givethemrope Posted July 2, 2007 Report Share Posted July 2, 2007 Hello, I am new here and to the art of modifying guitars in general but I am going to be starting pretty soon and would like some help from more experienced players like you guys. I have a Squier Affinity Series Telecaster. It was my first tele and I have put a lot of love into it. I know its not the best guitar but everyone who has worked on it says that it plays really nice and that the neck feels good. My main problem right now is that I play in a rock band and my hands sweat a lot while playing. Up until recently I didn't take the time to wipe off my hardware or the guitar at all after we played. I would just put it back in the case and go mingle. Well now that it has been some time the hardware (bridge, saddles, tone plate, etc) have started to rust. I don't think it affects the sound to much but it looks bad and I would like to replace the hardware listed above. Here is where I run into my first problem. The guitar is not a String Thru guitar. You load the strings in through the back of the bridge. All or most of the bridges that I have found are through the body. I like that and have talked with some people about the advantages of a String Thru. I think that I would like to make my Tele a string thru also. Is that going to be ok? And if it is should I try doing it myself or should I take it somewhere? I would like to start doing this stuff myself but I don't want to mess up my guitar right before we leave for tour. Any advice for this beginner? Thank you in advance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAK Guitars Posted July 3, 2007 Report Share Posted July 3, 2007 (edited) I've never done that before so I'm not an expert but I wouldn't think it would be a problem. As long as you didn't change where the bridge is or mess with the saddles which could ruin the intonation. Good Luck. Edited July 3, 2007 by WAK Guitars Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheIRS Posted July 3, 2007 Report Share Posted July 3, 2007 Hmm, I managed to find an inexpensive top-loading bridge from Guitar Fetish. Try looking for an Esquire bridge, those are similar to the tele ones except they are top loaded. You also could do the string through idea you mentioned but i wouldn't recommend you doing that to the guitar without practicing on a separate piece of wood first. Also if you are going to be leaving for a tour soon, you shouldn't do any major work on your guitar if it isn't necessary to make it function. You can always do the work when you get back, and just use some rust removing chemicals to clean it up for now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ihocky2 Posted July 3, 2007 Report Share Posted July 3, 2007 There is no reason that you can't make it a string through. It is actually a fairly quick process, but I would recomend using a drill press if possible. If not, at least a drill stand so that you keep your holes straight. The only problem you may run into is that the new bridge may not have the screws located in the exact same spot. So you may have to fill the original holes, redrill and drill for the string holes, and ferrules. All you need to do is drill a hole large enough for the string all the way through the body, use the bridge to locate the holes. Drill from the opposite side with the proper size drill bit for the ferrules as indicated by the manufacturer. Use either a brad point drill bit to help prevent chipping or else put down some masking tape. Good Luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted July 3, 2007 Report Share Posted July 3, 2007 apparently string through holes are easy !! Its certainly not a job i would recommend trying if you are new to this game If you have access to a LARGE drill press then they are not too bad but with anything else the job becomes 10 times more difficult to do accurately Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ihocky2 Posted July 3, 2007 Report Share Posted July 3, 2007 I can't see why string through holes should be difficult to do. It takes some patience and a few specific tools, but it is not as difficult as converting from or to a Floyd Rose trem, or adding a pickup cavity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marksound Posted July 3, 2007 Report Share Posted July 3, 2007 Try this: http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.ph...st&p=173549 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted July 3, 2007 Report Share Posted July 3, 2007 Hello, I am new here and to the art of modifying guitars I try to take into account somebody's experience when giving advice, since givethemrope is a self-confessed beginner i think ts important to stress that this is not as easy as you guys are making it sound I can't see why string through holes should be difficult to do. It takes some patience and a few specific tools, but it is not as difficult as converting from or to a Floyd Rose trem, or adding a pickup cavity. If somebody has a large drill press that reaches far enough into the guitar it is a very easy job - although still easy to do wrong. Most hobbyists and certainly most beginners to this possibly wont have such tools and doing it with smaller tools makes it a lot more difficult. Its definately easier than converting to a floyd rose but i would'nt say it was as easy as routing for a pickup - this needs a hell of a lot more accurate measuring - which is where a lot of beginners fall down. I see lots of guitars around here with ferrules on the back that dont quite line up so i think its safe to assume that not everyone finds this as easy as you do, i dont mind admitting its something that took me a while to get good at Try this: http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.ph...st&p=173549 Thats a very good method but relies on very accurate measurement and bridge placement for the guide holes. It also relies on you being able to drill in a straight line and to be able to drill without the bit wandering - so not easy to do without a large drill press, especially for a beginner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ihocky2 Posted July 3, 2007 Report Share Posted July 3, 2007 I see lots of guitars around here with ferrules on the back that dont quite line up so i think its safe to assume that not everyone finds this as easy as you do, i dont mind admitting its something that took me a while to get good at I'll agree that it takes a while to get good at. I won't even claim that I am good at it. Getting the ferrules to line up straight is definitely the hardest part. I was more referring to doing the actual work though. The drilling is pretty much straight forward. It's just keeping the drill straight and not chipping the finish. The job of drilling and installing the ferrules is pretty simple and easy enough for a beginner to do. Ending up with a straight line and professional results is where it starts to become difficult. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted July 3, 2007 Report Share Posted July 3, 2007 there we go then, very easy to do - but quite hard to do well!! i can agree with that - problem is that i usually aim to do things well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marksound Posted July 3, 2007 Report Share Posted July 3, 2007 Try this: http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.ph...st&p=173549 Thats a very good method but relies on very accurate measurement and bridge placement for the guide holes. It also relies on you being able to drill in a straight line and to be able to drill without the bit wandering - so not easy to do without a large drill press, especially for a beginner Wez, I've done it exactly once with a cordless drill and not much else. It turned out pretty good. The secret is to go slow, don't hurry, and go slow. And don't hurry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted July 3, 2007 Report Share Posted July 3, 2007 yeah, my first time didnt work out too badly -it was the few after that when they started to go wrong. I have pretty much got it spot on now, but they still occasionally fall below a standard i am happy with and i have to work out a fix Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bucks Owin Posted July 3, 2007 Report Share Posted July 3, 2007 (edited) I'm too plan to install string-thru ferrules on my Squire '51. I expect "some" increase in sustain, but mainly because the stock bridge is the most ridiculous I've ever seen in the way the string makes an "S curve" from the anchor point (hole) to the saddle! (Not to mention, it's a pain to restring...) My plan, now that I've got the intonation set up, is to use the center of the saddle hole to mark the location for the thru hole. Seeing as how my A string saddle is quite far behind the others this will look kinda "odd" from the back, but on the other hand, maybe it'll look really "custom" to have the ferrules staggered the same as the saddles.... Opinions? Dennis Edited July 3, 2007 by Bucks Owin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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