How accurate must I drill a Mustang bridge?

[Chistopher]

I bought a Mustang bridge to replace the goofy one that comes on Bullet Mustangs, but I neglected to realize that the bridge on a Mustang is "floating" in the inserts. I'm pretty handy with a power drill, but is this the sort of thing I should wait until I get access to a drill press for?

 

[NegativeEase]

If I understand right, you are sayin you need to widen the holes for the inserts? but the centerpoints on the existing holes are correct?

If so, you can use a hand drill carefully -I would personally anyways -guitar tolerances are not very exact compared to most any other kinds of precision in the grand scheme of things

- since the existing holes are presumably perfectly perpendicular from the factory, a hand drill will naturely be guided on that axis if you get it close - I would step the holes in 64th" increments out to the ultimate size you need and position the drill with with a reference for it being plum -maybe a level gauge or use a mirror to reference perpendicular.

 

[Clint 55]

Dear god, you want to replace the solid hardtail bridge on the bullet mustang with the pos proprietary mustang bridge which is floating, conducts like crap, and requires you to take the strings off to set the intonation?

 

[Chistopher]

Dear god, you want to replace the solid hardtail bridge on the bullet mustang with the pos proprietary mustang bridge which is floating, conducts like crap, and requires you to take the strings off to set the intonation?

Right now I've got a cheapo mustang bridge and a cheapo licensed Bigbsy in line for it, but I'm fixing to get a Mastery and a good Bigsby

 

[Chistopher]

If I understand right, you are sayin you need to widen the holes for the inserts? but the centerpoints on the existing holes are correct?

If so, you can use a hand drill carefully -I would personally anyways -guitar tolerances are not very exact compared to most any other kinds of precision in the grand scheme of things

- since the existing holes are presumably perfectly perpendicular from the factory, a hand drill will naturely be guided on that axis if you get it close - I would step the holes in 64th" increments out to the ultimate size you need and position the drill with with a reference for it being plum -maybe a level gauge or use a mirror to reference perpendicular.

Currently there are no holes in the right place.

 

[jeremy]

id fill the current holes and find a drill press to use, but i tend to be conservative about these things. ive absolutely taken a dewalt drill to a guitar before and had good results, but there is risk involved