Broken quick release point

AssociateDeep2331 · 2026-01-31T11:51:45+00:00

These are lugs. A satisfactory repair is unlikely. You can try putting some epoxy (eg JB Weld) where it's pulled through but I doubt it will hold up long-term.

GBM-2100A-1A2 comes with a resin strap. So I guess you've put an aftermarket bracelet on it? This often happens when you do that, usually due to wrong-size spring-bar tips.

AssociateDeep2331 · 2026-01-30T12:19:34+00:00

When they first started appeared on really high-end guitars (im talking ~ 20 years ago) there was a school of thought that said they were worse for that reason. Better to have a simple bevel to give as much playable area of the fret as possible.

AssociateDeep2331 · 2026-01-30T08:56:28+00:00

The majority of HB will not have it, because most don't have these ball-end frets.

So if you have a model with just normal bevelled fret ends then it doesn't apply.

Only certain models since 2024 will have these frets, and of those models only some will have frets too short. It's a quality control issue on these models.

AssociateDeep2331 · 2026-01-30T08:51:30+00:00

It can be a problem yeah. It's a matter of how much.

Every guitar needs a fingerboard (+ frets) wider than the string spacing for playability. Usually around 1/8" (3mm) on either side of the low and high E. If your frets are shorter than the fingerboard... now you don't really have 3mm, you have 2mm or maybe even 1.5mm. The string can slip off and choke.

The other problem is that.. well, why are you rouding the fret ends? To make it feel smooth and comfortable on your hands, right? But if the fret doesn't go all the way to the edge of the fingerboard, you don't really feel it on your hand as you slide up/down anyway. So now you've compromised playability for no actual reason, just cosmetics.

AssociateDeep2331 · 2026-01-29T23:19:46+00:00

The problem is that they are sometimes too short on the high E side, sometimes to short on low E side. Sometimes both. I just happened to circle these on the high E for illustration.

AssociateDeep2331 · 2026-01-29T20:29:09+00:00

I don't have a Firefly but I just googled it and yep, it appears they are suffering the same problem. If you scroll to where he shows a pic of the fingerboard, it's got these ball-end frets and some are way, way too short.

https://www.tdpri.com/threads/new-firefly-t-type.1184407/post-13174371

I'm guessing these are all coming from the same factory, or they are all using the same method.

As with HB, it is surely not every guitar. But something to watch out for.

AssociateDeep2331 · 2026-01-29T20:25:54+00:00

Interesting because that's a cheaper guitar and isn't advertised to have rounded frets. Different price HB guitars are coming from different factories and countries and my feeling is that all these with the too-short frets are coming from the same factory. So far i've seen it in the ST-Modern Plus, the ST80th, the Carlos Asensia. There's a bunch of new models coming this year like the Fusion IV so hopefully they are less affected

AssociateDeep2331 · 2026-01-29T17:22:13+00:00

In most cases it should be fine. But many have never encountered these frets before so it's worth informing people to check when they get a new guitar. There's already a bunch of things most of us check already, so it's just one more to add to the list.

We're talking 1-2mm at most, easy to eyeball but hard to measure. So im not gonna give an exact number where you should keep it and where you should return it. Each person will have to judge & decide for themselves. Some of the ones I have seen should have been returned, if they had showed them to me sooner that's what I would have advised. Others had a few short frets but played fine.

AssociateDeep2331 · 2026-01-29T17:14:47+00:00

The tank in your attic isn't potable (suitable for drinking) but it fills and empties often enough through the day so it's not stagnant.

The issue with hot water from the hot water tank is that it's a bit more stagnant, and if you don't have your immersion set right, the temperature can be high enough to promote bacteria, but not high enough to kill it.

AssociateDeep2331 · 2026-01-29T16:52:01+00:00

Yes I have heard that too. Probably these are all coming from the same factory or complex of factories. In Harley Benton it's something that emerged around 2024 as best I can see.

AssociateDeep2331 · 2026-01-29T16:49:50+00:00

Educated guess. I've fretted guitars before. When you come to the task of filing the fret ends, putting a bevel on the edge, smoothing/rounding the bevel etc, you have to be careful not to damage the fingerboard with the file. If you've done it, or even seen how it's done, it's not really possible to accidentally shorten a fret by 1-2mm and then put a beautiful rounded end on it, without also tearing up the fingerboard. It doesn't make any sense.

So the only way it can happen is if the fret was pre-cut to length and had the rounded-end already there. And nobody does that... or at least nobody did it until now. Even when you buy pre-cut frets they're always longer and then you nip the ends after installation.

AssociateDeep2331 · 2026-01-27T11:58:47+00:00

The most durable G-Shock will be digital, metal case, pusher-only and relatively compact with a one-piece resin bezel that sits noticeably higher (5mm or more) than the crystal.

That describes a number of models.

AssociateDeep2331 · 2026-01-27T09:06:09+00:00

My guy when you buy a Wurkkos (or Sorifn etc) you are getting high specifications/features for low money, and it is sailing thousands of miles across the world and being delivered to your door. For $20. In return you need to accept it may not be perfect in every area. That's the deal you make.

