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Darn those vintage Fender speaker mounting screws!

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  • Darn those vintage Fender speaker mounting screws!

    Why didn't someone tell me those speaker mounting screws with machine threads for the mounting nuts and wood screw threads at the top by the screw head are versed threaded? I just installed some in a baffle I made, and couldn't get half of them to seat properly. I admit I was "baffled" for quite a time. It wasn't until I tried to take one of them out that it seated itself. Another lesson learned the hard way.
    It's weird, because it WAS working fine.....

  • #2
    Reminds me of the reverse rotation on a Pontiac motor distributor / firing order. I was a Chevy guy for the first ten years of my car antics, then I turned to Pontiac and after my first cam swap, I was scratching my head for at least an hour trying to figure why the car wouldn't start, ... even though I "Seemed" to have the firing order correct (it was just in reverse that is !).

    Once, and only once you make that type of mistake. Glad you got your situation figured out ! Life has a lot of lessons, some have to be learned the hard way, unfortunately.

    Good Luck from this point on !
    " Things change, not always for the better. " - Leo_Gnardo

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    • #3
      Originally posted by HaroldBrooks View Post
      Reminds me of the reverse rotation on a Pontiac motor distributor / firing order. I was a Chevy guy for the first ten years of my car antics, then I turned to Pontiac and after my first cam swap, I was scratching my head for at least an hour trying to figure why the car wouldn't start, ... even though I "Seemed" to have the firing order correct (it was just in reverse that is !).
      Not to divert the thread, but I didn't know that difference existed between Pontiac and Chevy in "that" era.?. I was actually a car guy back in the day and I didn't know about this. I never changed the cam on my Firebird though. I did upgrade the cam on a few Chevy's. I guess that one slipped past me. I just find it surprising considering that Pontiac and Chevy were essentially the same brand (General Motors) and they commonly swapped parts between makes. It seems counter intuitive for a company to design incompatibility into their parts.
      "Take two placebos, works twice as well." Enzo

      "Now get off my lawn with your silicooties and boom-chucka speakers and computers masquerading as amplifiers" Justin Thomas

      "If you're not interested in opinions and the experience of others, why even start a thread?
      You can't just expect consent." Helmholtz

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      • #4
        Originally posted by Randall View Post
        Why didn't someone tell me those speaker mounting screws with machine threads for the mounting nuts and wood screw threads at the top by the screw head are versed threaded? I just installed some in a baffle I made, and couldn't get half of them to seat properly. I admit I was "baffled" for quite a time. It wasn't until I tried to take one of them out that it seated itself. Another lesson learned the hard way.
        It's because those screws are made in the southern hemisphere.
        "I took a photo of my ohm meter... It didn't help." Enzo 8/20/22

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        • #5
          Yes, most people don't know, unless they worked on a old Pontiac V8.

          Many mechanics don't know ! At one time the companies owned by GM were mostly independent, and even being bought by GM, they wanted to continue their independence, until it later became apparent that the cost was higher, so GM went full corporate and had more or less universal drivetrains.

          Here's the lowdown on several GM firing orders from yesteryear :

          http://pontiacformula.free.fr/en/allumage.php
          Last edited by HaroldBrooks; 04-26-2019, 03:31 AM.
          " Things change, not always for the better. " - Leo_Gnardo

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          • #6
            Originally posted by The Dude View Post
            It's because those screws are made in the southern hemisphere.
            It was probably that frickin' J.M. Fahey guy or someone he knows...



            Jusrin
            "Wow it's red! That doesn't look like the standard Marshall red. It's more like hooker lipstick/clown nose/poodle pecker red." - Chuck H. -
            "Of course that means playing **LOUD** , best but useless solution to modern sissy snowflake players." - J.M. Fahey -
            "All I ever managed to do with that amp was... kill small rodents within a 50 yard radius of my practice building." - Tone Meister -

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            • #7
              Originally posted by Chuck H View Post
              Not to divert the thread, but I didn't know that difference existed between Pontiac and Chevy in "that" era.?. I was actually a car guy back in the day and I didn't know about this. I never changed the cam on my Firebird though. I did upgrade the cam on a few Chevy's. I guess that one slipped past me. I just find it surprising considering that Pontiac and Chevy were essentially the same brand (General Motors) and they commonly swapped parts between makes. It seems counter intuitive for a company to design incompatibility into their parts.
              Most if not all, Canadian built Pontiac's had Chevy engines.

