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Post subject: New tuners
Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2008 8:27 pm
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I am installing new tuners in my bass. I need to inlarge the holes in the headstock app 1/16". The best method I have come up with yet is to use a forstner bit and a drill press. I have thought about temporarily doweling the hole closed to give a good place for the bit to pilot off of. I have been told that the hole should not be opened up the whole way through but only as deep as the new tuner bushings go. Any advice will be appreciated--Thanx--Fred


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Posted: Wed Dec 10, 2008 11:38 am
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Fred,

I have done this myself. I bought a MIJ 62’ reissue neck and I wanted to install the correct vintage reverse tuners with the rivets on the shafts. The neck came with 5/8” bushing holes and the vintage tuners were 11/16” diameter.

This is a very tricky operation. The best way is with a drill press, and if you use one, you MUST clamp the headstock down. I am imagining that you have peg head holes that are 5/8” and you are installing bushings that are 11/16”. If so, and you have a drill press, you can chuck up a 5/8” bit (even a spade bit will work), or a tapered center finding bit in the drill press, locate the center of the hole by lowering the spindle while the peg head is not yet clamped down, lock the spindle down or have someone hold the spindle down and then clamp the peg head down. Next, release the spindle, switch the bits and drill your hole.

Two things. If you are opening the hole to 11/16”, this is not a common bit, even in a well stocked set like I have. Since I only had 4 holes to drill, I bought a cheap twist drill bit on Amazon for about $8.00 plus shipping. Second, even though the bushings need an 11/16” hole, some will not press fit directly into an 11/16” hole and you may need to put some sandpaper on a wooden dowel and open the holes a little. Do not try and press fit a bushing into a too small hole, you WILL crack the peg head.

Let’s talk a moment about clamping the peg head down. I had a piece of ¾” plywood that I first clamped to the drill press table. Then I had a strip of ¾” plywood about 1 ½” wide and 12” long. I laid the peg head on the plywood clamped to the table, laid the 1 ½” strip across it and used screws to tighten it down on either side of the peg head. I found this necessary as the peg head shape changes so much while moving from one hole to the next, it was hard to find areas to install clamps, and it was easier to use my cordless drill to run the screws down rather than having to hold my assembly and manipulate clamps as well.

I am sure there are other ways to do this, but this worked very well for me.

Good luck to you.


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Posted: Wed Dec 10, 2008 12:00 pm
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Hobbyist, Thanks for the info. I had not thought about using a 5/8" bit to locate the hole center, great advice. Your method of clamping down the headstock was also better than what I was thinking of, (inserting a dowel and starting the 11/16" bit through it). Do the holes need to be 11/16" all of the way through, just to the depth of the bushing, or does it matter? Aain thnx--Fred


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Posted: Wed Dec 10, 2008 1:57 pm
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Fred,

There is no reason not to go all the way through. That is how they would have been drilled at the Fender factory. It will also make it easier in case you have to enlarge the hole with sandpaper wrapped around a dowel.

By the way, here is a link to the drill bit I bought.

David

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000UO9HO6


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