This one is quite specific – a replacement intonation screw for a Schaller 3D bass bridge. A customer got in touch recently asking for a spare, as they had had a bit of a mishap with cutting down the E string’s screw. I don’t hold that many spares for Schaller hardware so it was something I would have needed to have ordered in. The first place to start then was with the manufacturer…

Schaller, as any parts manufacturer rightly should, have available a full range of replacement kits for their guitar & bass hardware; saddles, posts & studs, ferrule blocks, and even the fine-tuning screws for their tremolos. But as the name suggests – “replacement kits” – an intonation screw will have to be bought along with the spring and 3D saddle. £14.20 (€15.79) plus the same in shipping, is a lot to pay when the screw/bolt is the only thing you need.

Unavailable from the UK distributor, the quickest, cheapest solution was to source a close equivalent of the original intonation screw. Armed with the right measurements, our customer (and anyone else looking for this specific part) should be able to find a suitable replacement.

Here are the rough measurements (excuse me for that – cheap callipers) of the original intonation bolt:

• Overall Length – 30.37mm
• Thread Length – 23.30mm
• Thread Diameter – 3.51mm (M3.5?)
• Head Diameter – 4.82mm

NOTE: These are the measurements of an intonation screw from a 4 string, 3D bridge. Other models likely use different sized bolts.

TIP: The original intonation screws have a small, slotted head. This can be slightly awkward to adjust with a flathead screwdriver. A better replacement might be a bolt or screw with a hex head, to be adjusted with a small Allen Key.

I’d say that these bolts are a good place to start your search.