Skip to content

How to Plug and Redrill Bridge Holes on a Guitar Body

Updated on November 8, 2025 by Nathan T.

Sometimes during your DIY build, you’ll decide to swap out a bridge, maybe to upgrade to higher quality hardware, or just because your first choice didn’t feel right. The good news is, plugging and redrilling bridge holes is a straightforward process once you know the steps.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through a practical method inspired by one of our favorite repair approaches, simple, accurate, and builder-friendly.

What You’ll Need

Tip: Use brad point bits to prevent the drill from wandering — especially important when working on guitar tops where precision matters.

Step 1: Remove the Old Bridge

Take the strings off and unscrew the existing bridge. If you’re swapping it out (for example, replacing a low-cost bridge with a high-quality Schaller or Gotoh), keep the original screws handy. You’ll use one of them later for alignment.

Step 2: Check the Hole Alignment

Position your new bridge over the existing holes. Most often, you’ll find the center hole aligns perfectly, but the outer holes don’t. This means you’ll need to plug the old holes before drilling new ones, otherwise, your screws won’t hold securely, and the bridge could shift over time.

Step 3: Plug the Old Holes

  1. Use a ¼-inch brad point bit to lightly clean out the old holes.
  2. Cut your maple plugs or dowels to size and lightly sand the ends for a snug fit.
  3. Apply a small amount of wood glue inside the hole and on the plug.
  4. Insert the plug, ensuring it’s flush or slightly proud of the surface.
  5. Let it dry for several hours or overnight.

Why plugs over dowels? Plugs have face grain on the surface, making them easier to sand flush without tear-out compared to dowels, which show end grain.

Step 4: Trim and Level

Once dry, trim the plugs flush with a flush-cut saw or chisel. Lightly sand the area flat with 220 grit paper. If your guitar has an oil or satin finish, this is easy to touch up. For gloss finishes, use masking tape to protect the surrounding area before sanding.

Step 5: Align the New Bridge

  1. Reposition your ground wire (often a copper tape or bare wire) back into place.
  2. Align the center hole of your new bridge with the original one.
  3. Install the center screw loosely to hold the bridge in place.
  4. Use calipers or a ruler to check that both sides of the bridge are equally spaced from the guitar’s centerline.

Once the alignment is perfect, snug the center screw slightly to secure the bridge while you mark the new hole positions.

Step 6: Drill New Holes

Use a self-aligning drill bit (also called a snappy bit) to drill the new outer holes. If you don’t have one, mark the new hole centers with a center punch, wrap masking tape around the drill bit to mark your depth, and drill carefully with a brad point bit.

Depth Check: Always wrap masking tape around your drill bit to avoid drilling through the body.

Step 7: Lubricate the Screws

Before installing, lightly rub each screw thread with candle wax or beeswax. This reduces friction and helps prevent the screws from breaking in hardwoods such as maple or ash.

Step 8: Reinstall and Test

Install all bridge screws snugly, but don’t over-tighten. Restring your guitar and check that the strings run evenly along the neck and over the pickups. If everything lines up, your bridge is now solid and perfectly aligned.

Watch Bridge Hole Plugging in Action

Sometimes it’s easier to see the process in motion. We’ve selected two great tutorials that demonstrate bridge hole plugging and re-drilling, both follow similar methods to the one described above.

Video 1: Swapping Out a Bridge & Plugging Old Holes

This video shows the full process of removing an old bridge, plugging misaligned holes, and installing a new high-quality bridge using maple plugs.

Video 2: Filling Bridge Holes in a Guitar Body with Wooden Dowels

This quick tip shows how to use wooden dowels to fill and redrill holes cleanly. A perfect visual for beginners following our guide.

Note: Both videos complement the methods described in this article. If you’re new to this kind of repair, we recommend watching these before starting your project.

Recommended Tools and Resources

Many of the tools mentioned in this guide are included in our comprehensive Luthier Tools for DIY Guitar Kits article. If you’re new to building, also check out our DIY Guitar Kit Start Guide for setup and assembly tips.

Key Takeaways

  • Use plugs, not filler, for long-term strength and stability.
  • Brad point bits provide precision and prevent wandering.
  • Always align the bridge to the guitar’s centerline before drilling.
  • Wax your screws before installation — it’s a pro technique that prevents breakage.

Final Thoughts

Plugging and redrilling bridge holes is a simple process that can dramatically improve your guitar’s playability and tone. Whether you’re restoring an old build or upgrading your DIY guitar kit, precision and patience will give you a professional-quality result every time.

At Guitar Kit World, we believe that building guitars isn’t just about wood and hardware. It’s about creativity, craftsmanship, and the satisfaction of playing an instrument you built with your own hands.

Meet the author

meta-author

Nathan T.

As a longtime contributor at Guitar Kit World, Nathan has spent more than a decade helping guitar builders turn basic kits into stage-ready instruments...

See more