Peg holes in a Danelectro DC peghead

[Stefano]

Hi to everybody:

I need to change the tuners to my Danelectro DC bass. The holes are 8 mm width. The replacement official @ http://www.danguitars.com/PARTS.html (Gotoh Sealed Bass Tuning Key - Chrome) say "drill headstock peg holes to 9/16" to accomodate the threaded hex bushings". Now my question:

Drilling 9/16'' (more or less 14 mm) peg holes in the Danelectro DC peghead implicate that the hole will arrive very near to the edge of the peghead... is this a problem? Will this affect negatively the resistance of the peghead? Will the tension of the strings break the peghead if the hole is too much close to the edge of the peghead?

Another question... it's impossible to find the binding tape (cream color) to replace the old one that in my case is broken. Do you have any idea of which sort of tape may I use in order to replace the old binding dano tape?

Thanx

[Thomas James]

Not sure about the holes, but I believe that body 'tape' on the original guitars is Naugahyde upholstery material glued on. The re-issues used a smoother product. 

http://www.naugahyde.com

[harrison phipps]

I would relocate the center of the hole inward away from the edge of the peghead using a sharp tapered reamer and gentle pressure inward. When the larger end of the reamer has widened the hole to the propper diameter you can use a drill bit to get the hole the proper size. Using just a drill bit to enlarge a hole can sometimes cause tear out or splitting in thin stock like a peghead. I use a 2 degree taper violin or viola peg reamer.

[Eric Steven Johansen]

If it were me I'd predrill a caul with the correct layout for the new holes and clamp it with a backer caul to the headstock so the holes can be shifted in away from the edge keeping the new holes aligned with the outermost edge of the old holes and drill using a brad point bit mounted in a press. Go slow and you'll be golden.

[Phil Keener]

I agree with this method using acrylic cauls. At the least use acrylic for the front caul. It might be necessary to plug the hole. The brad tip of the drill would not be going into wood drilling a 14 mm hole over an 8 mm hole using this method. Hmmm.....

Open for discussion

Best Regards,

Phil

[Eric Steven Johansen]

That's why the caul is there. It's the outside cutters that do all the work here. Switching to acrylic as we speak.

[Pierre-Antoine Roiron]

As said already, I would relocate holes' centers to avoid a to thin wall between the side of the hole and the edge of the headstock. Plugin the holes and re-drill them would be my method.