No drop-in trad. tele bridge to fit Squier???

I'm a bit frustrated on this one, maybe someone can help.

I'm doing the final tweaking on a partscaster that has a Squier body (not sure where/when made, as it didn't come to me with a neck attached). It has the original bridge, which has three mounting screws at the back and two at the front corners, and the string-through holes are in front of the bridge plate mounting screws (that is, the string-through holes are on the neck side of the bridge mounting screws). The traditional ashtray-type, three-barrel bridge doesn't fit without a lot of precision drilling, and even then you end up with exposed holes to plug, which I don't want to do.

I am aware that one other option is to drill the bridge plate and mount three barrel saddles in place of the six it came with, but that only gets me partway there as I also like the raised sides on the traditional tele bridge.

I have looked everywhere and can't find a drop-in trad. style bridge for this body, and I believe from what others have said on this forum that there is none made. However, I am making this last-ditch effort to find one. Anyone ever see a traditional style replacement bridge that would fit this body?

If not, are any of you cottage-industry metalworker types interested in fabricating something that would fit?

Arrgh!!!!!

I like the way most Squier Tele bridge plates sound with the 3 brass barrel mod grafted onto them. I think the Squier Steel plate sounds better than the brass American Series does, although that Am Se plate really cannot be IMO converted into a 3 barrel at all.

The main reason I like a rim is for more stiffness to the plate. I've learned to adapt to the rim not being there on certain Glendale custom plates and I like it now.

Something else. The main drawback IMO of the long flat plate is not the absence of sides; it is that it looks and feels wrong being so long. Putting a rim on the side is NOT gonna fix the fact that it is too big and dominant on a rather nicely thought out original design. Call it the Golden Mean, consistent design language, whatever term you like but my eye will always be offended by the long plate - it could sound fine and I still don't want one.

Hmmm...
Do you have a picture of one of these flat plates with the three-saddle mod?

Callaham (http://www.callahamguitars.com/brdge_T.htm) is making a modern, 3-screw bridge plate with three saddles:

http://www.callahamguitars.com/t_abrdg4.jpg

It still uses the flat, modern style of plate. Somebody (either Glendale ot Callaham) was making a vintage-stlye bridge plate that fit bodies drilled for modern plates. It looked a bit funny to me (it was about a half-inch longer), but it may be your cup of tea. I can't find it online at the moment (maybe they don't make it anymore).

All of these high-end aftermarket bridges cost a fortune (more than most guitars I own). I'd try to drill out an existing modern plate for three-saddle installation.

Yes, I saw that Callaham plate. I agree that it's a bit costly for a bridge plate, and it also doesn't have the sides like a traditional bridge. What I want is one that has this hole pattern and three saddles, but has the raised sides as well. Sounds like it may have been available once, but no longer?

And I agree, if this is my only choice, I'm better off just drilling out the existing flat bridge for the three-saddle config.

Glendale still makes one with sides for the AmStd. They aren't cheap though.

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t25/Bubbanov/40JAN102008002.jpg

Don't use a boutique bridge for a USA 'modern' Tele on a Squier. Only the pickup mount screw points interchange. everything else must be plugged and redrilled, including the string through holes.

Yeh Im dealing with that situation too - I swapped with a traditional bridge. drilling for the screw holes & string thru isnt a big deal its the huge gap staring you in the face on the side of the bridge. Im definitely gonna have to get creative to cover/fill/blend that out. Its driving me crazy...

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t25/Bubbanov/40JAN102008002.jpg

Don't use a boutique bridge for a USA 'modern' Tele on a Squier. Only the pickup mount screw points interchange. everything else must be plugged and redrilled, including the string through holes.

Wow, thanks Boris! That's very helpful. That actually looks almost exactly like the guitar I'm working on - black sparkle Squier body with a hummer in the neck position - except I'm using a black pickguard and a wide range humbucker. What year and make is that guitar?