How difficult would routing out a single coil to a humbucker on a strat be?

[kramersteen]

Re: How difficult would routing out a single coil to a humbucker on a strat be?

I think he was being cheeky.
But I have seen people do it, and use the screwdriver as a chisel also.
Never ends well.

The local luthier in my town told me the guy he learned of did almost everything with a chisel.

 

[XPAULPITT]

Re: How difficult would routing out a single coil to a humbucker on a strat be?

If you're gonna use a pickgaurd I dont see any reason why you would have to go buy a template and use a router, unless you are worried about future resal. The Dremel tool with a nice bit should be fine. Eyeball it and take your time and try to keep it as neat as possible. You should be fine.

 

[uOpt]

Re: How difficult would routing out a single coil to a humbucker on a strat be?

Chiseling is a bad idea since you compress the wood and then splinter it out. Since you do that right next to the neck pocket I'd say that isn't sound-safe.

I got one of the small dremel and routing equipment until I realized that Stewmac bit won't fit (doh, of course not). I then returned the small "router" and got a full-size one since that was what Stewmac recommended. But I have to say that all things considered I would probably have been happier with the small one. I only do pickup routes which take some time with the small one but who cares? Straightening a neck pocket so that no shims are required is likewise. The big router is kind of violent and requires a strong grip so that is doesn't skid over the top of the guitar (doh!).

The only thing I could not have done is deepen the route in the neck of my Burny LPC for the Phat Staples. Even the big router could only reach that low by removing the base and not using a template.

All things considered I'd say get a dremel like small "router" and go from there. If you have any interest in making and fixing things you'll find it worth it.

 

[Zerberus]

Re: How difficult would routing out a single coil to a humbucker on a strat be?

The local luthier in my town told me the guy he learned of did almost everything with a chisel.

I was taught to do it with chisels before I was taught to do it with a router.

Chiseling is a bad idea since you compress the wood and then splinter it out. Since you do that right next to the neck pocket I'd say that isn't sound-safe.

If you don`t sharpen your chiisels and /or hold them with the wrong side towards the workpiece, this is exactly what will happen. If you actually know how to use a chisel properly and do so in practice as well, it won`t.

The same lack of knowledge with a router however can very easily kill you, not to mention the damage it can cause to the workpiece.

Use whichever you`re personally more comfortable using and have the proper degree of control over.

I prefer to do it with a router simply because it`s faster. But I still usually have to clean up the corners and pass lines with chisels and razorblades.

 

[Chocklit_Thunda]

Re: How difficult would routing out a single coil to a humbucker on a strat be?

Swimming pool that mo-fo

 

[Ayrton]

Re: How difficult would routing out a single coil to a humbucker on a strat be?

As you may know I own plenty of routers, and the one that gets used the most is my Bosch Colt

http://www.amazon.com/Bosch-PR10E-S...TF8&qid=1360958337&sr=1-6&keywords=bOSCH+COLT

It is enough router for anything guitar related.

 

[The Dali]

Re: How difficult would routing out a single coil to a humbucker on a strat be?

The Dremel tool also has an attachment "collar" that turns it into a small router with special bits that would work just fine for this. I agree, you might as well do a full swimming pool route while you've got the tool out. I would also suggest either painting with shielding paint or applying the shield tape... it cleans up the look and gives you a nice quite chamber for future pickup changes.

 

[kramersteen]

Re: How difficult would routing out a single coil to a humbucker on a strat be?

The same lack of knowledge with a router however can very easily kill you, not to mention the damage it can cause to the workpiece.

Death by router that would be a memorable way to go.

 

[Chocklit_Thunda]

Re: How difficult would routing out a single coil to a humbucker on a strat be?

Swimming pool routing is also easier.... You basically just have to nail/screw a few straight planks of plywood or mdf into a rectangular jig and clamp it to the body... Then you just route it in a few passes.

Even better would be if your use a cutting bit on a drill to remove the middle section and then use the router or dremel to smooth off the edges

And then once you have a swimming pool route you can change pickup configurations whenever you feel like

 

[Liam1963]

Re: How difficult would routing out a single coil to a humbucker on a strat be?

Started (and finished) the rout yesterday, only took a couple of minutes, my wife helped out with the shop-vac, only 1 ding where the router bit grabbed the lexan template, and left a small gouge in the front, by the neck pickup. Other than that, sanded and re-assembled without issue, it's cool having a Strat with 2 humbuckers, just need a little bondo for the cosmetic ding..... :grumble:

 

[Jay 77]

Re: How difficult would routing out a single coil to a humbucker on a strat be?

I did mine with a good, sharp wood chisel. Took the chunks out nice and clean.