Drilling Holes For Bolt On Neck?

[GoldenBoy]

I could use some help. I'm putting together my first guitar - bought the neck and body and just need to finish/assemble/wire it. It's a telecaster style body with a bolt on neck.

Here's my question: Where do I drill the holes for the neck bolts? Is there a certain standard distance in from the edge of the neck slot that I should place them? Also, how deep do I make the holes on the neck of the guitar? And, what's an easy way to get my holes (neck and body) to match up?

I know this question probably seems obtuse to many of you, but I can't find an answer anywhere, and Melvin Hiscock's book wasn't any help on this front either. Thanks!

[sirkentesquire]

By what you wrote I have to assume that there are no holes in either your body or your neck. It that is true, it's pretty easy.

All you have to do is:

1) Mark out on the inside of the neck pocket where you want your screws to go. Say 1/2" from all sides of the neck and 3/4" from the edge of the body, if it's rounded over a fair amount.

2) Drill the holes through the neck pocket using the right size bit for the screws you have, whatever the diameter is minus the threading. Oh, and use a drill press or make some jig to drill straight.

3)Position the neck in the pocket on the body and clamp in place.

2) Drill into the neck with the same bit, going through the holes you just drilled. In terms of how deep to drill, I usually drill to where the fretboard joins the neck and get screws to fit that length, but they can be a little shorter. Again, use a drill press if you can. If not then a steady arm and some tape to mark the depth will be required.

3) Remove the neck from the body and drill out the body holes big enough so that the screws will slide through those holes and only thread into the neck. This is important to ensure the tightest fit possible to the body, though sooo many guitars aren't built like that, for whatever reason. It's also great if a screw head breaks off, as you can just lift the body off of the neck.

4) Put your neck plate on and put screw it together.

I think that covers what you are asking. If not, feel free to elaborate.

[Marzocchi705]

This is what i did on mine, I first marked out the location of the holes on the back of the heel, then drilled them. Now to get the possition of the neck hoes to line up perfectly with your heel holes, place the neck in the pocket and put a long nail trough the heel hole and onto the back of the neck, lightly tap the nail and that should mark your location. As for the depth of the holes that depends on the length of your screw.

Good luck with it, take your time.

[marksound]

How deep to drill into the neck?

After you've drilled the heel and marked the locations on the neck, put one of the screws through the neck plate and the heel. Measure how far it sticks through, then wrap a piece of masking tape around your drill bit the same distance from the end.

Low tech and works every time.

[Hughes]

couldnt you just line up the neck is the neck pocket the way you want it, use a clamp or something similar to hold it there and then drill the holes in the back of the neck pocket so it would be a perfect match...thats just my opinion because it seems easiest

[Mickguard]

3) Remove the neck from the body and drill out the body holes big enough so that the screws will slide through those holes and only thread into the neck.  This is important to ensure the tightest fit possible to the body, though sooo many guitars aren't built like that, for whatever reason.  It's also great if a screw head breaks off, as you can just lift the body off of the neck.

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There's a nice tip!

Another reason for doing it this way is that if you strip your screws, you're screwed! (This is what happened on my current project--luckily I was able to back the screws out again. )

[Southpa]

Just a little it to add. Make sure you know where the centerlines are on both neck and body. This is more for neck positioning if you happen to have a little bit of play in your neck pocket. If is not centered perfectly at the heel then you could have problems. I always use a long straight edge for getting things in line before drilling.

[Gorecki]

couldnt you just line up the neck is the neck pocket the way you want it, use a clamp or something similar to hold it there and then drill the holes in the back of the neck pocket so it would be a perfect match...thats just my opinion because it seems easiest

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Yes but all so add the bridge and string up the E strings to make the neck alignment. Clamp it and drill your starter holes.

[jay5]

3) Remove the neck from the body and drill out the body holes big enough so that the screws will slide through those holes and only thread into the neck. This is important to ensure the tightest fit possible to the body, though sooo many guitars aren't built like that, for whatever reason. It's also great if a screw head breaks off, as you can just lift the body off of the neck.

I dont know about this. It just doesnt make sense to me why you wouldnt want the screws to thread through the body too. How many times have you snapped a screw head off? I have never done that before. Also, idch, are you talking about stripping the head of the screw out or the threads? If you strip the head out, havong the holes isnt going to help you any if the screw is already into the neck. If your talikng about the threads I dont know what you were doing I can't imagine how that happened. The problem I would see is that the enlarged hole would give the screws room to play. Even if it were just a minute amount I think you could be asking for trouble down the road. I also imagine the screws would have a greater chance of working themselves loose over time. Just my opinion.

[Mickguard]

Also, idch, are you talking about stripping the head of the screw out or the threads?

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Yeah, just the heads...they came from an almost 30-year-old guitar, nice neck but the rest of the guitar was really cheap...so cheap old screws, they just started to melt as I was turning them!

I think the point about making the body holes larger is still valid--I didn't make them wide enough, and that's why I had to work so hard to get the screws through.

[sirkentesquire]

I dont know about this. It just doesnt make sense to me why you wouldnt want the screws to thread through the body too. How many times have you snapped a screw head off?

Actually, I have had it happen twice, but it was on the same instrument. It's really just a bonus that you aren't screwed (pardon the pun) if the heads break off. It allows you to take the body off and use pliers to manually unscrew it.

The problem I would see is that the enlarged hole would give the screws room to play. Even if it were just a minute amount I think you could be asking for trouble down the road. I also imagine the screws would have a greater chance of working themselves loose over time.

That's a reasonable concern. Obviously if the neck pocket is loose and the screw holes are way too big then the neck could move around. The reason behind the bigger holes is that if you have both pieces threaded (body and neck) then you never get true compression between the two since once it screws through the body it no longer pulls the neck, merely holds it where it screws in.

There was actually a Telecaster that I repaired that had a loose neck due to the way the holes were drilled and their size and whatnot, which was remedied by putting in bigger screws and drilling the body holes so the screws just slid through, giving the screws the ability to tighten the neck to the body much more effectively. It was as solid as a rock.

As for the screws working themselves loose, you're right in that the less wood the screw is threaded into the less there is holding the screw, but I've never had it happen before. If the screws and holes are made properly and things are tight, there are few reasons, if any, why they should ever come loose.

Good observation.

[Doc]

I'm not goning to pretend that I have a whole lot of screw on neck experience but I do have a lot of woodworking experience.

Like SirKent said You want the hole in the body to be large enough so that the threads don't grab the body. You want the screw to suck the two pieces together. I assume this is true for both furniture and guitars.

Something that you should always do is lube your screws. Use candle wax. Keep an old nub handy and just drag the threads through it. Makes 'em go in ten times easier. Don't use soap. It's hygroscopic and makes the screws rust in time. A fairly short time.

I'm considering using only threaded inserts and bolts. Has anyone got anything that I need to know about this system? Any problems or tips? It just seems to make more sense to me. Bolts tend to be less snap prone than screws and I can get them with allen heads or square heads which are light years better than Phillips.