Changing jack hole
- Thread starter ScottZ
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Sorry, camera on the phone died. It's a new unfinished body at the moment, a KNE KPAC51. It's a little odd, the jack actually comes out on the bottom edge, pretty much below the volume pot. So standing up, the hole points at the ground. The hole is probably about an inch deep that I would have to drill through.
I'll probably just go with one of the 1/2” deep mount jacks and set it in a jack plate.
I'll probably just go with one of the 1/2” deep mount jacks and set it in a jack plate.
Cagey
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1. Those deep-mount panel jacks won't mount with a jack plate
2. They're not known for their long life, which can be a problem because...
3. They're not terribly common. You can get 1/4" Switchcraft jacks just about anywhere. Panel jacks? Not so much.
All that said, there IS a certain aesthetic to them that appeals to some, or works better with some body designs - particularly those with radically rounded edges.
I've modified a number of bodies to eliminate them, and really just about the only way to do it is to get some 1/2" dowel and glue it into the existing mounting hole. Needs to be flush with the outside surface, and doesn't need to look good - you're just going to drill it out. Without anything in the existing hole, there's not really any good way for the bit for the new hole to center itself up. Then, you need a 7/8" Forstner bit to drill a new hole. You'll really want to mount the body into some sort of vise or other sturdy mounting jig to do your drilling.
Then you can use a standard Switchcraft phone-style 1/4" jack mounted to a plate and you'll be happy.
2. They're not known for their long life, which can be a problem because...
3. They're not terribly common. You can get 1/4" Switchcraft jacks just about anywhere. Panel jacks? Not so much.
All that said, there IS a certain aesthetic to them that appeals to some, or works better with some body designs - particularly those with radically rounded edges.
I've modified a number of bodies to eliminate them, and really just about the only way to do it is to get some 1/2" dowel and glue it into the existing mounting hole. Needs to be flush with the outside surface, and doesn't need to look good - you're just going to drill it out. Without anything in the existing hole, there's not really any good way for the bit for the new hole to center itself up. Then, you need a 7/8" Forstner bit to drill a new hole. You'll really want to mount the body into some sort of vise or other sturdy mounting jig to do your drilling.
Then you can use a standard Switchcraft phone-style 1/4" jack mounted to a plate and you'll be happy.
stratamania
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Other than drilling the hole the part number for the size of hole you already have is a Switchcraft 151 or if you need a stereo jack for using with EMGs, for example, it is a Switchcraft 152. These are readily available.
stratamania
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ScottZ said:
No problem...
Seamas said:
Not at all, I felt dirty typing it.
While I feel perfectly qualified to glue in a 1/2" dowel, I'm not sure I can securely mount and drill a new hole. would slowly enlarging the hole from the outside with a step bit work, them drill out the rest with the correct size? Or is that just asking for trouble?
Cagey
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Won't work. Step drills create increasingly larger holes the deeper you go, usually only about 1/8" in at a time. So, if you needed to go from 1/2" to 7/8", the outside diameter would end up huge by the time you got the inside diameter where you wanted it.
Those bits are designed more for very thin stock, usually sheet metal.
The way I described a few posts back is really not difficult at all. But, you DO want to be able to hold the body firmly in place, which you'd have to do no matter how you drill it. Big holes require big bits, which take a lotta torque to spin. You can inadvertently lose grip on the body and do some damage you really don't want to have to deal with.
Those bits are designed more for very thin stock, usually sheet metal.
The way I described a few posts back is really not difficult at all. But, you DO want to be able to hold the body firmly in place, which you'd have to do no matter how you drill it. Big holes require big bits, which take a lotta torque to spin. You can inadvertently lose grip on the body and do some damage you really don't want to have to deal with.
rgand
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Twist drills of that size grab like crazy. I have a hand drill that will take a length of 3/4" pipe screwed into the side of it. That keeps the drill from yanking out of your hand but when it grabs, something else has to give and in this case that would be the guitar body. If that happens, chipping the outside of the hole would be the least of your problems.ScottZ said:
I found a solution, but proceed at your own risk. I used my Dremel to carefully open up the hole large enough to fit a Dremel sanding drum which is a little over a half inch in diameter. I then carefully sanded in a circle until it was about 7/8". That took care of the outer half inch or so of the body. I then used the carbide burr to reach and open up the deeper portion until I could sand it as well. Worked perfectly, almost. One word of advice, try not to sneeze as you pull the bit out of the hole. I left some nice tracks from the hole, around the side and about 3" across the back. It sanded out easily enough though.
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