Rutters vintage bridge and Warmoth vintage 5-hole tele routing

[beardfish]

Just received a Telecaster replacement body I ordered for a Warmoth baritone tele build. I had been hoping to use this Rutter's vintage spec bridge with it but am having an issue with the fit where the 4 screw holes don't line up with the Warmoth vintage 5-hole tele routing. I understand "vintage" isn't really a spec, just trying to figure out where I went wrong here and how to move forward.

Should I have gone with a different bridge, or is it not a matter of parts selection where I need to do some sanding to the telecaster bridge pickup (looks to be about 1.5mm short of where the 4 screw holes would line up - that seems like a lot of material to remove.

Thanks!

 

[Spud]

Just received a Telecaster replacement body I ordered for a Warmoth baritone tele build. I had been hoping to use this Rutter's vintage spec bridge with it but am having an issue with the fit where the 4 screw holes don't line up with the Warmoth vintage 5-hole tele routing. I understand "vintage" isn't really a spec, just trying to figure out where I went wrong here and how to move forward.

Should I have gone with a different bridge, or is it not a matter of parts selection where I need to do some sanding to the telecaster bridge pickup (looks to be about 1.5mm short of where the 4 screw holes would line up - that seems like a lot of material to remove.

Thanks!

View attachment 64320View attachment 64322

Hard to say as the bridge isn't centered................

 

[Rick]

You got options. Do feel like buying a bridge that fits? If not plug the holes with dowels and drill new holes.

 

[beardfish]

I took the pickup out since the bridge is basically fixed in place with the pickup installed. I wasn't able to center the mounting screw holes on the Rutter's bridge with the routing on the body - the spacing is on the bridge itself seems off:


I have a 6-saddle bridge here from a MIM tele with a different pickup. Hard to capture a picture of the screw mounting holes aligned - but they all appear to be aligned okay:


I'm really looking to find a 3 saddle ashtray bridge that fits properly

 

[Rick]

Also a picture with strings on would help to see if everything lines up.

 

[Rick]

As to other bridge have you checked out Callaham? Just make sure the specs match.

 

[stratamania]

Warmoth vintage 5-hole tele routing.

Looks like you have a typo; vintage uses 4 screw holes.

Here is a bridge that will certainly fit.

https://warmoth.com/bs-tc1s

 

[Rick]

I have the gotoh on one and it's a great bridge

 

[Spud]

Looks like you have a typo; vintage uses 4 screw holes.

Here is a bridge that will certainly fit.

https://warmoth.com/bs-tc1s

I think the typo was for a 5 screw "pickguard" not bridge

 

[ragamuffin]

Huh, interesting. I'm surprised that hear that either part (the Rutters or the body route) would be out of spec.

On my builds with t-style bridges I've used modified Fender baseplates from this guy https://www.ebay.com/str/bridgeworks along with these Gotoh Wilkinson saddles

 

[Spud]

Buzz a little wood and you'll be good! (Just ease the pickup cavity slightly)

 

[stratamania]

I think the typo was for a 5 screw "pickguard" not bridge

Ah, that is probably what was meant, though it being a 5-hole or 8-hole pickguard should not make a difference.

The other thing is that the bridge does not need to butt up against the pickguard. There is usually a space between the front of the bridge and the pickguard. If the screw holes and pickup line up and fit that is more important than trying to butt the bridge up against the pickguard if that is being considered.

 

[beardfish]

my bad I did say 5 holes for the bridge before, I meant 4 screw holes + 1 hole for the bridge ground

I popped a different pickup in the Rutter's bridge and was able to get it mounted and some strings on it as requested. So it looks like the issue is just a combination of the original Fralin bridge pickup I want to use with this Rutter's bridge. Strings seem to line up and no real issues with the 4 mounting screws using the test bridge pickup:



Not sure if the Fralin split steel poled telecaster pickup flatwork is slightly larger or not, it seems like the way the pickup leads are attached at the back of the pickup is what's preventing me from having the bridge in the right spot. The test pickup pictured above has the leads coming off the bottom of the pickup flatwork. I tried tucking the pickup leads between the pickup and one of the pickup mounting screws but there still wasn't enough clearance:

 

[stratamania]

As @Spud suggested for that pickup, you might need to remove a little wood, or adjust how the wires are led from the pickup if possible.

 

[Spud]

As Stratamania suggested, if careful could you not just bend the leads down so they clear the route?

 

[beardfish]

Sometimes the simplest solutions work the best - was worried the pickup leads might get damaged but was able to bend them back out of the way and there's enough clearance now - great success I'll post when im done with this build. Thanks everyone.

 

[Spud]

Rock on!