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Changing to BEAD - can I drill my high mass bridge?

#3
dirtychinchilla said:
As per the title really! The B string is too thick for the former E string hole in the tail of the bridge. Can I just drill through it or do I need to protect it afterwards?

It's the Leo Quan Badass II: Allparts Leo Quan Badass II Bass Bridge | Chrome | Allparts UK Ltd

I know that I also need to file the nut, but I need the string to fit the bridge first :)
Click to expand...
Yeah, it can be drilled out. Or what I did in a similar situation was to just use a small round file and open it up that way. Worked fine. Easier than one might imagine.
 
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#4
If you drill out the hole for the B string, it will remove any plating that may have been there (chrome, etc).

I would dab a little fingernail polish on the edges of the hole to help prevent any premature corrosion from forming on the unplated bare metal parts.

You can use fingernail polish on the inside of the enlarged hole, but it will probably be rubbed away when replacing the string. I've thought of applying a thin coat of superglue on the edges and surfaces, but I've not had the opportunity to see if and how the superglue would hold up.
 
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#8
All I've ever used for enlarging.
6364467-0_1.jpg

Clean up any burrs using a drill bit twice the diameter of the new hole. And then wrap some wet&dry around a toothpic and really smooth up the new hole
 
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#10
The tough part of this is not making the hole bigger - that bridge is pot metal, which is easy to work. The tough part is not messing up the chrome plating , which is fairly easy to chip. By definition, enlarging the hole will remove some plating - tat’s unavoidable. The question is if it’ll be marred visually.
 
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#13
micguy said:
The tough part of this is not making the hole bigger - that bridge is pot metal, which is easy to work. The tough part is not messing up the chrome plating , which is fairly easy to chip. By definition, enlarging the hole will remove some plating - tat’s unavoidable. The question is if it’ll be marred visually.
Click to expand...

I was more thinking about the chrome plating than anything. I can definitely enlarge the hole, but will it be OK afterwards? I'll take another string out and see what that's like inside. It might not even be chromed for all I know!
 
#15
dirtychinchilla said:
I was more thinking about the chrome plating than anything. I can definitely enlarge the hole, but will it be OK afterwards? I'll take another string out and see what that's like inside. It might not even be chromed for all I know!
Click to expand...
It's chromed in the hole. The bridge was immersed in a solution and a current applied to get the chrome on there; Removing it from the holes would be a PITA.
 
#16
  • Be sure to remove the bridge before starting.
  • Cover both sides of the hole with some tape to help prevent chipping of the chrome during the drilling process.
  • You're more likely to chip the chrome off on the exit side of the hole. To prevent this, drill in on both sides first, then drill through.
  • A good fine rat-tail file is all you need to clean up the sharp edges (you'll be there all day with sandpaper).
  • Remove the tape last (to help prevent chipping during the filing process).
Good luck!l
 
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