How to accurately drill for a bridge?

[Clapton is God]

I picked up a MIM P-bass neck for $30 on CL, and decided to make a project with it. I've decided on a Mighty Mite body. These come undrilled as far as bridges. I just wanted a standard Fender (vintage) 5 screw bridge to put on there. How do I drill the bridge in perfect alignment? There is a calculator on Stew-Mac, and it said 35" from nut to the forward-most bridge mounting screws, which makes sense, but again, I still have to worry about horizontal alignment. Is there some trick to this, or some lay-over guide I can buy? Thanks!

[faulknersj]

Bump for being curious about this as well. If no one responds tonight bump the thread again tomorrow.

[mcapote]

my screws on my gotoh 201 which are rear only screws like a standard fender are 35" to the nut on my P. alignment what i see most people do is put the e and g strings on and line em over the poles on the pickups and use masking tape to mark left right fwd back until you have it boxed in.

[Diogenes]

...There is a calculator on Stew-Mac, and it said 35" from nut to the forward-most bridge mounting screws...

Most P bass style necks are fretted for 34" scale length so that means the speaking length of the string, from nut edge to saddle edge, should be about 34" give or take a fraction depending on the string gauge. I will set all saddles of a bridge halfway through their adjustment range and then mount the bridge so that the measurement between the nut and string contact surface of the saddles is 34".

With that method the measurement, the scale length, is the same regardless of what type of bridge you use or where the mounting screws are located in relation to the adjustment range of the saddles.

[202dy]

Build not from variables. Rather, it is better to establish constants and let the work flow through.

Pickup/pole piece locations are not fixed points on the body. They may or may not be where they are supposed to be. The only thing that is certain is the neck pocket. That is the constant.

Establish centerline and bridge position on body

Tools needed:

Straight edge

Drafting triangle or substitute

Pencil or scribe

1. Lay straight edge along one side of neck pocket.
2. Draw line on body to bridge end of body.
3. Repeat on other side
4. Place triangle on extended line near neck pocket.
5. Draw line on the long edge of the triangle.
6. Reverse triangle and place on opposite line and repeat.
7. Repeat steps 4, 5, and 6 near the end of the body.
8. There are now two "X" s on the body.
9. Connect the "X" s with the straight edge and mark centerline.
10. Place short side of the triangle on the centerline so that the long edge is at the front edge of bridge.*
11. Draw line.
12. Reverse to other side of centerline and repeat.
13. Place bridge.
14. Mark screw holes.
15. Center punch marks.
16. Bore holes.
17. Mount bridge.
18. Congratulate self.

*Where is the front edge of the bridge? Adjust the saddles to the center of travel. Measure from the nut along center line to scale length plus 1/4". That is where the saddles should be to allow for proper intonation. Place the bridge there. Make a tick mark on the centerline and use the triangles to establish the perpendicular line at the leading edge of the bridge.

[Clapton is God]

Wow... thanks for the replies. Going to have to read 202dy's about three or four hundred times before I understand it.... I'll get it though. Thanks!