how to mount a bridge

guys i know this is a stupid question but ive searched and cant find an answer. i got a gfs tele body and the string thru holes are drilled already,but the holes for mounting the gfs vintage 3 saddle bridge are not. can anyone tell me how to properly locate my bridge on the body so i can drill the mounting holes?

wow!!! nobody here has ever put a bridge on???

call up the bridge manufacturer

This is what I did.

1) Install the pickup in the bridge
2) string up both E strings to the bridge and tuner
3) Line it up so that the strings are straight down the neck and not biased to 1 side.
4) Measure the nut to saddles distance to make sure intonation will be ok (you have some movement up and down the neck length)
5) Tape it down in the correct position.
6) Drill the small pilot holes with the drill mounted
7) Screw in the screws

This is what I did.

1) Install the pickup in the bridge
2) string up both E strings to the bridge and tuner
3) Line it up so that the strings are straight down the neck and not biased to 1 side.
4) Measure the nut to saddles distance to make sure intonation will be ok (you have some movement up and down the neck length)
5) Tape it down in the correct position.
6) Drill the small pilot holes with the drill mounted
7) Screw in the screws

thanks homerzeppelin!! hoping to get started in the next couple days. this is my first build. what should the nut to saddle distance be?

thanks homerzeppelin!! hoping to get started in the next couple days. this is my first build. what should the nut to saddle distance be?

Measure the distance from the nut to the 12th fret - that's half your scale length; take that number, and measure it again from the 12th fret to the bridge - the saddle for your high E string should sit at that point, when it's adjusted towards the front end (the one facing the neck) of the bridge; all the other saddles have to have range to be adjusted farther back (away from the neck).

Make sure you have the correct style of bridge for your body. The relationship between the string-through holes and the pickup rout will change slightly for a vintage style vs a modern American Standard Tele bridge, so make sure your pickup will fit with the bridge held over the string-through holes. The bridge mounting screws are also in a different location, but if you body isn't drilled for them it's not a problem.

I would locate the bridge on the outer-most string-through holes (high and low E) using the largest drill bit you can get to align the body holes and the holes in the bridge plate (I always seem to have a pile of dull bits that i can't get myself to throw away, they make good alignment pins). If there's any play, then you'll want to do the two-string alignment thing, but usually you can shove the neck in the pocket to account for this and you'll probably find that the string-thru holes and the bridge want to line up just so in only one spot. I would hope that a premade body with the string-thru holes already drilled would have the location sussed out for the standard scale length.

The best tool to drill the bridge plate mounting screws is called a "hinge bit" which is a drill bit that's built in to a center punch. Vix is the most popular brand for these bits; you don't need a whole set, just one or two for the size screws you find yourself using most. Second choice would be to mark the holes with a centering punch (a springloaded pin inside a funnel-tipped tube that centers itself in the hardware). Try to avoid the temptation to use an awl and eyeball the screw holes.