              It was rare to see one with an actual Pontiac engine up here.

              Sorry, just had to throw that in there...

              Back to topic...
              If it ain't broke I'll fix it until it is...
              I have just enough knowledge to be dangerous...

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by Randall View Post
                Why didn't someone tell me those speaker mounting screws with machine threads for the mounting nuts and wood screw threads at the top by the screw head are versed threaded? I just installed some in a baffle I made, and couldn't get half of them to seat properly. I admit I was "baffled" for quite a time. It wasn't until I tried to take one of them out that it seated itself. Another lesson learned the hard way.
                I think the idea is to prevent the screws from coming loose in the baffle when tightening the speaker nuts. Actually easy to spot the left-going coarse wood threads.
                - Own Opinions Only -

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by Helmholtz View Post
                  I think the idea is to prevent the screws from coming loose in the baffle when tightening the speaker nuts. Actually easy to spot the left-going coarse wood threads.
                  I've obviously never come upon these. While having been impaled by the pointed right-hand threaded # 8 baffle screws typical in current Fender Twins & Deluxe Reverbs, as well as 70's + vintage Fender combo amps, I don't recall ever seeing any with left-handed threads for the nuts. Or, is the fastener that's threaded into the baffle from the front left-hand thread over that length of the shank before then going to the #8-32 right-hand thread we all see at the business end of them?
                  Logic is an organized way of going wrong with confidence

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                  • #10
                    Or, is the fastener that's threaded into the baffle from the front left-hand thread over that length of the shank before then going to the #8-32 right-hand thread we all see at the business end of them?
                    That!
                    - Own Opinions Only -

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Helmholtz View Post
                      That!
                      Interesting. I've never removed one to see that.
                      Logic is an organized way of going wrong with confidence

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                      • #12
                        It's strange to drive the machine threads in clockwise, and then go counter clockwise when you get to the coarse reverse threads.
                        It's weird, because it WAS working fine.....

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Randall View Post
                          It's strange to drive the machine threads in clockwise, and then go counter clockwise when you get to the coarse reverse threads.
                          Click image for larger version

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                          In production the first step would be mounting the screws to the baffle (ccw).

                          The principle makes sense to me.
                          - Own Opinions Only -

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                          • #14
                            Originally posted by Helmholtz View Post
                            [ATTACH=CONFIG]53435[/ATTACH]

                            In production the first step would be mounting the screws to the baffle (ccw).

                            The principle makes sense to me.
                            Nope....never seen these fasteners. Try describing that (without picture or sample) to somebody in a hardware store!
                            Logic is an organized way of going wrong with confidence

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                            • #15
                              I met these when I had a speaker nut I could not tighten. The reverse part that was screwed into the baffle had stripped the particle board baffle. Unfortunately the grille cloth goes on AFTER the mounting screws are installed. I had to take a pick & gently & carefully stretch the grille so I could drop some wood glue into the hole & then get a screwdriver to it. It took some time to "mend" the grille cloth but it went back with negligible permanent scarring.

                              I like the concept, but it's a PITA if the screw hole strips...

                              Justin
                              "Wow it's red! That doesn't look like the standard Marshall red. It's more like hooker lipstick/clown nose/poodle pecker red." - Chuck H. -
                              "Of course that means playing **LOUD** , best but useless solution to modern sissy snowflake players." - J.M. Fahey -
                              "All I ever managed to do with that amp was... kill small rodents within a 50 yard radius of my practice building." - Tone Meister -

                              Comment

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