Jazz bass Mod becomes Build?

[fender3x]

Amazon delivered a 300mm x 4mm drill bit today. It was very impressive the way the stainless steel sleeve stabilized the angle. The slop has dropped from about 6 degrees of play to about 1 degree of play. That seems pretty acceptable. I managed to get it two ways.

One of the two 6mm guides they sent is worse than the other. I'd throw the bad one away, but maybe I'll drill it out to use with a 1/4" bit.

I got the 1-degree-of-play with the 4mm bit first by using the better 6mm guide with the stainless steel sleeve.

I also discovered discovered I could get pretty much the same using the 8mm guide. In this case I used the stainless steel tube and then the plastic shaft from a Bic "round stic" pen.



I noticed that the shaft OD is exactly 8mm and the ID is 6mm. It worked great. Not really necessary since at least one of the 6mm guides to work, but interesting nevertheless ;-)

[Trevor Davies]

Great that the sleeve has reduced the angle variation - I think +or- 1 degree is very acceptable.

Funny about the pen tube - great find!

[fender3x]

So far, I am thinking that your approach, along with a test using some scrap wood, is still best. The only thing I may have contributed is the idea of using the stainless steel tube.

I tried my "15" degree jig again today, using the sleeves and a 4mm bit. I drilled two tests holes in a 2x4 piece of lumber--one on the 8mm and one on the 6mm side. So, I now know, that stabilizing with the stainless steel sleeve, the 6mm hole drill a 19 degree hole, and the 8mm side drills a 17 degree hole.

This prompted me to do some measurements, and to get out a calculator to see what angles I would need. Distance from the center of the bridge to the control cavity is 135mm. The control cavity is 30mm deep. So the maximum angle I can use to get to the cavity is 12.5 degrees. If I go from the bridge to the bridge pickup cavity it's a bit better... 60mm of run, 20 mm of drop...that's 18mm. One side of my jig will work for that. TD's will also work.

I think the moral of the story is that the next time I do this, I need to be ready to make--and test--a jig. I don't think I am going to be comfortable drilling until I can get it right on a piece of scrap lumber.

That may not be too long. I just found a bass body (p-bass this time) for $25 on AliBaba. I have an idea about making a headless bass using the neck from the SX that I will have left over after this bass... The body should arrive shortly after I finish some refinishing on this and a couple of other projects...