Deepening Telecaster control cavity

dchwhite

I'm trying to complete some of my half-finished projects. The selector switch was poorly on my old mik Squier Telecaster, so I rewired it together with the pots - only to find the new switch is too deep for the control cavity - and then we had to move house, so the poor thing has been in a case unplayed for a few months. However - now is its time! I don't think I need to deepen it by much but I don't want to mess it up - I was thinking my maplin dremel-a-like would be a good candidate, but before I go and do something daft, has anyone who's done it before got any words of wisdom?

streethawk

Some of these Squiers don't leave much wood between the cavity rout and the body. Measure the total body depth, then the cavity depth, and finally the switch depth - see if you're comfortable with the amount of wood remaining after routing for the switch.

If it's only the switch that's too deep, just gouge a rout into that area. 

I had a similar issue with my Squier strat that had a control cavity rout too shallow for a big cap I'd popped onto the back of a pot. Think I used a hand drill with a countersink bit and kept popping the loom back in to see if I'd gone far enough.

Winny_Pooh

Ive used a chisel to take a small bit out, measure twice of course

Rocker

I used a router bit in a power drill (that was before I got a router). Tread carefully .......

Sporky

I'd definitely agree with Streethawk about measuring.

Then a router with a bearing-guided bit is the safe way to do it. If you don't have one, find someone who does and give them beer or biscuits or similar.

streethawk

Sporky;1057075" said:

I'd definitely agree with Streethawk about measuring.



Then a router with a bearing-guided bit is the safe way to do it. If you don't have one, find someone who does and give them beer or biscuits or similar.

Biscuits for me. Oaty. Unfortunately I'm not local.

dchwhite

Thanks for all the advice - much appreciated Hopefully tomorrow I will take the plunge - thank you.

Sarge

My advice would be bin that maplin dremelike, I had one, still do actually, and it jumps about like a punk at an Oi! Gig

OilCityPickups

I had the same issue with my ash bodied demo Tele. We fitted a mahoosive harness with a four way switch and one of our CTS push/pull pots (chunky beasts) ... we needed to demo the Wapping Wharf with coil tap and have some cool options for the neck HonkyTonk Angel ... the Oak Grigsby four way was too deep (CTS pot was fine) ... so I had to break out the router and take the cavity out by about 4mm. This was tight, as the body was a 'BooBoo bodies' jobby and cut to thinner Squier thickness. TBH I wouldn't consider that job without a proper router. 

If you are near London I'll happily do it for you mind

Jimbro66

TheGuitarWeasel said:

... the Oak Grigsby four way was too deep (CTS pot was fine) ... so I had to break out the router and take the cavity out by about 4mm....

That's interesting Ash. You have an Esquire harness on order from me at present that features an Oak Grigsby four way and I wonder whether that is going to give me similar depth problems? My Esquire's control cavity is 38mm deep and the body is 44mm overall thickness. What depth did you find was required for the OG four-way?

OilCityPickups

Jimbro66 said:

TheGuitarWeasel said:

... the Oak Grigsby four way was too deep (CTS pot was fine) ... so I had to break out the router and take the cavity out by about 4mm....

That's interesting Ash. You have an Esquire harness on order from me at present that features an Oak Grigsby four way and I wonder whether that is going to give me similar depth problems? My Esquire's control cavity is 38mm deep and the body is 44mm overall thickness. What depth did you find was required for the OG four-way?

OG is the same depth as a standard fender switch ... 35.5mm so 'tight' but should be fine. The BooBoo bodies cavity was around  33mm so no chance!!!

Jimbro66

TheGuitarWeasel said:

Jimbro66 said:

TheGuitarWeasel said:

... the Oak Grigsby four way was too deep (CTS pot was fine) ... so I had to break out the router and take the cavity out by about 4mm....

That's interesting Ash. You have an Esquire harness on order from me at present that features an Oak Grigsby four way and I wonder whether that is going to give me similar depth problems? My Esquire's control cavity is 38mm deep and the body is 44mm overall thickness. What depth did you find was required for the OG four-way?

OG is the same depth as a standard fender switch ... 35.5mm so 'tight' but should be fine. The BooBoo bodies cavity was around  33mm so no chance!!!

Thanks for that Ash (sigh of relief ). I'd always assumed all Teles/Esquires had the same body thickness and didn't know the budget models skimped on wood. Something else learned....

OilCityPickups

Jimbro66 said:

TheGuitarWeasel said:

Jimbro66 said:

TheGuitarWeasel said:

... the Oak Grigsby four way was too deep (CTS pot was fine) ... so I had to break out the router and take the cavity out by about 4mm....

That's interesting Ash. You have an Esquire harness on order from me at present that features an Oak Grigsby four way and I wonder whether that is going to give me similar depth problems? My Esquire's control cavity is 38mm deep and the body is 44mm overall thickness. What depth did you find was required for the OG four-way?

OG is the same depth as a standard fender switch ... 35.5mm so 'tight' but should be fine. The BooBoo bodies cavity was around  33mm so no chance!!!

Thanks for that Ash (sigh of relief ). I'd always assumed all Teles/Esquires had the same body thickness and didn't know the budget models skimped on wood. Something else learned....

Bloody glad my ash Tele isn't thicker ... it weighs as much as a small planet as it stands! Sustains like a bugger though.

Jimbro66

TheGuitarWeasel said:

Bloody glad my ash Tele isn't thicker ... it weighs as much as a small planet as it stands! Sustains like a bugger though.

Reminds me of an Embuya-bodied Tele I once had. So heavy I developed a stoop . The Swamp Ash body of my Esquire weighs a smidgen over 1.7kg -  lovely!

dchwhite

Thanks again all and especially Ash for the kind offer - unfortunately I'm a fair way away from you in Ely, but I really appreciate the thought, thank you (likewise Streethawk). I actually ended up doing that strangest of things (for me) and playing guitar last weekend - probably displacement activity to keep me away from power tools. I will be sure to take the advice about measuring before I take the plunge though - thank you

WezV

Jimbro66;1063362" said:

TheGuitarWeasel said:





Bloody glad my ash Tele isn't thicker ... it weighs as much as a small planet as it stands! Sustains like a bugger though.





Reminds me of an Embuya-bodied Tele I once had. So heavy I developed a stoop . The Swamp Ash body of my Esquire weighs a smidgen over 1.7kg -  lovely!

I did an explorer in imbuya years ago. 13lbs. Smells great when you are working it though