Bridge placement advice - Vintage strat Hardtail.

[ihavenothingprofoundtosay]

Well, I'm about 90% done with my Firebird (home made thinline body, flat top), and the last major thing to do is drill for the bridge, a vintage strat style hardtail.  There's no other markings or reference points on the top - The centerline is marked, and I have a solid idea of how to measure the bridge distance (25.5" scale, measure 12.25" back from 12th fret to find saddle break point, compensate for saddle travel length), but I'm in a bit of a pickle in one area.

I've seen the trick where you string fishing line or some light string through on the E & e strings to check alignment, but because I'm using a Vintage strat (string-thru)hardtail bridge, there's no way to string anything along the path; since there's no bridge holes yet, I can't drill the string thru holes

I've thought about just tying string to the saddles (and not getting any under the bridge), but is there a better way?

 

[jrybicki]

watch the youtube videos, has about everything in it to do custom builds. pretty sure it has bridge install.

 

[NovasScootYa]

Well, I'm about 90% done with my Firebird (home made thinline body, flat top), and the last major thing to do is drill for the bridge, a vintage strat style hardtail.  There's no other markings or reference points on the top - The centerline is marked, and I have a solid idea of how to measure the bridge distance (25.5" scale, measure 12.25" back from 12th fret to find saddle break point, compensate for saddle travel length), but I'm in a bit of a pickle in one area.

I've seen the trick where you string fishing line or some light string through on the E & e strings to check alignment, but because I'm using a Vintage strat (string-thru)hardtail bridge, there's no way to string anything along the path; since there's no bridge holes yet, I can't drill the string thru holes

I've thought about just tying string to the saddles (and not getting any under the bridge), but is there a better way?

Remove both E saddles and run two old E strings through the screw holes in the plate and through the screw holes in both saddles. With tensioning, balancing and eyeballing that that should give the correct side to side alignment. The sides of the E saddles should be kept parallel with the sides of the plate.
Do not locate the plate too far back or too far forward otherwise the low E saddle spring will bind during intonation, etc. Check a properly intonated Strat for a precise bridge plate location measuring from the nut or back of or center of the 12th fret, etc. Some string gauges and brands intonate different so you may want to use the same type strings as on the Strat. And, don't forget to ground the plate.