Filling and re-drilling neck screw holes on the body/neck pocket

[Jono Bolton]

Is this viable? I've got a P Bass body that I've tested a few necks on, and with each one, the screw holes in the heel of the neck have been a few mm lower than the holes in the neck pocket. After doing a quick comparison with the other P Bass bodies I have, it does look like the holes in the pocket are slightly higher.

 

I was going to take the body and a neck to a local tech to have them fitted together, and was planning on having the neck heel plugged and new holes drilled, but on thinking about it, it would be better if I could have the screw holes in the pocket filled and re-drilled instead; that way I could swap necks in the future if I needed to, as the positions of the holes in the neck are fairly uniform. The neck plate and gasket I have would cover the work, but would it have any effect on the integrity of the neck pocket?

[Dan Dare]

A decent tech/repairer should be able to do that. A proper job will involve filling with hardwood dowels and re-drilling. It shouldn't weaken anything if done right. I'd ask your tech's advice.

[PaulThePlug]

Glue, dowel, and re-drill.

Got any old dowl bits from a flatpack ikea build job?

Ruff or splined outside edges will help hold and transfer the glue rather than a too tight fit wiping it off.

What size holes ya got? And how thick the pocket? I got a jar of odds and can stick some in the post!.. a squirt of wood glue... Sorted!

As the body the holes are clearance less risk than plugging neck holes and them pulling out

Use some masking tape in the neck pocket and something in the neck holes or wet ink around the holes to mark for the new ones... small pilots and cocktail stick to check, then open em up a bit at a time.

Edited October 26, 2021 by PaulThePlug

[PaulThePlug]

6mm ish 1/4" ish x 30mm ish / 1 1/4"... Do ya? Then drop me a message with your address and i'll stick em in the post.

 

Remember... Basschat never puts a good bass down! 😉

Edited October 26, 2021 by PaulThePlug

[Jono Bolton]

Thanks both for the replies, I presumed that it would be the same process as plugging the holes in the heel of the neck but didn't know if it would have any negative impact.

 

And thanks for the offer @PaulThePlug (appropriate username 😄 ), but I'll politely decline as there's no chance I'll be doing the job myself! I'm planning on using good quality parts to finish the build so it wouldn't make sense to have me half-arsing it when putting it together; I'll give it to a grown up who knows what they're doing instead.