Changing hardware on Collings mandolin

[kilowhiskey99]

Can anyone tell me if it would be difficult to change out the tuner bushings and end pin on a Collings mandolin? I would like to change color of hardware and I would need to pull out the end pin to change the tailpiece and also the tuner bushings. Does anyone know if these are glued in and how to remove them easily?

[amowry]

I doubt that they are glued in, but you always run the risk of chipping the finish when you remove the bushings, so I try not to do it unless it's really necessary. You may get lucky and not damage the finish, but you should be prepared to do some touchup (or refinish the headstock) if things go wrong. You can use a drill bit (held by hand) slightly smaller than the hole in the headstock to push the bushings out, rocking it back and forth slightly if necessary to loosen the bushings.

The end pin should be no problem (twist and pull).

[Dave Martin]

Collings end pins are glued in. Mask, use a high quality saw to take off the button, then *carefully* drill out the pin. I did it to put in a pickup.

[Sperry]

The bushings, I knocked out from the other end when doing an amateur refurbishment. Swapping in a cast Collings tailpiece for a stamped tailpiece on a 2003 MT2, I do not remember any great issue removing the end pin. Of bigger consequence was making the tailpiece endpin hole bigger with a reamer bit.

Here's a composite image after light buffing with Novus 2.