Official Luthiers Forum!

Hi,
It's been 9 months since my last post (I feel kinda Catholic saying that)... Forgive me forum.

I am nearly at the point where I'm ready to drill the neck plate holes into the back of my guitar body. Since this is my first build (and it's mainly customizing and modifying the body and neck of existing parts), I wanted to make sure I don't do it crooked or screw anything up.

The neck is already drilled, and it's a paddle-head neck that I bought and designed/cut-out the headstock shape. The body is a Strat copy that I have heavily modified, and it came without the neck plate holes drilled.

How can I ensure that the holes I mark and drill are square and straight? I don't want to have to plug and start over. Oh, if it helps, there is a tiny bit of a gap in the neck pocket when the neck pocket is in place - I'm quite sure I have to shim that somehow and make that neck pocket tighter.

My next build will be from scratch after I get my shop set up - this one's my practice run.

You can use nails in the neck holes to mark the body, but I'd dowel the existing neck holes and re-drill using holes you drill in the body to make the new locations.

Thanks for the info... I did a google search on my topic, and found tons of info - I'm going to install the bridge, put in both E strings, clamp the neck to the body and mark/drill the holes (after I dowel and flush sand the existing holes).

You guys are the best - greetings from Texas

i'm new to this but I plan on doing what your talking about -- I have to do the same thing this w/e.

My plan is to mount the bridge -- then put some sharpened piece metal into the holes on my neck (something short that barely sticks out but that I can still remove) Once those are in my neck I plan on placing it in the neck pocket. Then using the two outer strings (I am building a bass) for the guides -- if I get the outer strings good and parallel to the fretboard I will press the neck into the pocket. the sharpened peices should mark proper location of the 4 holes for my neck bolts. I hope this helps but it might be clear as mud... I don't know -- anyway I plan on doing this this w/e if I do I'll take pics and post them if you need it or want me to. Hope this helps

Richard

Do you have a drill press? If not I would get one, probably the most useful tool for building electrics along with a router.
That will take care of all your straight and square worries, try and find one with enough throat depth to drill your string through holes later on when your building from scratch, but if not you can still use a smaller one to make a drill guide. Im with Mike on your present situation, plug the holes in the neck and drill from scratch. If your headstock has tuner holes drilled you can use the old piece of string method where your run the string from high E off the bridge to the tuner, over to the low E tuner and back down to the low E spot on the bridge to get everything aligned. Personally I drill my bolt holes in the body first, clamp the neck on lightly, use a long straight edge to get everything aligned, mark the neck bolt holes through your already drilled holes in the body and then drill those.