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Missing Strap Button Hole... To drill or not to drill


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Evening all! Looking for a bit of advice really?

Bought a Mustang from Andertons which arrived today completely missing a strap button, or indeed a hole for one! (thought it might have been by design!)

Just wondering how likely I am to ruin the finish if I drill it? 

Best to send it back, or chuck a hole in it and be done?

Horror stories welcome! 

Thanks,
Adam.

20210506_163823.jpg

20210506_181010.jpg

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Is that a strap button on the back?

If drilling a hole and installing a strap button means it's more usable, then do it. If you choose to sell in the future then the new owner can decide if they want to "repair" it.

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Is Andertons local? Drop it back (or have it collected) and blag a free gig bag to protect the new one... or a little something for your inconveniance... set of Fender Flats - keep it in the family...

I wouldn't be doing the drilling if new...

Edited by PaulThePlug
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58 minutes ago, PaulThePlug said:

Is Andertons local? Drop it back (or have it collected) and blag a free gig bag to protect the new one... or a little something for your inconveniance... set of Fender Flats - keep it in the family...

I wouldn't be doing the drilling if new...

I'm thinking this is the best bet. Not local, but easy enough to sort and probably less stressful than drilling through a finish, screwing it up and being eternally depressed at my own stupidity. 

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Blimey. One would think this is a Strad' from some of the suggestions. Use a bradawl to start/mark the hole, then a sharp drill bit with the drill set on low speed if using an electric rather than a hand drill and there should be no problem with cracking the finish. Polyester lacquer is tough and quite flexible and not anything like as prone to cracking as nitro'.

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A lot of people on here do their own setups, repairs and modifications, so wouldn't hesitate to get the toolkit out and add a strap button from their 'bits box'.

However if you aren't comfortable doing that yet, or even if you are but want to be a stickler for what is right, this is Anderton's problem. Speak to them and I'm sure they'll sort you out.

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5 minutes ago, Jean-Luc Pickguard said:

However if you aren't comfortable doing that yet, or even if you are but want to be a stickler for what is right, this is Anderton's problem. Speak to them and I'm sure they'll sort you out.

Agreed. In the past Id have done this myself even if I hadn't had exactly the right tools for the job.

These days, and especially for a brand new instrument I'd want it to be perfect out of the box. Therefore I'd be sending this one back to be exchanged for one that had all the correct parts as standard. The alternative would be if there were no more in stock and no more likely to be in stock any time soon and I REALLY wanted this bass, in which case I'd be looking for a discount equivalent to the cost of getting a decent luthier to do the job for me.

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On 07/05/2021 at 09:58, Dan Dare said:

Blimey. One would think this is a Strad' from some of the suggestions. Use a bradawl to start/mark the hole, then a sharp drill bit with the drill set on low speed if using an electric rather than a hand drill and there should be no problem with cracking the finish. Polyester lacquer is tough and quite flexible and not anything like as prone to cracking as nitro'.

It's brand new.  It should be complete and functional when supplied and it's the vendor's problem to sort out.  It's not about being precious - one simply shouldn't be expected to fix this sort of thing on a new bass and if you get it wrong, the shop will drop you like a hot tattie.

If it was a used instrument it'd be a different story.

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Just now, neepheid said:

It's brand new.  It should be complete and functional when supplied and it's the vendor's problem to sort out.  It's not about being precious - one simply shouldn't be expected to fix this sort of thing on a new bass and if you get it wrong, the shop will drop you like a hot tattie.

If it was a used instrument it'd be a different story.

^^^^ Very much this.

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Cheers for all the input folks. 

I managed to get Andertons to replace it pretty quickly to be fair, so no drama on that side of things! 

15 hours ago, neepheid said:

More worrying - is that an "inspection card" it came with? :D

Ha! Why do you think I included it in the picture! Checked for finish and a final inspection apparently?!

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On 12/05/2021 at 16:31, neepheid said:

It's brand new.  It should be complete and functional when supplied and it's the vendor's problem to sort out.  It's not about being precious - one simply shouldn't be expected to fix this sort of thing on a new bass and if you get it wrong, the shop will drop you like a hot tattie.

To each his own. I'd do the job myself rather than wait for a couple of weeks for s replacement. I'm confident I can drill a hole without causing wholesale destruction.

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Fender have been doing Covid 19 versions of all their popular instruments for the last year or so.

Essentially as no-one can get together with other musicians but just play at home sat down, Fender decided to miss off a strap button. These 'Fall- off Boy' editions  are a closely guarded secret  but will be worth much more in the future and already savvy collectors have been snapping them up.

I think you will regret returning yours for a bog-standard version....

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