Hole-in-Strat

[moro]

I'm sure this is a stupid question. [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img] A lot of Strats seem to have a little half-inch deep hole under the pickguard, below the neck and middle pickups. What's this for?

Example on ebay.

[Number Of The Priest]

Re: Hole-in-Strat

It's a weight relief hole. Two ounces are shaved off. Goodbye back problems! Weeeeeeee! [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

It's Bill Z Bub's patented glory hole in a guitar. Know Steve Vai's JEM monkey grip handles? That's what inspired this. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

It's Roncyclopedia's Shotgun Soloist idea used on Fenders so that when he plays Fenders live on stage, he can still keep his M&Ms/Skittles in there instead of relying simply upon his Shotgun Soloist. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

I could go on, but I doubt you want me to... [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[moro]

Re: Hole-in-Strat

Nice. I almost believed the first one. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[VulfgangPfuck]

Re: Hole-in-Strat

LMAO!....it's actually the hole used to guide the router for carving out the cavity. There's some kind of jig they use, where they require that hole as a reference point.

[moro]

Re: Hole-in-Strat

Sheesh, good thing Fender doesn't run an animal hospital, eh? (Yeah, I'm not sure what that means either.)

I don't get it. Why is it that everyone else is able to rout their bodies without drilling extra holes? And it's not on all Fenders, either. Some don't have the hole. Some have multiple holes! And I don't think the quality of the guitar has anything to do with it--the link in my original post is for an American Strat.

[Number Of The Priest]

Re: Hole-in-Strat

Yeah, I do remember watching the videos of Wayne Charvel making a Wayne Strat-style body out of a bookmatched piece of alder and not needing that reference hole. Here are the videos that I'm talking about:

http://www.wayneguitars.com/nwwd/videos.htm

[VulfgangPfuck]

Re: Hole-in-Strat

[ QUOTE ]
I don't get it. Why is it that everyone else is able to rout their bodies without drilling extra holes?

[/ QUOTE ]

Because like I said....it's some kind of special routing jig they use. Can't explain why it's used on some and not on others, but (just guessing) that could be because some of them are routed on a CNC.

[moro]

Re: Hole-in-Strat

Ah, those are cool videos. I'm guessing though, that Fender cuts their body blanks much closer to the final size of their guitar, so they wouldn't be able to screw the template in place the way Wayne Charvel does.

Or could they even cut the body shape out before the pickup routs?

[BLOOD SPLATTER]

Re: Hole-in-Strat

That's where you put the weed for the guitar-bong!!

[Superfly]

Re: Hole-in-Strat

Great, now i have to pull the P/G off my Inca to see if it has that...thanks Moro [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[tmmsjm]

Re: Hole-in-Strat

I'm not certain, but I'd say it's most likely used with the hole cut in the bottom of the neck pocket to align the body on a CNC to do the tremolo cavity on the back. You don't need a reference to route the face, but when you flip it over you need something. They don't have to screw them down to the CNC either, they use a vacuum pump. The large dowels used to reference the part also help keep it from moving around.