Roasted Maple Neck Pilot Holes

Dave B

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I've heard from multiple people they need to be widened or you'll crack the wood. I experienced this on my Bloodwood neck and had to drill them out and press in some SS threaded inserts. Is this the case with any wood denser/more brittle than raw Maple, that the holes all need widening? Thanks.
 
My Warmoth roasted maple necks came predrilled, so I trusted them to have chosen the correct size. If they hadn't been drilled, and they didn't supply instructions, I'd ask their customer service folks for the correct drill size. I'd think the paperwork that comes with an undrilled neck would have that information though.
 
I believe he is asking about tuner location screw holes.
Well, they don't come drilled at all, but Warmoth sent me clear instructions on how to drill those screw holes, as well as the need to make the tuner bushing holes big enough that you can push the bushings in by hand easily.
 
Skip the drilling and get hipshot griplock open backed tuners with the ump plate. If you do drill then ... Just make sure you have a nice new drill bit. I never had a drilling or cracking problem. Bloodwood is notorious for cracking.
 
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I believe he is asking about tuner location screw holes.

Drilling out "existing holes" and "press in S/S inserts"? I read that as neck mounting holes.

For the OP, I never had to further drill out the neck mounting holes, including roasted maple. I use screw wax and take my time. Every single screw than goes into the neck or body for the first time gets wax to keep it from binding.
 


For the OP, I never had to further drill out the neck mounting holes, including roasted maple. I use screw wax and take my time. …
An important exception is when such a neck goes on a body with a contoured heel.
In those cases, even if you’re using the right shorter neck screws, it can be necessary to deepen the pilotholes or the screws might try to dig into undrilled wood and ending up cracking the heel.
 
Pilot holes .. 🕳 always use wax and go slow 🐌 I got confused because a pilot hole is a guide and my brain said tuner because some tuners need a pilot 🙃 .... never thought about neck holes.
 
My Warmoth roasted maple necks came predrilled, so I trusted them to have chosen the correct size. If they hadn't been drilled, and they didn't supply instructions, I'd ask their customer service folks for the correct drill size. I'd think the paperwork that comes with an undrilled neck would have that information though.

In general you're gonna be fine with the holes Warmoth drills, but I would caution against simply trusting them to be right. We don't always know what screws the customer is going to use. We also can't predict how the wood might swell or change from the time we drill the holes to the time the customer assembles the body. Best practice is to always measure.
 
Ted Weber said that? Just joshin' ... I have no idea ... all I know is he made speakers, I think.
 
Yep that's the guy. Branched out into guitar amp kits, but the quality was not the same as the loudspeakers. Got some flack from folks having trouble putting them together, hence the above quote.
 
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