help this newbie drill holes in his bridge

solarvibe · October 26th, 2006, 05:23 PM

Hi Everyone,

I'm new to the board, so howdy! I guess I'll dive right in with a question if you don't mind...

I just got my Bill Nash '52 Tele Relic which I love with all my heart and don't want to hurt in any way. That being said I want to add a Hipshot B-Bender to it (also bends G and low E). So I must remove my bridge and drill 3 holes in the back. Forgive my lack of knowledge in this area, which is why I've come to you all.

First, do I need to do anything special to avoid damaging the neck when I remove the bridge? I only change 1 string at a time, so the neck tension stays fairly constant. How do I deal with removing all strings? Do I have to adjust the truss rod? Really don't want to do that since everything is perfect on this guitar.

Second, do I need a drill press to make the holes in the back of the bridge. I have standard drill with normal drill bits and a Dremel Hand Tool with whatever little bits come with that. Should I assume I'll need a special drill bit since I'll be drilling steel? I didn't understand that I was going to have to drill holes in my bridge when I bought this thing or I might never have gone down this road, but here I am and I wanna do some bending, so any and all help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks a million!
Jonathan

bender-freak · October 26th, 2006, 06:31 PM

i have the hipshot on several teles and have done the bridge drilling thing by hand and a bench vise with no problems whatsoever...use a centerpunch to locate your holes and you should be fine...whole process shouldn't take long at all...far as i know, all bender systems require some sort of alterations to the bridge ,my Shelton system, for instance has hole through the top of plate for the b string pivot post, P/G tele amer stnd has hole in back of bridge for the b string; i added G string and A string benders to it and drilled holes in just a few minutes...take yer time and study what yer gonna do before you start...hipshots are MUCH easier to do than the ones that require extensive alterations and routing of the guitar body....some here don't care much for them, but i ain't one of them...i personally think they are great...if ya don't like them they come off quicker than they went on and no damage to the guitar, can't say that bout an internal system.......welcome to the club....and have fun

J. Hayes · October 27th, 2006, 12:11 PM

Jonathan, I've use HipShots on various guitars for years and just filed a slot in the rear of the bridge. This works best as the B string raising lever actually pushes the string down towards the body for the raise. If you put it through a hole there's a good chance the string will rub on something. With a slot it doesn't touch anything. You can also do this with a fine hacksaw blade. Just put something like masking tape over the body of the guitar in the area you'll be cutting the slot. This requires no electricity, no workshop, no drill press, or anything. Just set in your easy chair with the guitar on your lap and do it...........JH in Va.

bender-freak · October 27th, 2006, 03:21 PM

[quote=J. Hayes]Jonathan, I've use HipShots on various guitars for years and just filed a slot in the rear of the bridge. This works best as the B string raising lever actually pushes the string down towards the body for the raise. If you put it through a hole there's a good chance the string will rub on something. With a slot it doesn't touch anything. You can also do this with a fine hacksaw blade. Just put something like masking tape over the body of the guitar in the area you'll be cutting the slot. This requires no electricity, no workshop, no drill press, or anything. Just set in your easy
chair with the guitar on your lap and do it...........JH in Va.[/QUOTE

i've done it both ways; filing or sawing a notch; have a Dremel that is super quick but i still prefer taking the bridge completely off, cause, with my luck, if an accident CAN happer...it WILL....my eyesight ain't what it used to be

....and i tend to be impatient and get in a hurry, so taking the bridge off for me cuts down on the crap that "could" happen.....

Rich Rice · October 29th, 2006, 10:06 AM

I'm a big fan of "notching" the back as opposed to drilling. I second the idea of removing the strings and bridge. It won't hurt your neck to take off all the strings. Just don't leave it laying on a heat register for a week... It's safer to pull the bridge, coincidental damage is minimized by doing so. If you are confident, the notching can be done in record time with an angle grinder and a diamond blade, followed by a jewelers' file and 320 grit sandpaper. Otherwise, a file or hacksaw blade will do the trick- but will take some time. You could do it in place with a Dremel, but don't let it get too hot, and don't do the Dremel thing while the bridge is still on the guitar. It will throw abrasive and metal dust, which can get into your pickups or damage the finish.

