drilling for pickguard

[vtpcnk]

i am new to drills etc. so sorry if this question sounds stupid.

are there specific drill sizes for drilling holes for a pickguard vs drilling holes for input jacks etc?

or maybe just the needle part of the drill which can be changed or something?

again i am very ignorant about this and so sorry if this sounds stupid. appreciate the feedback.

 

[vtpcnk]

i have another related question here : is the neck supposed to be mounted on the body before you drill/install the pickguard?

appreciate the feedback.

 

[vtpcnk]

btw do i have any options other than using a pickguard.

standard tele thinline where the pickups (humbucker neck and standard tele bridge) are routed to be mounted with a pickguard.

there is the standard thinline control cavity as well which has to be covered.

is there anyway i can mount the pickups and cover the control cavity without a pickguard?

 

[bob7point7]

Well, I'll see if I can give this a shot. Drills do come in a few different sizes (3/8", 1/2", etc.), but any drill will accept a huge variety of bits (the needle part). You need to choose the correct bit for each different screw size you will be using. It is probably best to mount the neck before mounting the pickguard to make sure the pickguard doesn't overhang the neck pocket. There are different options for mounting the pickups other than a pickguard (pickup rings, direct mounting), but they all require drilling and the pickguard will be the simplest. The fact is, building a Warmoth requires some careful drilling. I'd say find a friend who has at least done some woodworking (preferrably some guitar work) and ask them for help. An even better solution would be to take your parts to a luthier and have it assembled by them. The little details of guitar assembly can make the difference between a really nice guitar and a really expensive pile of parts.

Good luck!
-Bob

 

[vtpcnk]

>The little details of guitar assembly can make the difference between a really nice guitar and a really expensive pile of parts.

that was well put.

 

[bpmorton777]

Jackthehack posted somewhere here about what drill bit sizes you needed for the various holes you'll need to drill.

Brian

 

[vtpcnk]

>Jackthehack posted somewhere here about what drill bit sizes you needed for the various holes you'll need to drill.

do you need holes of different sizes to install the pickguard?

 

[Wyliee]

>Jackthehack posted somewhere here about what drill bit sizes you needed for the various holes you'll need to drill.

do you need holes of different sizes to install the pickguard?

No.  The mounting holes on the pickguard are all the same size.  You may need a different size drill bit for strap buttons/locks.

 

[vtpcnk]

btw any ideas on how i can get the control cavity closed without the pickguard?

 

[jimh]

Anything you mount over the control cavity would have to be drilled and screwed in, whether its made of metal, plastic, wood, fabric, glass or whatever. Unless you glue it  :dontknow:

I dont really understand what point you are trying to make.
You have a body routed for standard Thinline Tele setup, but dont want to use a pickguard?  You want the pickups direct mounted to the body, instead of screwed onto pickguard.
Is the body front routed or rear routed?
Do you have any pictures of the body so that we can see what you are trying to achieve?

 

[vtpcnk]

no pictures right now. sorry.

it is just a regular standard thinline. front routing. i was just wondering if it would be possible to get away without using a pickguard.

 

[bpmorton777]

MidiRose used magnets to fasten the control cavity to the back of his guitars.

Brian

 

[mayfly]

i was just wondering if it would be possible to get away without using a pickguard.

I suppose that you could, but IMHO that would be much more work than just using a pickguard.

Is it the colour of the pickguard that's the problem?  If so, just use a clear one like I used on Kashmir.  They are available from StuMac.

 

[vtpcnk]

>Is it the colour of the pickguard that's the problem?

no. it has a beautiful flame top and am not sure i want to cover a part of it up with a tortoise.

 

[jimh]

>Is it the colour of the pickguard that's the problem?

no. it has a beautiful flame top and am not sure i want to cover a part of it up with a tortoise.

In which case, you could just follow Mayfly's advice and use a clear guard  :dontknow:

 

[taez555]

When I was building my guitar I went to Home Depot and bought a junk piece of poplar (any guitar hardwood like maple or whatever would have done)

Anyway... i test drilled a couple different sized holes in the scrap piece first to test each screw size before trying it on my warmoth.