I do this too. I have been a luthier for over thirty years. I always do this even when drilling new holes to ensure a smooth hole.

This can't be overstated enough

I was going to say the same thing. Thank you for saving me the trouble. Yes the pin router holes are always on the backside of the neck and body. This is where they were placed when Fender routed both the front of the guitar and the routes into the body surface on the front. After being band sawed these went on to being routed to the proper shape. A wooden template that had the routes already in it would be placed on the backside. It was screwed down where you see those dowels. Then the body was turned over and the pattern would transfer to the front of the body. This was guided by a pin under the body that traced the routes in the pattern. The router could be adjusted for height and route all the holes to the same depth. This way it was accurate and no one got hurt trying to route it with the pattern bolted to the front of the body while holding a hand router. The only thing that was routed with the front of the body without a pattern was the the control cavity which was placed on a different router table as the bearing bit would cut it to the final depth. This is because it would trace out the hole that had already been routed for the controls. There's a really good video of it here on KZfaq. I can't remember what's it called or I would post it here. Thank you for sharing this with the rest of us.

It was the KOREAN War in 1951.

@@guitarman11000 What was, Bill? Research on Henry F. Phillips, the inventor states ‘By 1940, 85% of U.S. screw manufacturers had a license for the (Phillips) design’. Is it not more likely that (the WWII and beyond) heavy industry manufacturing boom in the US created a demand that outstripped supply until 1951 than that distribution to some types of business was withheld in case there was a war in Korea? Just a hypothesis.

@@rob_in_stowmarket_uk Phillips screws were NOT saved for the WWII war effort ( my other hobby is Willys jeeps) all WWII vehicles were slot head screws . Korean War some vehicles were some weren't . My best guess with Fender would be , although they were available ,there were none available as surplus or cheap . Love Leo but by everything I've heard he was very ......uhhhh, let's say "frugal " .

Another Kiwi here. I pretty much agree. I was impressed when I found out that Mr Fender's vision was an assembly-line product that a musician could feel free to maintain on the road with replaceable standardised parts. I have learned a lot in the last few years since 2016, when I thought to buy myself a decent electric guitar to celebrate turning 65. I thought, modestly, that even a used old one would do, and just to be appropriate, maybe one from 1951? The joke was on me! I found this iconic guitar design was introduced in 1951. Models from that year are sought-after collectors' items. Waaay out of my budget. It seems strange, like paying big money for a vintage 1930s State house.

My OCD is raging.

On Helium he’d sound like Brian Blessed!

Waltuh

No no--you must use a vintage-era screw driver whenever possible: if you haven't got a '51, better to just put the instrument away until you can do it right.

Exactly. And even if the strings are original, they wouldn't add any value to it (especially since they'd likely be filthy and rusty).

Personally, I wouldn't buy a vintage guitar that does not have original strings on. It's a part of the legacy. True collectors understand this.

@@amslu and you’d know they were the actual factory originals? Quick example, you have a 71’ LP you just purchased. Let’s just say the instrument was only played it’s first two years since it’s birth, the original owner replaced the strings once in 72’ and then soon after became the closet queen for the ‘True Collector’ like yourself…. You’d know they were replaced at all ( This of course considering they were installed properly of course )? Unlikely.

@@amslu Hahahaha. Yeah, right.

The strings looked pretty fresh. How is it easier to replace a set of perfectly good strings than to simply put on a capo and then loosen them a bit?

Make one?

Nothing at fender ever happened January 1st. Best estimate, the Nocasters existed from April 51-Oct 51.

He doesn't care, getting paid by some idiot to do this...

These people don't care, they just want more money to waste...