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I recently got my hands on a Japanese vintage Les Paul.

Unfortunately the screws were equally vintage and rusted to hell so they kept breaking when I tried to take them out. I managed to get them all out EXCEPT the one holding the pickguard to the side of the guitar. The head and a few millimeters below the head came out before it snapped in half, and the rest is left in the body.

It is a kinda thin screw so drilling a small hole in it for screw extractors might not be possible (also i don't have a power drill).

Any suggestions on how to get it out?

The only thing I can think of would be to carefully score the top of the screw til you make a line deep enough to use a small screwdriver to get it out. I've got a small artist's etching tool that I've used for a similar problem, but I'm not sure what you'd use. Maybe try a few things on the other half of the screw to see if they can scrape into the metal well enough?

Tricky wee problem though

It's probably rusted into the wood though - cutting a slot in the top wouldn't allow you to screw it I reckon. My guess is that you would cause way more damage getting it out, than leaving it in. If it's securing the pickguard to the side of the body, perhaps you could angle the bracket slightly and put a new screw in beside it. If it snapped off below the surface you should be able to fill the hole easily depending on colour.

Chris Fleming wrote:The only thing I can think of would be to carefully score the top of the screw til you make a line deep enough to use a small screwdriver to get it out. I've got a small artist's etching tool that I've used for a similar problem, but I'm not sure what you'd use. Maybe try a few things on the other half of the screw to see if they can scrape into the metal well enough?

Tricky wee problem though

...You might be able to cut a slot into it with a small diamond file or if the area will be covered by the pickguard, then you could remove some of the material around the sides of the screw until you are able to grab the screw remnant with needle nose or similar pliers and unscrew it, then fill the opening with "JB Weld" wood, plastic wood, wood shavings and glue or the like. If you decide to remove by the second method first set the pickguard down in proper position and tape masking tape along the pickguard's edges. This will provide a boundary so that you don't remove material that will be exposed beyond the pickguard's edges and will also serve some protection of the finish as you work on getting the broken screw out.

Someone else may be able offer experience with adding oil or some other type of lubricant to facilitate the removal.

Could you borrow a power drill and some drill bits from one of your mates? A power drill and a 1/16" or 1/8" bit would allow you to drill straight down beside the broken screw, then you could just push the screw out sideways into the opened area. You might have to drill one to three holes( C-shape) pattern to facilitate this. Does this make sense?

Use an extractor. First you drill a small hole into the snapped off screw. The use the extractor (which is reverse threaded).

Don't know where you are from, but you can get a set cheap from harbour firefights.
Here

I've never had luck with an extractor for tiny screws. Maybe it's just me, I dunno.

Remulak wrote:I've never had luck with an extractor for tiny screws. Maybe it's just me, I dunno.

Same here.

Dremel and similar rotary tools make bits that look like a grooved ball or cone sitting on the end of a drill bit that are used for burring and shaping that might grind that thing down to metal shavings? Anyone else tried this?

I broke a screw in the headstock. Dug a little pit around the screw with an Exacto knife and was able to get some pliers on the shaft. It didn't show, yours won't either. Or just leave the pickguard off

I appreciate everyone's suggestions.

I tried to make a little groove in the screw for the screwdriver to catch onto, but I think i just made it uneven and less likely to come out.

The plan now is to get my hands on the cheapest power drill Japan has to offer and to use a metal-use drill-bit and just drill the screw out. Does that sound like a good idea or will I just make things worse?

If you don't have tools, bring it to a luthier. Cheaper then tooling up.

Remulak wrote:I've never had luck with an extractor for tiny screws. Maybe it's just me, I dunno.

You need to drill at low speed with a good metal bit. I have done it on this sized screw.

Absolutely no way it could go wrong.

Yup. Take precautions so as not to do any damage. A few beers and chasers to steady the nerves, balance gingerly on your knee and use the force... oh and really dark sun glasses to make you look cool.

You going to dowel it up after and re-drill?

Dig it out with a spoon you sharpened on a big rock.

Seriously though, I feel for you. I think you're definitely going to have to drill it out. You might want to consider using one of these:

Generally for a metal bit to cut, you need lubrication and that is going to soak into the wood and may damage it.
If it was mine, I would get a slender nail punch, and tap it a couple of millimetres further in, then put a plug above it to use a short, wider screw to hold the pickguard.