Installing through-the-body string ferrules on guitar

[Steve A.]

I'm working on a project from Jason Lollar's blog:

Lollar Pickups Blog » Blog Archive » Lap Steel Modification for Lollar Supro Pickup

This involves modifying an $80 Rogue lap steel guitar from MF to a *real* lap steel with his Supro pickup.

Does anyone here have any tips on installing the through-the-body ferrules? Like what diameter to drill the hole. Actually I can measure the holes in one of my teles- however my big question is what to do with the top of the hole (when there is no bridge plate)? I'm sure that the strings would dig into the wood (it is very light) so I was thinking of maybe using brass eyelets from a crafts store? Any tips on that?

I have a drill press I've never even used (well, ya never know when you might need one!) I think I should put a piece of soft wood under the guitar so that it doesn't get scratched up on the metal table (I think that is what they call it).

Thanks!

Steve Ahola

Here is a picture from Jason's blog. I guess he has a metal piece which protects the top of the guitar. I can't tell from the picture whether that metal piece butts up to the bridge or actually mounts under it.

[Steve A.]

Update on project

At this point I am planning to drill the 6 holes in the 7/8 by 5/8 angle iron I will be using for the bridge. I will "countersink" them using a larger bit and then make sure it is completely smooth using my round files. With the bridge way back- almost to the edge of the guitar- I can increase the scale from 20" to 21". For the fretboard I am thinking of having the local plastic fabricator make a tapered fretboard that will fit the wider nut and bridge spacing. I was going to have them make it out of clear plastic and I will spray paint white on the back of it for the frets using blue masking tape. And then make up some templates for the dots (I think I might use rubber cement to secure the templates to the plastic. (The guitar is black so the white on the back of the clear will be visible.)

I was wondering about how to find a 21" fretboard to copy. Then I figured out that I might as well check my other guitars with a longer scale. If I can find one with a fret to bridge distance of 21" at maybe the 2nd or 3rd fret that should work. I just need to count the frets and ignore the markers. (If the 2nd fret is exactly 21" then the octave should be at what is the 14th fret.)

Steve Ahola

[Sock Puppet]

Hi Steve,

Stewmac has an online calculator that might help:

Fret position calculator at Stewart-MacDonald

[Steve A.]

Hey, thanks a lot! I just typed out a long update on the project only to have it swallowed up by the new software here... grrrrr!