Vintage string tree location on headstock

[Stumpwizard]

I am building a 52 tele partscaster - does anyone have a template or layout dimensions to locate the string tree?

[ChristoMephisto]

tons of vintage info here
http://www.provide.net/~cfh/fender.html#specs

in short, the early ones had a single button retainer for the B & e strings next to the A tuner. Just line it up after you string it up.
I took one off my tele and works well.
They switched to the butterfly style around '56, and in '71 they added a second butterfly.

Peghead String Guides (or "String Tree").
String guides were used on most models to give the treble strings greater string tension across the nut.

* 1950 to Mid-1956: Single round "button" string guide for E & B strings.
* Mid 1956: Changed to a "butterfly" string guide.
* 1959: a metal spacer is used beneath the butterfly string guide.
* 1964: the metal spacer is changed to a nylon spacer beneath the butterfly string guide during 1964.
* 1971: two butterfly clips are used for the E, B, G, & D strings on the Stratocaster, Telecaster, Telecaster Deluxe, Custom Telecaster.
* 1976: two butterfly clips on the Mustang.

[pbenn]

There's a whole page of these variations pictured in Duchessoir....

[bridge pickup]

I just do it at the end after I put thes trings on. Its very easy to center it then.

[woodman]

yes, by all means don't mount it til after your strings are on — then put it over the strings, placed at the vertical location you want and push down to mark where your screw hole will be.

[ghosttour]

Originally Posted by pbenn

There's a whole page of these variations pictured in Duchessoir....

That's what I was thinking. One of the pages has a fairly large, straight-on photo of the headstock. I used that as a guide and just "eyed" it.

[yegbert]

Originally Posted by ChristoMephisto

in short, the early ones had a single button retainer for the B & e strings next to the A tuner. Just line it up after you string it up.

It was between the 3rd and 4th tuner posts in '52.

[ChristoMephisto]

Originally Posted by yegbert

It was between the 3rd and 4th tuner posts in '52.

I remember reading it somewhere that Leo and the gang put next to the A string, must of miss understood. Found something else where it was originally at the D &G strings, like you said. Also didn't add the spacer til 56, looks weird compared to the one with a spacer and lower on the headstock.