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Joined:
November 2008
Posts: 1119
Location: Michigan | Any tips? I want to put an input jack through the bowl and do not want to fracture the bowl so I would appreciate any tips?
Thanks,
Rich |
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Joined:
December 2004
Posts: 1673
Location: SoCal | Use sharp bits. Drill a pilot hole first. Maintain the bit at the same angle throughout the operation. |
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Joined:
December 2004
Posts: 1673
Location: SoCal | I prefer using brad point bits for that type of operation. |
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Joined:
August 2005
Posts: 616
Location: cincinnati, ohio | I actually used a 1/4" flat blade (not corkscrew) wood boring bit - brand new so it was super sharp. I drilled a pilot hole with a small bit. There's a point on the end of the boring bit that goes into the pilot hole, then the blade cuts out the rest of the hole. Took less than 10 seconds - slick as a whistle. Very clean hole. I put a good sized piece of clear packing tape over the area to be drilled to keep the Lyrachord from splintering. I did it on a 1971 Balladeer and a 1976 Pacemaker 12 string, and then hard wired Dean Markley Pro Mag soundhole pickups into the jacks (and they sounded surprisingly good). I went to Willis Music to measure the bowl of an Ovation acoustic electric with a cloth measuring tape so I knew exactly where to drill the holes.
Years later a luthier installed Fishman SuperNatural undersaddle pickups in both guitars - and used the holes I drilled. He said, "Good job..." 
Edited by rick endres 2013-05-14 4:03 PM
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Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | I just did it using progressively larger bits.
Once I got to the really large bits I ran them in reverse.
Rick's flat blade sounds better, but I used what I had.
Or maybe a step drill... But someone else told me about running the drill backwards.
Also, if you are doing this to a Center-Hole Ovation...
You will not be able to reach the heel/base/bottom/lower-end where the strap button is.
I didn't want my jack in the back... I wanted it near the strap button.
(and I don't like end-pin jacks)
So I fished a guitar string through the freshly drilled hole to the Center-Hole...
Then put the ball end through the output hole of the jack.
I took a small piece of "6E" string and ran it through the ball hole, and bent it to a "V".
Snug that up to the innards of the jack assembly.
Pull the jack to the hole and a little fiddling with needle-nose pliers to get it right.
Add that big nut. Then you can the string back out the center-hole, or just pull it through the jack.
Have Fun.
BTW-- I installed passive two-piezo soundboard transducer sticker-things.
Non-invasive, and reversible. I could go to an undersaddle piezo later.
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Joined:
November 2008
Posts: 1119
Location: Michigan | Thanks all! much appreciated. |
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Drilling a hole into the bowl?