How I Removed the Black Plastic Plug From A Headstock
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 21 июл 2024
- I've never liked the black plastic insert that Fender & Squier put in the truss rod adjustment cavity of some of their guitars. It honestly looks cheap and kind of ugly to me. That's why I decided to get rid of the one in my Squier Vintage Modified Jazzmaster and replace it with a maple plug/insert. Watch to see how I did it and how it turned out.
0:00 Intro / Skit
1:13 The reason
4:18 Getting the plastic plug out
8:02 What I used instead
9:05 Prep for new plug
13:52 Color experimenting
15:38 Cutting & drilling the dowel rod
17:27 Gluing in the new plug
18:08 Shaving/sanding the plug
18:44 More color experiments
19:28 Filler experiments
21:18 Painting faux rosewood
21:40 Nitro or Poly??
22:26 We have a problem
23:31 Getting better
24:48 Another issue
25:38 End Result
www.buymeacoffee.com/nathansink
Contact info for product reviews: nathansinkcontact@gmail.com
My original music:
open.spotify.com/artist/5X9hJ...
/ nathan-sink
Socials:
/ ncsink
/ nathan_sink_music
@BeauHannamGuitars (23:37 mark in video)
#fender #plug #cavity 
Видеоклипы
I’ve always admired your can-do attitude when it comes to modding your guitars. Great job! And thanks for taking us through the entire process. As mentioned in the other comments the squier classic vibe series has the walnut plug instead of plastic so I might have just bought one on the second hand market, swapped out the necks and sold off the one I didn’t want. But there is definitely value in doing it yourself.
Looking forward to that 335 conversion!
Thanks! I agree: I do seem to make things difficult. 😂 My hope is that it’s helpful in some way. 🙂
@@NathanSink definitely helpful, man.
I think your theory was sound however a bit more care in removing the plastic plug would result in a much better final result. Also you can by genuine replacement walnut plugs from Fender which might have been better. Well done for trying though ! 👍🏻👍🏻🏴
Agreed on the removal piece. I don’t think Fender sells anything but a walnut plug, & I wanted something less conspicuous.
That actually looks pretty good!
Thanks!
I think it came out really well. I share the same dislike for the truss rod adjustment being at the headstock., to me it looks cheap and distracts from the overall look of the headstock. What I’d like to try is replacing the truss rod nut on a Squire neck with a Bullet truss rod nut. I’m not sure of the thread size of the Squires truss rod so I don’t know if the Bullet adjuster will fit. Good job man!
@@tomdbass1 thank you for the kind words!
bonkers! - yeah your setup pretty much says it all. But if anything it remains a cautionary tale, spurring me to just pickup my decidedly imperfect but much loved squire JM and just play it. (and no, i had never noticed the plug…I had to go and look to see if this was a thing).
Haha. Sorry to point it out. But you’re right: the most important thing to just play it!
If you ever try attempting that again on another guitar, I might suggest this: Use a smaller wood dowel and super glue it to the plastic first. Maybe it would be able to be removed easier after you scored it? Just a thought.
That’s a good suggestion! Didn’t think of that. It’d be worth a shot.
Hi I think you could have made a Walnut instead of Maple plug, like the pre 2015 Fender Strats (Mex and USA), Fender also moved from Walnut to plastic in Maxican Standard Strats until discontinued std series. Just my two cents, but if you like maple plug nothing rong with that.
The walnut plugs are actually available for purchase from Fender. But they don’t make maple ones, so I had to take matters into my own hands. 🙂
Hiya Nathan 😂 After watching your video and you're modification project, I have wondered to myself what you're objective was in your decision to perform this fete. It seems like your time could have been more productive and worthwhile if you had boiled some eggs. At least you would have the pleasure and enjoyment of eating them. PS Good 👍 luck with you're future mods/ projects I always thought that the Fender skunk stripe/ Plug thing needed to be assigned to the 🗑️ Trash. Can. Best regards. John.
Yes, I think you’re right: boiled eggs might have been more productive. 😂
I don’t have any problem with the black plastic inserts. If you wanted a walnut insert you could have just gotten a Classic Vibe, those all have wood inserts. What’s really indicative of cheap import guitars & fakes is when they have no insert at all around the headstock truss rod adjustment. I’ll take the black plastic insert any day over having a bare ugly hole on the headstock.
