Snakehead routing?

[misterjohn]

Thinking of building a tele/esquire type guitar. I'll only need 2 knobs, so I thought of routing the control cavity at 45 degrees to the body like the 1949 Snakehead. How do you drill from the bridge pickup to the control cavity to the output? It looks like you need to be super accurate to hit the cavity. Has anyone built something like this before? How did you do it?

[OpenG Capo4]

Looks like it'd be a straight shot with a long bit. Start in the bridge cavity and angle down about 25 degrees toward the control cavity.

Harbor freight sells a 3pc. set of 3 ft long bits 1/8; 3/16; and 1/4 for under $10.

[adirondak5]

Yep , like OpenG said , use a long bit , I used a 12" bit from the bridge cavity to the control cavity on the snakehead I built .

[misterjohn]

So start from bridge, not control cavity? Bridge seems like a bigger target to hit. Will need to find some scrap wood to practice on. Thanks for replies.

[OpenG Capo4]

Its more about how you can line up a shot between the two. The bridge is the shallower cavity, so you can angle the bit down and hit the deeper control cavity. Its impossible to start in the control cavity and angle up to hit the bridge pickup cavity.

[Jack Wells]

It's not that different from drilling a wiring hole on a typical Telecaster. One caution ......... especially if you building a true copy of the Snakehead prototype with a 1 1/2 in. body. Be carefull that you don't drill through the back. It would be a good idea to start you hole high in the pickup cavity wall with your 12 in. bit resting on or near the body front on the other side of the pickup cavity.

Bridge seems like a bigger target to hit.

If you can't hit the control cavity from two inches away stay away from firearms.

......

[glen smith]

I was wondering about that myself. Thanks for posting, Jack.