k&k pure mini installation (drilling jack)

Maverick

I've got a k&k pure mini to install on a Faith acoustic.
Seems pretty straight forward but i need to order a small mirror and a drill bit to install the jack. The instructions recommend a 1/2" (12mm) forstner drill bit that is a bit confusing. Am i better to order 12mm or 12.7mm (1/2")

Will a flat spade drill bit be suitable as it's about 5X cheaper than a Forstner bit.

fatherchewielewie

I've installed a few JJB Prestige pups which are basically the same thing as the K&K and I just used a normal wood bit (the non-flat type) without any issues.

BillDL

You are always better drilling a hole that is marginally narrower than the jack and you can then enlarge it carefully and slowly.  A piece of rough sandpaper rolled around a piece of dowel usually works, but a thick rat-tailed file can also do the job.  

The most professional and safest method would usually be to use a tapered reamer either by hand or in a variable speed drill that will run quite slowly to enlarge the hole after removing the end pin.  You stop when you have reached the diameter of the jack on the outside wall.  You can then either carefully pass a drill bit of the correct diameter through the tapered hole to open it out and make the hole parallel.  I have actually wrapped rubber around the plain end of a drill and used it by hand as a straight sided "reamer" to open out tapered reamed holes.  The wood of the end block is usually quite soft.

If the guitar doesn't have an end pin to remove, stick masking tape on the side and mark where you want the centre of the hole.  The masking tape will usually stop the lacquer from chipping, but you still need to be very careful.  For that reason I would not use a flat spade bit that can easily bite into wood, skip sideways, and tear out chunks or oval the hole.  A "brad point" wood drill bit is similar in some ways to a spade bit in that it has a centering pin and the leading edges of the outside diameter cut and bore through the wood.

I personally prefer a smaller pilot hole using an ordinary wood bit, then a shallow taper reamer to get the right diameter on the outside wall, then the sandpaper around a dowel method to open out the taper towards the inside of the guitar.  It takes a while but I'm not doing it for a living and can afford to take my time.

Wazmeister

I fitted mine, and Im no expert, and this video really helped.

https://youtu.be/_ezwditQznI

ESBlonde

I bought a cheap reamer from the big delta store and it left a neat well fitting hole with no damage surrounding the hole (through the former strap pin hole). Trying to enlarge an already existing hole hill have the drill bit or forstner bit chunking out of round. If it’s a new hole then a Forstner bit (sharp one) will likely yield the best results.

Maverick

Thanks for the help.
The guitar is satin finish with just a screw holding strap button.

I'm just using a standard drill 1/4" hex. Most of the Forstner bits use a 9.5mm cylinder shank so i might have trouble with slipping.

jimmyguitar

Definitely use a reamer, I’ve done quite a few with this method (by hand) and it’s very easy and doesn’t risk damage to the finish. 

malcolmkindness

It depends on how you handle risk. I did one recently with a flat bit on a cheapish guitar and it worked out fine. I might not have risked it on a more expensive model.
In my experience, drilling the hole is the easiest part of installing a K&K.