nickel? I have two Custom Shop L5s that both have the gold cap nut you are describing. So, I'm sure they've got a small parts bin full of them. Also, now that Memphis is making the Reissue '59 ES175. I would think that you could contact Gibson's Nashville Custom Shop and get a gold nut . . . or their Memphis Custom Shop for a nickel one. They'd probably send it our at N/C as a customer courtesy.

Just tell them you're a friend of Danny W.. Lord knows he's probably funded their early retirement with all the Gibson archies he's bought over the years. (oops! Please excuse me . . my envy is showing!)

On a more serious note, you've bought a few yourself. Just give them the serial number of one you bought new and that'll probably get it done for you.

Meanwhile, just let me know if it's gold or nickel. I'll place a call over to Heritage. They've got some old left over Gibson hardware lying around. Maybe they can scare one up for ya.

Patrick:
It is gold. I haven't had quite as many guitars as Danny W, but I have had quite a few and I did buy this L5 new from a an authorized dealer. I emailed Gibson and pleaded for help, so I'll give them a couple days to respond. I didn't mean to spark the old Norlin debate (again) but... Like others have said, I do think the simple Norlin bent bracket (as also used by Heritage, Campellone, D'Angelico etc.) is a more reliable and trouble free design, but the Gibson one is a thing of beauty and tradition. So, I need to find a damn nut!
Keith

[docbop]

Patrick:
It is gold. I haven't had quite as many guitars as Danny W, but I have had quite a few and I did buy this L5 new from a an authorized dealer. I emailed Gibson and pleaded for help, so I'll give them a couple days to respond. I didn't mean to spark the old Norlin debate (again) but... Like others have said, I do think the simple Norlin bent bracket (as also used by Heritage, Campellone, D'Angelico etc.) is a more reliable and trouble free design, but the Gibson one is a thing of beauty and tradition. So, I need to find a damn nut!
Keith

I was up on the Gibson board trying to find a 175 pickguard and was told the only parts Gibson sells are the few it has in the online store. I kind of understand not selling parts for out of production instruments, but we're talking a production model.

[Danny W.]

Great! But I have. The glue attaching the plastic block to the pickguard can dry up and rot, which causes the guard to fall off. Had that happen on a couple of guitars. The pickguard angle is certainly adjustable on the old style brackets, but you have to take the entire thing off and screw the rod into or out of the block, whereas with the Norlin kind, you can slide the pickguard along the bracket while it remains in place.

The older style is a more fragile apparatus overall than the newer kind. Especially with vintage guitars, which represent the bulk of my Gibson ownership over the years.

This being said, I prefer the look of the traditional bracket. It's just more of a PITA than the flat kind.

The idea of the threaded rod being a PITA is just a surprise to me, since I've never found it that way myself. I have had two blocks detach themselves while in transit, out of more than 300 guitars that I've shipped. Both were on pickguards with attached floaters. After that I make sure to put block of foam under the pickup and tape the pickguard down. Haven't had a repeat. The longest I've ever kept a guitar is forty years and the block was still firmly attached when I sold it.

Yeh I second Danny but I also agree that whenever I see the newer flat style, it looks cheap to me and oddly I wouldn't want to pay as much for a guitar that had it because its usually associated with more budget models.

Yup!

Just tell them you're a friend of Danny W.. Lord knows he's probably funded their early retirement with all the Gibson archies he's bought over the years. (oops! Please excuse me . . my envy is showing!)

It works for me!

I've sorta fussed over the traditional vs. Norlin mount as well. The Norlin somehow didn't appear as clean to my eye. Problem was, when I paid a luthier to install the traditional mount, it wasn't half as stable as the Norlin, nor did it look right...so after paying the man, of course I pulled it, along with the fancy pickguard, and reinstalled the original Norlin.

But I'd not have known the difference had I left well enuf alone....

Having both types, I find no difference in stability between them when they are properly installed.

Danny W.

[floatingpickup]

I have had a number of guitars with both types too. Some of my Gibsons are from the 50's and 60's and I never had a problem with the threaded rod brackets on those older guitars. The nuts that fell off were on recent ones, but it could have been avoided by making sure they were tightened, or by using a little loctite. I think both types of brackets are fine. I am more interested in keeping the guitars original than worrying about which ones are best. I actually found an old tarnished nickel bracket in my parts drawer today and the cap nut is worn down to the brass, so I think I can use that cap on the gold bracket and it will look ok. The lesson in all this is to check and make sure they are tight. They are impossible to get if you lose one.
Keith

[Patrick2]

[QUOTE=floatingpickup;446515]Patrick:
It is gold. I haven't had quite as many guitars as Danny W, but I have had quite a few and I did buy this L5 new from a an authorized dealer. I emailed Gibson and pleaded for help, so I'll give them a couple days to respond. I didn't mean to spark the old Norlin debate (again) but... Like others have said, I do think the simple Norlin bent bracket (as also used by Heritage, Campellone, D'Angelico etc.) is a more reliable and trouble free design, but the Gibson one is a thing of beauty and tradition. So,

I need to find a damn nut!

Keith

"Got to Get a Knutt" . . . .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...&v=0jhu643CaUk

[wintermoon]

you can get them on the bay, but you have to buy the whole mounting set w/block.
hmmm, I could actually use a block about now for a new guard I need to mount on my L-5.