Official Luthiers Forum!

My son has given me a cheap imported Tele copy to work on to try to improve the sustain, and I have what I think is a cunning plan, but I really need to know the answer to this question.

If I drill a hole in the center of the heel ( from underneath, natch) what is the minimum distance I could expect to drill through before encountering the trussrod or the truss rod anchor?

Can I safely assume I have 1/2" (12 mm) thickness of wood to work with ?

Any additional info gratefully welcomed as well.

Maybe I misunderstood, 'cause of my bad english but, why do you want to drill a hole on the heel?

And, little suggestions on the way... If you want to improve the sustain and sound of cheap guitars...

First, you can't do miracles.

Second, you can audibly improve the sound by changing very little things... Change the nut for a bone one. Set the neck, the action, the intonation and the pickup height properly. Check out for any loose screw or gaps, then correct it. Changing the bridge, for sure would help. And it you don't want to spend money to a whole bridge, you could change only the saddle, that will support the string better. Most of the time, the electronics in the cheap models are really bad. Changing the pots, the switch, the wire will cost you about 20$, in the case of a tele, and, with good soldering, you'll ear a big difference.

Third, there's always the placebo effect. Well, maybe for for your son... but if I costumer aks you ''more sustain'' or anything on a cheap guitar. You change few thing, tell him that will do all the difference. I won't, really, but the guy will be happy. Sometimes it's all in the end.

My 2 cents!
Francis

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Francis Richer, Montréal
Les Guitares F&M Guitars

Thank you for your excellent advice, Francis, which I shall certainly be following, as far as the hole is concerned, let's just say its part of an experiment which I wish to carry out.

Maybe it will work, maybe it won't ...

No. Nowhere near that. You'll be really lucky to have half that. And even less on the end at the anchor point. On a lot of them you'll find no wood over the anchor point at all.

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Mike

The only thing nescessary for evil to thrive is for good men to do nothing.

Thanks, Mike, my cunning plan may require some adjustment.

At what point along the heel is the truss rod anchor in a Strat/Tele normally located. Does it go right to the end ?

a pic is worth a thousand words.

the round part at the end is the anchor. It's important to note that it is lacking a plug which usually covers it, although you can't really tell it.

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Mike

The only thing nescessary for evil to thrive is for good men to do nothing.

Thanks for that pic, Mike, all is clear now

(unlike the weather up here ) ....