ngd!! well body at least!

Re: ngd!! well body at least!

Yep. thats what i thought too. Ill be pullin my hair out when it comes time to drill holes in order to put that tremolo on.
 
Re: ngd!! well body at least!

Those routing templates could be good, but beware that not all tremolo units have the same spacing for the mounting screws. It can be very fussy to try to use the trem plate itself as the pattern, since it may be hard to get it to stay in place. If you do that, you may want to drill one or two holes first, then put the screws in to hold it steady while you drill the rest.

You could also make your own template by taping a thin sheet of plexi to the trem plate, drilling out the guides, then tape it to the guitar for drilling the body.

Slow and steady wins the race.
 
Re: ngd!! well body at least!

Very cool!

Looks a lot like my first guitar, an '85 Japanese Strat:

8136898006_aba3eef736_z.jpg


Good luck with the assembly.
 
Re: ngd!! well body at least!

A bit nervous about drillin holes for the tremolo too..This is my first build. Live and learn ..trial and error. measure measure measure.[/QUOTE]

Listen to the voice of experience:


measure, measure, measure .... DRILL PRESS, DRILL PRESS, DRILL PRESS


You're welcome! Best of luck ... it's gonna look great!
 
Re: ngd!! well body at least!

Listen to the voice of experience:


measure, measure, measure .... DRILL PRESS, DRILL PRESS, DRILL PRESS


You're welcome! Best of luck ... it's gonna look great!

as i dont have a drill press I may end up piecing everything together then having a shop install the tremolo
 
Re: ngd!! well body at least!

I was drilling for the posts on a two point Wilkinson and my bit drifted ... maybe I wasn't paying attention. Anyway, now I have a post hole to move in an otherwise perfectly good body. Probably a drill press wouldn't have saved me due to my impatience.
 
Re: ngd!! well body at least!

I just remembered i do have a hand held dremel with a nice guard. that might do the trick. as far as making sure i drill straight.
 
Re: ngd!! well body at least!

Invaluable tool for those who work on guitars:

_wsb_518x348_Oct+drill+guide+start+036.JPG


Not necessarily that one, but a similar type of drill guide.
 
Re: ngd!! well body at least!

that could prove to b useful

They are...and about simple and as low tech as it gets, short of making your own out of wood (which you would need a drill press to do, so...).

Just be sure to slide it all the way up the bit, so you can locate where you want to drill precisely. Then you slide it down and use it as a guide. If you try to perfectly aim at the intended spot with the guide already on the surface, you'll likely not get the hole in the perfect spot.
 
Re: ngd!! well body at least!

THanks Living Dead. Hey I just found the smallest nick and was wondering if this is gonna be an issue later on.
IMG_0894.jpg
 
Re: ngd!! well body at least!

When you want to mark holes for drilling, stick paper masking tape on the guitar and do your marking on it gently with a sharp, soft lead pencil (harder lead can make marks in the finish). I'd suggest getting the neck and fitting the tuners first, and attaching it to the body without over-tightening the neck screws. Then you can put on the two outside 'E' strings and they will act as guides so you can line everything up (the neck may have some side-to-side play in the pocket ... sometimes it can be best to have the pickguard loaded with pickups and drop that in place too, to make sure the pickups are centred under the strings).

You will definitely need a drill press or something similar to get the bridge mounting screws to be perpendicular to the top, otherwise there is a likelihood of the bridge binding on the screws when using the trem arm. If you can't find a way to guide the holes at home, I'm sure any cabinet-maker's shop or engineering shop would drill the holes for you very cheaply, assuming you've marked the locations and can either tell them exactly what size holes you need or have one of the screws with you so that they can select the correct size drill bit.

For touching up the chips in the finish, try nail polish (check the compatibility by testing a spot in the trem spring cavity or any other area with paint that will be hidden when the job is complete). If the nail polish is compatible and the existing finish is thick, build up the repairs with a few coats and then level and polish them with fine grade abrasive papers and polish.
 
Re: ngd!! well body at least!

i dont mind the nicks. i wouldnt mind having a relic look. just was concerned about where that chip was. from edge of neck pocket there. it doesnt look to be like it will cause any issues. but wanted other opinions
 
Re: ngd!! well body at least!

Thanks I hope so. lord knows it will be a slow process getting all the pieces together. but Im excited as can be about it
 
Re: ngd!! well body at least!

Congrats on the project guitar, it can be very rewarding.

I have that dremel drill press. Its cool and useful on small objects but it won't reach the bridge hole locations on a strat, I just checked.
 
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