Difference of opinion…which is great. That’s what makes us all unique! I would beg to differ though that only cheap guitars have no plug. My custom Musikraft neck (see @21:06) has no plug.
@@NathanSinkI get what you’re saying , that may be true for aftermarket necks but in the Fender world no insert around truss rod adjustment when it’s on the headstock usually equals cheap guitar. After working at dealers for over 20 years we learned to immediately look for the insert, whether it’s black plastic or walnut. It’s one of the key ways to identify where the guitar comes from (Mexico, USA, & higher tier Squiers). Pretty much the only Fender guitars that come bare with no insert at all are the lowest tier Squiers from China. Not that you’re ever going to sell yours but trying to hide the insert would just draw my attention there even more & would definitely effect my decision on whether I would buy it or not.
@@ericb7799 I’m with you. My thing I guess is that I want the best of both worlds: the look of vintage (no adjustment at headstock) but the convenience of an adjustment at the headstock. 😂 I’m not planning on selling these guitars, but I understand the impact to resell value. 👍🏻
This is the exact amount of nerdism we need.
Yeah, better to just leave it alone. There's nothing wrong with the black plastic one. If it really bothers you try sanding it with some 1000 or 15000 grit paper to change the sheen of it a little. Dulling the inside area of the plug does help because you lose that plastic shine.
Too late. 😂 I like that idea though, as sort of compromise.
@@NathanSink lol, definitely. Ive done it and it works. It also works great on cheap trem bar tips and switch tips. Sanding them with high grit removes the mold marks and makes a satiny feel to the touch rather than the shiny plastic look and feel. Its small but it makes a huge difference.
Dude, just use a maple veneer all over the headstock and a new decal.
Ugh. That’s brilliant! Why didn’t I think of that?! And it would have saved so much time. 😫 I’ve never messed with headstock veneers before but currently I’m working on a 335 project where I’m probably going to use one. 👍🏻
@@NathanSink I'm pretty sure you're gonna make it great!
Greetings from Mexico City!
what a mess. Sorry to say, but that looks horrible. Look, i agree that the black plastic truss-rod block is not as nice as one in wood. However, they're typical for any neck, Strat or Squire, made in Mexico. A much easier alternative would be to lightly sand, paint, and then seal (with lacquer) the end plug. I've done this several times for clients, and it's very convincing. When done correctly you can actually simulate wood grain
Well…thanks for watching.
Even my USA California Strat from the 90s has a plastic plug. I don't think it looks bad. Even my cheaper ones i just sand the inside of the plug with some thousand grit paper to lose the shine a little.
@@stevenpipes1555 you're right, it doesn't look bad at all. I guess wood is nicer, but it's just a tiny plug. I think some people just become a bit obsessed with little cosmetic/superficial things that have zero impact on what a guitar is or does
@@rodnyg7952 Yes, but im guilty of it too. Little things bug me sometimes too. Like mold marks on plastics. I always sand them down.
@@stevenpipes1555 we all have our "thing" :)
The classic vibe Squier has walnut plugs now like usa models. Mexican standards still have the ugly plastic.
Thanks for the info. Didn’t realize which ones had it.
@@NathanSinkyeah all the jazzmasters do now. But they have a weird orangey yellow tint. This came out fine imo, very cool and fun video. I like the idea of
😂😂😂😂😂
I hope you’re laughing WITH me. 😜
I enjoyed the video. In the way one enjoys watching a horror movie. Your poor guitar. Well at least I know what not to do to my Mexican and overseas stats and teles. So thanks for that.
It came out ok in the end... just like most horror movies
@@jeffmancuso2715 that’s a very accurate description. 😂 Thanks putting a positive spin on it. 😊
@@NathanSink Thanks again for the video. It took me a while to not be bothered by the plastic sleeve. I had to get over my guitar snobbiness. Now I covet guitars from different countries.
Just put a Floyd Rose tremlo over it and people won't notice it
There you go!
56 H per rovinare un nek Compliments 😂😂😂😂, poi c’è l’adesivo dietro , toglievi quello era già meglio… una Squier resta sempre una Squier
Not sure I understood everything via translation, but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t anything nice. 😜 Thanks for watching anyway.
The black plastic plug never bothered me…until I watched this…now it bothers me…thanks for that Nathan🫤
I’m sorry! You can’t unsee it now. 😂