Bridge Positioning assuming a 25 1/2" scale

Hello Telemerica.....

Need advice on positioning the bridge on my tele assuming the required
25 1/2" scale. The body I'm working has the standard cavity for the bridge pickup which does not allow for much bridge adjustment forward or back on the body but the three saddles do move foward and back on the bridge itself on their threaded bolts. I'm looking for the magic reference point before I start drilling pilot holes for bridge mounting. Should I position the saddles at the 'half-way' point on their threaded bolts and call that the 'bridge point', measuring them off at 25 1/2" ???? I would assume by doing it that way, I should be left with enough forward and back latitude on the saddle bolts for
final adjustment once she's strung up and ready for intonation. Thank You
and God Bless Telemerica.

Assuming you're using a vintage style bridge and a neck built to Fender specs, the bridge mounting holes should be 7.370 in. from the neck pocket. Put it in that location and see how the pickup cut-out fits in the pickup cavity ............ if it's good ........ dirll it.

You can also use this : http://www.stewmac.com/FretCalculator
But be careful and make sure you have exactly the model described there before drilling.

Diapason is normally for the highest E string, use that saddle as the reference (make sure you can move that saddle at least +-2 mm from the diapason center point).

I read some theory about that (on that forum, it's in french, sorry but I'm sure you can translate it with babelfish and get some ideas - http://www.laguitare.com/forum_laguitare_com/ftopic6517-10.html&sid=1f49db1dff01ac73974b852a4190f407)

The highest E is a good indication but it still needs compensation due to gauge, string composition, and playing (when pressing a string on the fretboard, its length is slightly increased thus changing its pitch -> compensation)

sha4096...looks like you have quite a nice shop and all the right woodworking jigs!!! Haven't seen an old top mounted router like that in a while.

sha4096...looks like you have quite a nice shop and all the right woodworking jigs!!! Haven't seen an old top mounted router like that in a while.

That's my father's shop actually. As a joiner, he has nearly all the needed tools for guitar making :mrgreen: (and wood for free). That old top router is over 40 years old, it was manufactured in Italy, still alive after all these years and so helpful. Here's a picture of the beast at work on my previous project : http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/1143/xiphos2tw6.jpg
and shop http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/5338/hpimatd8.jpg)

Sorry Lacquerbreath, don't want to hijack this thread.

Yep...sorry laquerbreath...as a fellow New Jerseyite I hope you'll forgive me.

Basically you set the top (no. 1 and 2, "B" and "E") saddle slightly back from the "fully wound out" position, and measure the scale length from the fretboard edge of the nut to there. Easy option: measure someone else's Tele.

I have found that having a Fender P/G on hand is really useful in general layout. The neck position is a given & from there, everything else relates to the P/G in one way or another. Use a real Fender product though.

Bridge Positioning assuming a 25 1/2" scale..............That is the subject of discussion.

..........but the three saddles ............

This indicates he's talking about a vintage style bridge.

What's all this talk about saddles, the diapason center point and pickguards? Has anyone looked at the Terry Downs Telecaster Drawing. It's all shown there. The bridge mounting holes are 7.370 in. from the neck pocket. What about that is unclear?

Thank You Guys.....I got enough from this thread to do the right thing. That plus the teleschematic that I downloaded as pointed out above with real measurements. I'm fine with working the wood, lacquering and hypeing up the
electronics but it's drilling that first pilot hole that always gives me the
Heebey-Jeebey's. It's my first Tele build.