Hi there,
As per the image attached, the mounting holes on my guitar have been previously drilled incorrectly. They are out of alignment with one another and too far away from the nut. They need to be centred and drilled closer towards the bridge pickup to allow clearance for the floyd rose and ensure the correct distance between the nut and bridge.
I've read that the procedure is to drill out the holes larger, plug a dowel and then re drill new holes. The part i'm confused about is why i need to drill out a larger hole to fit the dowel. Can i not simply fit a 10mm dowel into the existing holes and then re drill a new hole in the correct position? I've got little clearance at the south side of the existing hole and I worry that if i drill a larger hole, say 12mm for example, i'll risk drilling out the edge of the cavity.
Comments
Since the holes look pretty clean you may get away with redrilling to 10mm and cutting a 10mm plug to match (buy a 10mm straight plug cutter, not tapered). If it is loose, a drop or two of water in the hole should swell any compressed wood
You want plugs, not dowels. They are different things. The grain goes the length of a dowel, across on a plug, which will match the body wood better and be easier to drill.
Instagram
If you go down the dowel and re-drill route, you should make sure that the dowels are very well fitted, and then that the new holes are drilled accurately.
I prefer to use the old style posts on a FR, ie, the woodscrew type, rather than the bushes, as if they are done during a fresh install there is less wood removed.
I have also used epoxy on the bushes of a Kramer 1984, rather than try to improve the original holes, it worked for me.
YMMV.
You may also be able to correct the alignment slightly as well by shaving a bit off one side of the pocket or shimming the other one. You can usually go 2-3mm before you need to enlarge the screw holes in the body, they will usually force their way into the old holes in the neck if it’s only about that much movement.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein