P bass tuner upgrade/relocation questions

[bassteban]

I have searched TB and the webs but haven't seen my issue addressed: I'm wanting to replace the wimpy little tuners on a Chinese-made Squier Jazz neck w/the larger, cloverleaf units. The new(to this bass- they're used but in decent condition)tuners have the typical Fender 11/16" bushings, so first question: what exact size do I drill the new hole? The bushings are a loose fit in 11/16"- I do want them to press in snugly, correct?
Secondly, the holes will need to be relocated as the position of the peg itself is different re Squier vs Fender- so I guess I need to plug the current holes... How critical is it that I use the same species of wood? I have some *soft* maple, no *hard rock* or similar.

Thanks in advance, also apologies for a potentially dumb Q; I am not so good w/the *new* TB arrangement, particularly the search

 

[bassteban]

Wow- not a word?

 

[Hopkins]

You can plug the hole with anything you have available, as most of it is going to be drilled out anyway. Try a 17mm bit on a test piece and see if that is a good enough fit. I have always drilled 11/16" holes and the fit is always snug. Are you using a drill press or hand drill?

 

[mrmills]

To answer your question on replacing the wood in the old holes. You don't need to use the same wood as the tonal qualities of a small amount of something else will not be noticeable.

The wood is there for strength primarily. Each string has a pull of somewhere between 15 and 25 Kg (depending on tuning and gauge) but fender headstocks are generous enough to allow for some of it going missing before it becomes a problem.