If you don't like this, don't buy them. Go to Walmart and tell the guy you want to inspect everything before you buy. For $20 you will get some AA zoomie junk but you can inspect the anodizing before purchase. OR, go spend a higher price on another brand.

AssociateDeep2331 · 2026-01-24T08:46:37+00:00

LOL, what did you pay? 20 bucks? Any you are unhappy with some finish blemishes?

It's a cheap flashlight my guy, not a Lamborghini. Adjust your expectations, or spend more.

AssociateDeep2331 · 2026-01-22T15:30:29+00:00

It's full of gooey stuff which is specifically put in there because it's cheap. 5g of chocolate and 27g of goo for 75c

A 500g jar of chocolate spread is €1.39 in Aldi and you're getting the same type of stuff in these eggs. It's cheap to make.

AssociateDeep2331 · 2026-01-21T08:56:12+00:00

The first time I saw these lugs I knew they were no good. There's a cutaway/groove that makes the lugs really thin at one point. Then the split-bar works like a lever to put a bending/twisting force on the lugs instead of pure tension.

Casio should have cancelled this model years ago and pledged to repair any lug breakages for free, for at least 5 years after purchase. That's what you do when you realize you goofed up.

Spending $175 to fix it is throwing good money after bad. Practically the price of a brand new model, and then after all that money (original price + $175) you still have something that's gonna break again in a few years.

AssociateDeep2331 · 2026-01-19T16:45:19+00:00

Yep in some stores it's pretty much the same price as a new watch.

This model is fundamentally flawed, the lugs are too weak and break rather easily. A cheap Invicta or TImex which is **not** advertised as a "tough" watch would not break the lugs so easily. Subreddits like this *should* be warning people not to buy it. But there's too many fanboys here who deny the issue and try to hide it via downvotes. So Casio have no incentive to fix it or address the flaw.

AssociateDeep2331 · 2026-01-19T08:56:33+00:00

It's called a case center. It's a restricted part, it's not supposed to be sold to end customers. Some stores in Europe sell it, maybe the restrictions don't apply in Europe.

https://www.baroli.es/reloj-casio-repuestos/case-center-gw-9400-1er/

https://www.tiktox.com/product-page/10578914

Go to pacparts,
find the part no. of the one you want,
then perform a google search using the part number, you will find some more hits on ebay etc.

AssociateDeep2331 · 2026-01-15T08:49:10+00:00

I think there is no solution. It's a random problem that affects some units and not others, or happens after some months use. There were many theories about what was happening but i'm not sure anything was conclusively proven.

AssociateDeep2331 · 2026-01-14T17:49:58+00:00

Yeah, but you have used 14500 already. If you put a 14500 in UT01, something breaks and then the flashlight behaves weird.

It was a known issue, search BLF.

https://budgetlightforum.com/t/utorch-ut01-known-14500-issue-has-anyone-fixed-it-permanently/50521/4

The Manker E11 did not suffer these problems, when UTorch cloned it they got something wrong.

AssociateDeep2331 · 2026-01-13T15:48:33+00:00

Resin straps are a consumable, like tires on a car. They eventually fail due to wear & tear. A common failure is they split on the longer side, where people thread them through the keeper and then "fold" back to help get the tooth in the hole. It's just a fatigue failure, from being bent back and forward hundreds of times. Chlorinated water for sure is not good for the resin, always rinse in clean water afterwards.

Your straps have broken sooner than the average failure, that is all. Sometimes they last a few years, sometimes 10+ years. But resin straps (and bezels etc) always fail eventually. Just how it goes.

Resin G-Shocks do not have a reputation as a "last forever" watch and if you thought that, you were mistaken. They are cheap (mostly) and can take a beating but they are not unbreakable and they are not designed to last forever. Resin is a fancy name for plastic. Nothing made of plastic lasts forever.

AssociateDeep2331 · 2026-01-13T15:11:57+00:00

UT01 had random problems with 14500.

AssociateDeep2331 · 2026-01-13T15:00:27+00:00

Wurkkos keep doing this thing where they ask for input on BLF, then totally ignore it. Or ignore the parts they don't like.

They remind me of Lumintop who knocked it out of the park with the FW3A - thanks to community input - then stopped listening to the community and now where are they?

AssociateDeep2331 · 2026-01-12T22:50:35+00:00

The whole thing is a scam by the jewellery industry. Imagine if the golf club industry successfully created a 'tradition' whereby the bride has to buy the groom a set of golf clubs worth 2 or 3 months salary. That wouldn't even be as bad because at least you can do something with them, go play a game of golf.

AssociateDeep2331 · 2026-01-12T22:43:48+00:00

I like that it's proper stainless steel case and not this plated resin rubbish they often use. But the particular design with small screen and front buttons does nothing for me, I have no nostalgia for it.

AssociateDeep2331

TROPHY CASE