# Drilling a Strat Body



## Falcatarius (Apr 23, 2006)

Hey all,

So I finally got the strat body for my guitar build and its absolutely gorgeous. (nitro finish, solid black)

Now aside from the neckplate holes, theres nothing drilled. Which means I have to do the following...

Drill screwholes for the...
-pickguard
-bridge
-strap buttons
-2 screws for the spring claw in the back

In addition to (what I assume is) drilling a path for the jack wires.

Now I have not done anything like this at all, and I to be honest I don't think I'd really be comfortable trying to do so. I have a friend who builds guitars as a hobby, but he's never worked on a strat before.

So what I'm wondering is if you kind folks could help me out and supply me with schematics/hole sizes for drilling, information on how to run the wires to the jack, and any general tips.

If I present all of this information to my friend and he doesn't feel absolutely sure he can do it perfectly then I'll just take it to the nearest tech.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Cheers
-Tom

PS: If there are any guitar techs in the Ottawa area on here. Let me know! I probably have some work for you.


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## Falcatarius (Apr 23, 2006)

There were some questions on another forum I posted this on, and I thought I would copy my answers here to help get some answers.


The guitar body was purchased from the B. Hefner company. And in case I hadn't made myself clear, all of the routing is done except for a hole being made to connect the wires for the input jack with the pickguard assembly. (see pic for details) They do not advertise or offer drilling. But to their credit their work, price, and customer service is fantastic.

I'm going to be installing a Callaham S-model bridge as I got their hardware package. It's the traditional 2 7/32 vintage spacing.
See under "S Bridge Details" here...
http://www.callahamguitars.com/


Pictures:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v507/Falcatarius/StratBody.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v507/Falcatarius/StratBodyBack.jpg

No Drilling:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v507/Falcatarius/LackofHoles.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v507/Falcatarius/LackofHoles2.jpg

Note the lack of hole to thread the jack wires:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v507/Falcatarius/LackofRouting.jpg


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## Hamm Guitars (Jan 12, 2007)

Get your self a long drill bit and just drill between the jack and control cavity. I use an "installers bit" for this, they are normally used by cable installers to drill through walls with. I just use the smallest one available.

As for the trem cavity claw screws, a long bit works best but it has to be the right size for the screws that you are using. Also don't forget that you may need a ground wire between the claw and the control cavity, so there is another hole you will need to drill.

As for the pickguard screws, just pre drill pilot holes before you put the screws in, or you will probably split the wood.


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## Falcatarius (Apr 23, 2006)

Thanks Hamm. Any ideas how to best go about drilling for the ground wire between the trem and control cavities?

Also, for the trem claw screws, is it alright if the holes are at a slight angle? It seems like it would be difficult to drill them horizontally.

Cheers!
-Falcatarius


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