Need Help for MCI Nut Rollers

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

'86 welded frame MCI RangeXpander. Ft. neck nut rollers. Axle is 3/32...have at least 2 rollers that are 1/8" center bore which of course makes them too loose on the axle. Been having problems with 4th string sounding shrill and zingy out of proportion with the other strings, so I'm pretty sure that's the problem.

Can't think of a way to shim up such a tiny hole, so I'll be looking for some roller/axle parts, I guess.

I know they've been out of production for several years.

They might very well be the same as some other guitars.
Any leads? Ideas?

Of course there is some wear, but near as I can measure components:
1. Axle 3/32 [0.09375]
2. Roller 3/8 [0.375] o.s. dia. Nut rollers not gauged.
3. Roller 5/32 [0.15625] thickness

Gaylen James · From: Portland, Oregon, USA

Jerry, I have shimmed tiny spaces with pieces of thin feeler gauges. Just cut off a piece of the thickness you need and slide it in there with the shaft. Remember that you dont have to wrap the shaft all the way around just enough of it to get the slack out. They make them in stainless and brass.

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

Thanks Gaylen, that will work for the thickness. In fact, there are a couple that have been shimmed that way.

But it's the diameter of the roller hole that's the problem. It's too big on the axle there on a couple of the rollers. It causes them to drift back and forward and even bind up sometimes. Also sit too low and cause the string height to be uneven to the others.

I don't know of any way to close up the size of the bore. [Re-read your reply and now understand what you mean about the material...hmmm...]

I suppose, alternately, if there is a way to center them, I could bore all of them out to 1/8" and make a new axle the same size....last resort though.

Edit: Just checked the C neck too and found another one with the larger 1/8 bore.

This is likely a dumb question but both the too big ones on the front neck are on strings 4 and 8 and the one on the C neck is on string 8, this couldn't/wouldn't be an intentional thing from MCI would it? Of course they've probably been out of the guitar before and who knows if they're in the original location.

Bob Cox · From: Buckeye State

Try filling holes with JB weld and drilling new smaller hole .

Peter Freiberger · From: California, USA

Or have Jim Palenscar make you a new set of gauged rollers.

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

I believe I have found a solution. 1/8 alum. rivet. The hard part is removing the head and mandrel then sizing the thing down to proper thickness without mangling it....or losing it...hard to hold onto at that teeny size.

I think I also have some 1/8" brass rivets if I can find them.

1/8" rivet fits inside the oversized hole and just a touch of the 3/32" drill bit takes care of the i.d.

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

Or you could drill out the small holed rollers along with the axle mount and install a larger axle rod.

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

Thanks for all the suggestions. I did not want to modify the guitar so I used the 1/8" rivet to bush up the roller i.d. Works slick.
It just happened that these sizes matched up for my repair.

I'll replace the rollers or the whole ass'y if I find them at a reasonable price, but I think this fix is fine.

Just about to re-string it and see if this alleviates the issue.

For anyone interested, this was not from wear...the 3 rollers had been replaced from the originals for some reason.

Note, the smudges are fingerprints in the cutting oil.

Peter Freiberger · From: California, USA

I may be wrong, and there may be other factors in play, but I found that a larger axle, with more contact area to the roller, has more friction and increased hysteresis. I made this conclusion comparing very similar instruments with the same changers and different diameter axles on the roller nuts.

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