OffsetGuitars.com

Recently I got an Allparts maple neck (product code: LMO)
This is to record the process for my own reference and for those who are to experience the same.  If you know all this, please skip



I had to perform two major surgeries to the neck.

1. Needless to mention, a '70s neck calls for a set of "F" tuning pegs.  Presently available pegs (Fender PN#099-0822-100) have "3/8 outer cylinders around poles", which the old ones lack.

Old (left) and new "F" pegs.  Note the extra cylinder on the new one.


Simply put, pre-drilled peg holes on LMO are too small to accomodate the Fender PN#099-0822-100 "F" tuning pegs.  Well, I could not tell the diameter of peg holes from just looking at their website, so I ended up with ordering it anyway

I had these choices:
(1) pop mucho $$$ for real vintage "F" pegs
(2) settle for non-"F" tuners (I happened to have a old set)
(3) return the neck and get one with 3/8 holes
(4) counter-bore the holes to 3/8 holes

Well, new pegs do offer a huge advantage over old ones.  They sport Schaller-made winding mechanism and said to be much more reliable than old ones (I hear Fender actually replaced old ones with "cylindered" PN#099-0822-100 in late 70's).

Not being able to accept other alternatives, I decided to counter-bore each hole to 3/8, both front and back of the headstock by my own hands.

Without Stewart Mac's special "peg hole reamers" or a drill press, the thrift nature of myself made me first look for alternate way of accomplishing this task.  And wandering around at a local Home Depot quite easily led me to a solution.  I found a $6 round harden-steel filing bar whose diameter happened to be 3/8, which they call "Bastard Cut Round File"

When I examined the Bastard filing bar over the peg holes, I realized this indeed could be a very sensitive task   You don't want to push and pull the bar back and forth into the hole, because then the bar will rock up 'n' down, right to left; the result would be holes too wide and loose.  So I slowly turn the filing bar into the holes little by little, then screwed it out and see if peg's 3/8 cylinder snuggly fits.  Then flipped the neck to the back and did the same maneuvers.

Turning the filing bar into a hard maple with bare hands required a lot of twisting force, I mean a lot    The task itself, however, was not that difficult because the filing bar "guides itself" into the hole like a giant bolt screw, therefore I did not have to concern too much about how straight the holes would be.  If you do this for yourself, you will know what I mean here.

Doing this for all 6 holes, well 12 in total with ones on the back, took time and tired me out.


Now tuning peg and brushing fit nice and snug.
Note the difference in hole diameter: the stock 1/4 hole (below) and widened 3/8 hole (above)


Notice whirling coil marks inside the holes - pattern left by turning "Bastard Filing Bar" in and out.



Then, the second hardship was encountered

2. Now all six pegs fit nicely …but not in harmony.  The outer casings of pegs collide with each other, therefore not aligned in-line like they are supposed to.  Accordingly, peg stems are not vertical in relation to the top straight edge of the headstock.

See how each peg is slanted, resulting in stems to lean forward.


The only choice I had was to somehow cut both upper and lower edges of each casing.

First I took each casing apart and numbered them 1 through 6 with a marker.  Because each casing would be slightly different as I manually shorten them one by one, I thought it would be better if I assigned permanent positions.  Additionally, I did not want to cut casings for the top of #1 nor the bottom of #6 pegs.  Thus this instant numbering system actually worked very well.

Instead of cutting the edges with a metalsheet cutter of some sort, I took #100 - 400 papers and ran the casings on them as if drawing lines.

Just rubbed casings on paper in one direction.  Notice the number "3" marking inside.


After sanding a little, I went back to the neck and checked to see if encumbrance was eased.  I went back and forth many times until each casings fit in their respective positions perfectly.  But task itself is pretty easy, as long as you take extra cautions not to scrape too much metal off the casings.

Again I did this for all 6 casings, well, 10 edges in total.

Now they ARE straight!  All six stems are exactly vertical against the top edge of the headstock.


I might have taken a long, long way around, but I am pretty happy with my own craftsmanship up to this point.  This is what I call a true "handcrafting" lol.  I now realize the hardness of the wood specie "maple".  The Bastard also gave me blisters on a couple of fingers, but I love working with wood in general and these tasks were fun indeed.  Especially when I only had to buy a $6 Bastard flie

Thanks for browsing.  I hope this info would somehow benefit offsetters.  I will post more pics as I further progress.

