Locating the front pickup etc. holes

I have a Warmoth body, which comes with the holes drilled for string ferrules and bridge plate, but no others. I got the ferrules and bridge plate installed and am at the point of assembling the other components on the body.

What is the best way to locate the front pickup, control plate, and pickguard holes? Front pickup will be screwed to the body, not to the pickguard. I am thinking center the front pickup as accurately as I can in the rout, mark the holes with an icepick, drill pilots, screw in the pickup, then put the pickguard and control plate in place, center everything as evenly as possible, and then mark and drill the holes for the control plate and pickguard.

When I assembled a body a few years back, I did not get the front pickup holes exactly right, and the pickup leaned a little in the pickguard hole. I wish to not repeat that annoyance.

Leon, here's how I did it. Results were good. I'm not a pro builder, so some others here may have a better way.

Mount the neck first. Pickguard comes next. Tight against the neck, parallel to the edges of the body, hopefully a uniform gap where it's close to the bridge. Control plate next, tight against the pick guard and parallel to the bridge plate.

I used the pick guard to locate the neck pickup. It's been a while, and I'm a little hazy on the details. :roll: Hold the pickup in the pickguard. A little doublestick tape under the pickup to keep it where you put it until you can mark the holes. Two screws in pickguard to establish the position. Press down the pickup, remove the pickguard, mark the holes. I remember thinking it would be easier if I had more fingers, maybe another hand. :wink: Worked out OK.

Thanks. Using Google search, I found some old threads on here on locating the pickup by putting a block of foam under it to hold it up, sticking it in the pickguard, putting it in place, and then pressing it down, holding it while you remove the pickguard, and marking the holes through the pickup. Now my problem is that we seem to be the only house in the US that doesn't have a little piece of compressible foam anywhere. I don't have my neck yet, so I have time to scrounge one up.

A sponge perhaps?

A sponge perhaps?

That would work. We don't have 'em though. We use dish cloths. I guess we have scrubber sponges. Those might work. I'm sure I can come up with a piece of foam. This is America.