October 26th, 2006, 05:23 PM	#1 (permalink)
solarvibe NEW MEMBER! Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: New York City Posts: 1	help this newbie drill holes in his bridge Hi Everyone, I'm new to the board, so howdy! I guess I'll dive right in with a question if you don't mind... I just got my Bill Nash '52 Tele Relic which I love with all my heart and don't want to hurt in any way. That being said I want to add a Hipshot B-Bender to it (also bends G and low E). So I must remove my bridge and drill 3 holes in the back. Forgive my lack of knowledge in this area, which is why I've come to you all. First, do I need to do anything special to avoid damaging the neck when I remove the bridge? I only change 1 string at a time, so the neck tension stays fairly constant. How do I deal with removing all strings? Do I have to adjust the truss rod? Really don't want to do that since everything is perfect on this guitar. Second, do I need a drill press to make the holes in the back of the bridge. I have standard drill with normal drill bits and a Dremel Hand Tool with whatever little bits come with that. Should I assume I'll need a special drill bit since I'll be drilling steel? I didn't understand that I was going to have to drill holes in my bridge when I bought this thing or I might never have gone down this road, but here I am and I wanna do some bending, so any and all help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks a million! Jonathan

October 26th, 2006, 06:31 PM	#2 (permalink)
bender-freak Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: springfield, missouri Posts: 1,398	i have the hipshot on several teles and have done the bridge drilling thing by hand and a bench vise with no problems whatsoever...use a centerpunch to locate your holes and you should be fine...whole process shouldn't take long at all...far as i know, all bender systems require some sort of alterations to the bridge ,my Shelton system, for instance has hole through the top of plate for the b string pivot post, P/G tele amer stnd has hole in back of bridge for the b string; i added G string and A string benders to it and drilled holes in just a few minutes...take yer time and study what yer gonna do before you start...hipshots are MUCH easier to do than the ones that require extensive alterations and routing of the guitar body....some here don't care much for them, but i ain't one of them...i personally think they are great...if ya don't like them they come off quicker than they went on and no damage to the guitar, can't say that bout an internal system.......welcome to the club....and have fun __________________ bender-freak

October 27th, 2006, 12:11 PM	#3 (permalink)
J. Hayes Tele-Holic Join Date: May 2005 Location: Virginia Beach, Va. Posts: 974	You don't need to drill anything............... Jonathan, I've use HipShots on various guitars for years and just filed a slot in the rear of the bridge. This works best as the B string raising lever actually pushes the string down towards the body for the raise. If you put it through a hole there's a good chance the string will rub on something. With a slot it doesn't touch anything. You can also do this with a fine hacksaw blade. Just put something like masking tape over the body of the guitar in the area you'll be cutting the slot. This requires no electricity, no workshop, no drill press, or anything. Just set in your easy chair with the guitar on your lap and do it...........JH in Va. __________________ Ralph Mooney rules!!

October 27th, 2006, 03:21 PM	#4 (permalink)
bender-freak Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: springfield, missouri Posts: 1,398	j. jhayes is correct.... [quote=J. Hayes]Jonathan, I've use HipShots on various guitars for years and just filed a slot in the rear of the bridge. This works best as the B string raising lever actually pushes the string down towards the body for the raise. If you put it through a hole there's a good chance the string will rub on something. With a slot it doesn't touch anything. You can also do this with a fine hacksaw blade. Just put something like masking tape over the body of the guitar in the area you'll be cutting the slot. This requires no electricity, no workshop, no drill press, or anything. Just set in your easy chair with the guitar on your lap and do it...........JH in Va.[/QUOTE i've done it both ways; filing or sawing a notch; have a Dremel that is super quick but i still prefer taking the bridge completely off, cause, with my luck, if an accident CAN happer...it WILL....my eyesight ain't what it used to be ....and i tend to be impatient and get in a hurry, so taking the bridge off for me cuts down on the crap that "could" happen..... __________________ bender-freak

October 29th, 2006, 10:06 AM	#5 (permalink)
Rich Rice Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: In a dream world.. Just ask my wife. Age: 53 Posts: 2,598 11 Photos	I'm a big fan of "notching" the back as opposed to drilling. I second the idea of removing the strings and bridge. It won't hurt your neck to take off all the strings. Just don't leave it laying on a heat register for a week... It's safer to pull the bridge, coincidental damage is minimized by doing so. If you are confident, the notching can be done in record time with an angle grinder and a diamond blade, followed by a jewelers' file and 320 grit sandpaper. Otherwise, a file or hacksaw blade will do the trick- but will take some time. You could do it in place with a Dremel, but don't let it get too hot, and don't do the Dremel thing while the bridge is still on the guitar. It will throw abrasive and metal dust, which can get into your pickups or damage the finish. __________________ Please visit my website! If you are driven to play, you will find a way.