well i have a strat neck that is sized 13/32 . 11/32 from warmonth. i want to get sperzals but they say its a diffrent size. how do i drill the holes out with out snaping the head stack beacause i already got repared cracks there. ps that size is for gotoh and grovers. i heard people use drill bits and step up to the size some people use a remer and some people use a special violen tool. i kina dont wanna get gotohs cause they bore me and there hell expansive.

If you already have a crack, the ONLY thing I would recommend is a hand reamer. Any power drill is going to run the risk of having the bit catch and with the torque of the electric drill motor plus the speed, you won't be able to get your finger off the trigger (even on a variable speed drill going very slowly) to stop the damage.

I reckon you could use round files, but a reamer would be the safest and best bet.

Jeff

+1

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tuners/Tune ... amers.html

I bought an inexpensive hand reamer at Home Depot to do the job and it works perfectly - it shaves off a little at a time with no chipping or gouges around the holes. I did three headstocks last week and it was so much fun (to get the exact size hole) I wish I had more to do.

On an undrilled neck you would first drill the holes just an increment smaller than the tuner shaft. Then you enlarge the hole with a reamer, your tuner shaft must fit snugly inside the hole or you will lose sustain by having a tuner floating inside a hole

In your case, Why is the neck cracked This should be your first priority to get the crack reglued, then get a reamer and carefully ream out the holes so that your new tuners fit snugly inside each hole.
This is not a five minute job, if you are not willing to spend a good hour or more fitting the tuners and from your questions and description of a cracked neck, I would take the neck to at least be assessed by a repair tech.

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"C'est parti mon Kiki "

Actually, the slower the drill bit's rotation, the greater the risk of damage. When drilling into wood you must use drill bits specifically designed for wood working.
A reamer is the only correct way to enlarge a tuner hole, round files will give you an oblong or oval hole.

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"C'est parti mon Kiki "

well i already repared the cracks nicely. the big reson i wnated to get sperzals is beacause of the off beat color sceme but i guess i wont bother ill stick with gotohs i really dont want to but i have to (there expensive as hell for there 510s). do you guys know any other tuner that will fit ths size.

I use both Gotoh's and Sperzel's. I have Gotoh 510 Delta (21 to 1 ratio) on my Larrivee acoustic, I installed the Sperzel locking on my MIM Deluxe. I have Gotoh vintage dropin replacements on a CS 56 NOS (the tuners were skipping on the G and B strings)
I have replaced and installed quite a few tuners over the years.
I at first used a drill bit, but once I started to use a Reamer, I never went back to using a drill bit unless the hole needed to be enlarged significantly.

510 Gotoh's are expensive, but the question is on what guitar are you installing them on and is tuning accuracy important to you
I would not install them on a Squier line but on a higher end Deluxe MIA or MIM most definitely. If you cannot stay in tune then the change must be made.
The higher the ratio (16-18 to 1) the more precise you can be with reaching specific pitches.
Especially if you use alternate tunings.

You are going to have to decide yourself wether the cost is justifiable. Myself I would not install any tuners that are lower than a 16 to 1 ratio. Grovers and Shallers are also good quality....

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"C'est parti mon Kiki "

I'd put anything on/in in my Squier Strat -it's as good as any MIM I've played. The determination of how much to spend should be what you want, what you needand what you can afford no matter what guitar you have. Let's say you want locking tuners; do you feel you need them, and if so how much can you spend? Do you like the guitar otherwise or do you intend to replace it? Squiers are probably nodded as much if not more than other Strats - upgrading tuners is probably the most often first step followed by pups. A lot of people think enough of their Squiers to shell out for the tuners they want regardless the name on the headstock.

No need to be sensitive, or uncivil, if you indeed had read what I wrote , I was referring specifically to the Gotoh 510 Delta's, one of the top of the line tuners one can install, if you would like to do a bit of research into custom built acoustics in the $4000.00 on up range, you will see the Delta's installed on the greater majority.

Furthermore the OP was inferring that cost was an issue by stating that the Delta's were " Hellishly Expensive " .
Squiers are indeed modded but the reality is that the cost of upgrading components on a Squier quickly adds up past the Squiers purchase price ( Price Point ) and it is a cost which can never be recouped if sold.
Anyone can mod a guitar to any expense level that they so wish, " BUT " this is a discussion Forum where questions are answered according to the responders knowledge/experience.
There was no intended malice or personal affront in my answers.
There is just a certain point where if you are going to exceed the value of the guitar by above 30% then one has to think calmly and clearly if adding more upgrades might not be the best thing, whereas taking those funds and purchasing a higher line to mod would be more cost efficient.
Check out the thread " Somebody Talk Some Sense into Me " We've discussed this subject since it (the Thread) is about an upgrade and the most cost effective way in accomplishing that.

Any differing points of view are welcome but a conversation, debate, argument need to stay civil.
This is a forum within which the established members, many of whom that have been here longer than I insist on being polite in all postings.

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"C'est parti mon Kiki "

well the guitar im puting it in is a high quality parts o caster (i already built one sustains like a les paul). i have a weird pup combo but it works good. anyways i have locking gotohs on there (the vintage style). there pretty good but i want locking tuners that are stagered. one more question do shallers fit my hole size.

www.stewmac.com have all the specs of the tuners they offer.
On my MIM I have Sperzel locking with staggered posts.
This MiM was a crimson red, Players Deluxe but is now outfitted with SCN's and the Push/Push switch removed. Standard 5 way switch, may add TBX controls in the future.

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"C'est parti mon Kiki "

"No need to be sensitive, or uncivil, if you indeed had read what I wrote "

Huh? Your umbrage is misplaced and overstated. Your inferences are unfortunate, and your response in general is overblown. Nowhere did I speak directly to or about anyone other than me. Jeez, just a little touchy, eh...?

I didn't write anything that was "uncivil" or even really directed at you but about Squiers not being worthy of quality upgrades; I was simply stating that I would indeed put anything on my Squier because it is as solid a guitar (body and neck) as I've played. It may not be a one-piece body but it's a solid three-piece 1.75" alder slab (with well-matched sections that could easily have a natural finish) and an outstanding neck (as per every other pro who's played it); it's not unusual for this vintage: '96 - '98 Affinities, which are quite different than more recent models. Over and over, there are folks who dismiss Squiers as inferior (to just about anything else) but there are many who, like me, have been more than pleased with them. As far as price point, and as I wrote, what someone chooses to do depends on a number of factors, including cost as one of them. The idea of selling a guitar in the future and what its value may be is secondary to what it is now, in one's hands. Lots of people wouldn't sell a Squier because of the relatively low trade-in value, just for the script on the headstock - regardless of the instrument itself. But a lot of people wouldn't sell their Squier because they like it and want to keep it. If I'm willing to spend X dollars that doesn't mean someone else should unless he or she feels that the guitar (playability) would be enhanced and the cost were affordable to that person. And, tuners can be moved from one guitar to another - great tuners in a Squier can later be put into another guitar. The investment doesn't have to go away, just because the guitar might.