setting up the bridge

Clearly I need to do some work to get the trem set up right.   I was so excited and proud that I got the ferrules drilled and inserted ok, that I stopped there.  So now I'll heed the words of wisdom on the fender site:

For a two-pivot model such as the American Series bridge, use your tremolo arm to pull the bridge back flush with the body and adjust the two pivot screws to the point where the tremolo plate sits entirely flush at the body (not lifted at the front or back of the plate).

Allowing the bridge to float freely (no tension on the tremolo arm) using the claw screws in the tremolo cavity, adjust the bridge to your desired angle—Fender spec is a 1/8" (3.2 mm) gap at rear of bridge. You'll need to retune periodically to get the right balance between the strings and the springs. If you prefer a bridge flush to the body, adjust spring tension to equal string tension, while the bridge rests on the body (you may want to put an extra 1/2 turn to each claw screw to ensure that the bridge remains flush to the body during string bends). Caution: Do not over-tighten the springs, as this can put unnecessary tension on the arm during tremolo use. Finally, you may wish to apply a small dab of Chapstick® or Vaseline® at the pivot contact points of the bridge for very smooth operation.

Hurrah!

I was able to redrill the neck and reattach it to the body with no trouble.

Today my new set of DeWalt drill bits ("brad point" bits) arrived, and so I was in a position to finish the project. Amazingly, I actually had some spare time in which to do it, right before leaving on a business trip.

I decided to use the GFS 2-point "standard" trem I had, and I succeeded in drilling the holes for the ferrules with no trouble at all.  In the end, it's all reassembled, intonated, and it works.  I can't say it's the greatest guitar I've ever played, but this continues to be a very interesting experiment.

Switching Bodies

I am not referring to my ultimate dream of downloading my mind into a robotic body, but rather to replacing the one remaining Bullet component of my partscaster, namely the body.  After a long wait, GFS had paulownia bodies back in stock and I ordered a black strat.  It arrived recently and weighed in at 2 pounds, 10 ounces.  It feels like it's made of styrofoam when I lift it.  

I removed the neck from the COBcaster, and happily it fits very nicely in the pocket.  I tried it with and without the shim, and it seems quite straight without it.  I measured this using the level in my iPod Touch.

The bad news is that some of the screwholes in the neck don't line up correctly.   Checking them, it seems that they are actually off - that is, the holes I originally drilled worked with my Fender body, but are not actually even.  The cheapo Paulownia body seems to have been drilled better than the Fender!

Anyhow, to address this, I whittled down some dowels and plugged the bottom (closest to bridge) holes in the neck.  Now I'm waiting for the glue to dry before re-drilling. So far so good ...