Official Luthiers Forum!

So.... I'm working on an acoustic guitar for myself - and somehow had a brain malfunction.

I drilled the K&K pickup jack hole with a 3/4" bit instead of the intended 1/2" bit.

I figure I'll plug the hole - but now I need a larger washer to cover up the hole. So... where can I get a washer that is a little bigger than 3/4" in diameter with a 1/2" hole? And while we're asking for it - I'd like it in Gold if possible.

The guitar has already been "finished" - so I can't just redo the end graft/wedge. I have to come up with a workable solution for a post-finish instrument.

Any sources you can tell me about would be GREAT.

This kind of fun for ONE STINKING WASHER!!!

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P A U L B U R N E R
Burner Guitars

This may be a job for your machinist friend.................! Stainless steel washer with a high polish. You may be able to make a tool from 1/2" drill rod and a small tool bit to remove material for a pearl washer inlay. Sorry to hear About your problem,hope you find a cure.
Tom

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

http://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-flat-washers/=khnppi

This is a start... nickel plated brass washers

Look at this one: Nickel-Plated Brass Flat Washer 5/16" Screw Size, 3/4" OD, .05"-.08" Thk

Mount it between two pieces of wood, and use a hole enlarging bit to make ID 0.5"

Sorry, I saw no gold ones.

BTW Paul, I believe that qualifies for the the Dufus Award.

Are there no plating services in your area? You could get a machined washer plated easily enough. Lots of those places around here.

OR...consider using Brass instead, and spray it with some lacquer. It's relatively easy to machine too.

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

Cap your plug with something to match/complement you binding and you have a design feature...

Ebony binding - maybe I'll just make my own wood washer out of Ebony.

Spray it with some poly - and see how it looks.

Still looking for other ideas.

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P A U L B U R N E R
Burner Guitars

This is what I would do. Or, alternatively, cap it with a piece of pearl or whatever you used for position markers.
I don't see any other way around it. You might find a washer the size you're looking for, but finding one in gold is gonna be "fun", IMHO.

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Mike

The only thing nescessary for evil to thrive is for good men to do nothing.

Make one, shaped like your tailwedge but 1/4 scale, from 1/16" plate brass. Center a 1/2" hole. Polish to 2000, then buff & lacquer.
Or, make a duplicate trussrod cover (if you're using one).
In other words, turn mistake into a design feature.

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Dave
Milton, ON

What about swapping the endpin jack for one of those ones with a screw in collar around the barrel? They are quite cheap, and come in gold......I bought one for a project that may or may not ever happen, given my current rate of production....

Nick - I don't know the style you are talking about. Can you provide a link or photo please?

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P A U L B U R N E R
Burner Guitars

So - I'm not sure which is worse...

Posting on the OLF you've made an idiot move and asking for help or.....

Realizing that you really DIDN'T have a problem at all and cried wolf?

So..... here's the story.....

When I was installing the K&K I had glued the sensors in - and then started to put the jack in the hole. I unscrewed the end cap and thought - HOLY CRAP THAT IS SO SMALL - I DRILLED THE HOLE WAY TOO BIG!

So... knowing that the end pin is 1/2" I just "assumed" based on the size of the threaded jack that I had drilled the hole with my 3/4" bit.

I went to the hardware store and bought some 3/4" dowel to plug the hole. Brought it home and held it to the hole and realized that the dowel was HUGE compared to my hole.

So.... I went back and looked at things and had totally forgotten that the end jack is 2 different sizes. It steps down to a smaller size for the end cap on the outside of the guitar - but the main shaft is bigger. See photo.



So... end of the story is I get double embarrassment because everything is OK - and I have to admit to the world that I am a double bozo!

End of the story is all is well in Nebraska!

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P A U L B U R N E R
Burner Guitars

Ha. Ha. Ha.

At least you didnt mess up!

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http://www.CostaGuitars.com
PMoMC

Well, yes, now this little slip up has been logged in cyber-space for all posterity. Not a big deal. I've done sillier things myself.
The good news is that you haven't wrecked your guitar and can move forward.

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

I like the ebony washer and perhaps a line of bwb purfling around the outside to show it off.

Don't worry Paul. Your secret is safe with us.

You could always go with a D-Tar Lock-'n-Load, which has the batteries accessible through the endpin. I think this is actually a better system than the bag attached with velcro inside the guitar. I have not used the system since it uses a bigger hole than standard, but you are already there!

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Stay with the happy people.
--Reynolds Large

The obvious fix is to make the hole even larger and call it a sound port.
It's your guitar...who can argue with you?
Install the pup jack in lower bout (with properly sized hole).

Or...ebony plug, drilled out to proper size. Will be a thin black circle when you're done, and people will think you're a magician.

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Paul: Your an awful brave man..................................!!!!!

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

I know some of you guys are going to find this hard to comprehend, but the rest of the world thinks it's 12mm.

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Trevor Gore, Luthier. Australian hand made acoustic guitars, classical guitars; custom guitar design and build; guitar design instruction.

http://www.goreguitars.com.au

Hey...no causing trouble here. We obviously have enough troubles without adding that metric crap into the mix...

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

I don't care who you are - that's funny!

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P A U L B U R N E R
Burner Guitars

We're a metric nation as well, but I never made the change-over. When I talk inches, feet, yards, mph, my kids look at me like I'm an idiot.

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

We've all ridden the Bozo Bus. Welcome to the club...just don't sit on the Dwarf

I care...to quote Luke Skywalker.

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Just did an install of a Baggs system in a Taylor that was equipped with their ES system. Customer supplied this:

http://www.truplugusa.com/

The end plate may be just what you need.

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http://www.presnallguitars.com