Typical Gotoh tuners...how deep is enough?

[Robert Burns]

By this i mean the mount screw holding it from turning in the back
of the headstock? Does it have to be 9/16" deep almost 90% thru
the thickness of the headstock? Or can it be just about 3/8" deep
and be a good 3/16" from the laminate black of the headstock on
the front? I dont want to get too close, but i want it to be
strong enough. Is this just a slip preventor? Or does it really
take some torque from the string tension? Thanks! Ive got this
killer Ibanez custom neck, but im having to drill out the tiny #4
pilot holes for the single GOTOH retainer loop. Help this KLUTZ
out !

[spazzyone]

they are just to keep them from turning
same as screwless tuners that use a pin instead

[rjohnstone]

Slide the screw into the tuner and measure how much sticks out the other side.
That's how deep the screw holes need to be.
If you don't drill them deep enough, you can split the wood when you screw them in.

[Bengal65]

I'll add to RJ's comments. Use a piece of masking tape on your drill bit to mark the depth of the hole. Works great and is cheap.

[Model1VH2]

If you don't drill them deep enough, you can split the wood when you screw them in.

It would be extremely rare for one of those tiny screws to split the wood.
It's much more likely the head would snap off the screw if your holes aren't drilled big enough.

+1 for marking your bit.

[rjohnstone]

It would be extremely rare for one of those tiny screws to split the wood.

I wouldn't say extremely rare.
I've seen it happen before on more than one occasion.

[Carbuff]

Yeah, especially on the low e tuner. How many jackson headstocks do we see with that split right along the tuner hole. Better safe than sorry, I say. I have a drill bit that has a handle on it and I use it for that. It is marked for depth and I do it by hand. Works great.

[Model1VH2]

Yeah, especially on the low e tuner. How many jackson headstocks do we see with that split right along the tuner hole. Better safe than sorry, I say. I have a drill bit that has a handle on it and I use it for that. It is marked for depth and I do it by hand. Works great.

I'm surprised ...
I've never experienced that problem, but I have had my share of screws snap off.

[Robert Burns]

Thanks guys...i did the tape on the bit for a depth marker... worked each
screw in and out as i went about 7/16" deep... and had a good 1/2" pilot
pre drilled hole...so no split..and worked fine! And this neck had me
anal for sure..its a custom Holoflash vine inlay neck and its the absolute
BOMB on my Bad Horsie! Why they came with just the dots...puzzles
me and Quicksilver' who i purchased them from..Having this amazing
vine inlay neck on the all mirrored Jem is the way Ibanez should have
done it in the first place. This thing is stunning! Almost impossible
to show how the light dances off the fretboard showing orange/blue/green/ red/ mirror chrome.... Just stunning! And the Ibanez
logo is done this way too in the headstock, so i was shittin a brick drilling
out the GOTOH retainer holes...whew!

[Postal]

You know we're gonna need to see pics now.