I had the same problems with my PooMaster - I used same neck and tuners.

The Allparts neck is pre drilled for Kluson style tuners. The spacing is also made for Klusons. The Shaller F tuners are made for 10 mm holes (European made - European metric measurements).

I didn't have that much problem with getting the tuners in line though - It was tight, but I manage to get them in line without filing/sanding the housings.

Great pictorial - good info.

I've enlarged holes on two headstocks using a handheld drill, with a piece of wood clamped to the the back of the headstock to prevent splintering, and have not had a problem. However, I've been reading more and more about how they should be reamed rather than drilled.

Hey I feel your pain!  Peg holes are often a big problem.  Yes, it is safer to ream but sure does take a long time compared to drilling.  Hey but you had fun, right?

the older brother wrote: I had the same problems with my PooMaster - I used same neck and tuners.
The Allparts neck is pre drilled for Kluson style tuners. The spacing is also made for Klusons. The Shaller F tuners are made for 10 mm holes (European made - European metric measurements).
I didn't have that much problem with getting the tuners in line though - It was tight, but I manage to get them in line without filing/sanding the housings.
Great pictorial - good info.

Thanks for your praise.
Oh, you are the owner of the famous PooMaster?   I somehow noticed it was the same neck and was acturally looking at your pics as I reamed holes!
Yeah, LMO must be drilled for Klusons.  But large headstock and bullet truss rod end, who did AllParts think would install Klusons in the frist place? :-\
Hmm, you managed jam F tuners without filing, huh?  Did you ream holes slightly side ways?  I thought about it, but I figured correctly spacing them would be very difficult.  Anyway, that's great.  We must have had of different prodution batches of neck and/or F tuners.  I notice there are at least two different packages of PN#0990822100 going around.

John Beef wrote: I've enlarged holes on two headstocks using a handheld drill, with a piece of wood clamped to the the back of the headstock to prevent splintering, and have not had a problem. However, I've been reading more and more about how they should be reamed rather than drilled.

Wow, is that a vintage neck being drilled?   You got guts!  I would be too scared to use any power tools on vintage guitars, especially ones pulgged into wall.  But hey, as long as you are sure you will get satisfactory results, I guess it is OK.  Thanx for the pic.

K-Line wrote: Hey I feel your pain!  Peg holes are often a big problem.  Yes, it is safer to ream but sure does take a long time compared to drilling.  Hey but you had fun, right?

You said it, man.  It's time consuming and even painful indeed ... but surely steadier and fun.  It's a "quality time" spent pouring some love and affection into my guitar 

Yessongs wrote:

John Beef wrote: I've enlarged holes on two headstocks using a handheld drill, with a piece of wood clamped to the the back of the headstock to prevent splintering, and have not had a problem. However, I've been reading more and more about how they should be reamed rather than drilled.

Wow, is that a vintage neck being drilled?   You got guts!  I would be too scared to use any power tools on vintage guitars, especially ones pulgged into wall.  But hey, as long as you are sure you will get satisfactory results, I guess it is OK.  Thanx for the pic.

No way! That's a 97 CIJ neck. I'd never do that to a vintage jazzmaster neck. 

John Beef wrote: No way! That's a 97 CIJ neck. I'd never do that to a vintage jazzmaster neck. 

phew~    You almost got me there.  Maybe they are pieces of shaved wood or something, but I suspected it was a real vintage because of nice relic scars you got on the headstock.  Did you have some problems with the stock CIJ tuners?

I can only imagine the suffering you went through screwing that file into the tuner holes...yikes. Any blisters? lol

Yessongs wrote:

John Beef wrote: No way! That's a 97 CIJ neck. I'd never do that to a vintage jazzmaster neck. 

phew~    You almost got me there.  Maybe they are pieces of shaved wood or something, but I suspected it was a real vintage because of nice relic scars you got on the headstock.  Did you have some problems with the stock CIJ tuners?

It was very well gigged. I don't know the specifics of how most of that scarring got there, other than just playing the hell out of it for many years. But I do know that I bent one of the stock tuners when it got caught under a shelf as I was standing up and not paying enough attention. Rather than replace the one tuner, I replaced the whole set with Planet Waves locking tuners. After that, it almost never went out of tune.