Proper Tele Scale Length?

Same as a Strat - 25.5. If you think your neck isn't that scale, just measure from the edge of the nut (frets side, not tuners) to the middle of the 12th fret and double it to find what scale length it is.

And the bridge should be positioned at double the 12th fret as well (obviously). I'm no luthier, but you should position the bridge so that the middle of the travel of the saddles lands at that proper scale length.

Getting the bridge positioned (and square) is a tricky part do do. I know I had to do it twice on a guitar that I built.

Use some rubber bands or taut string where the low and high E strings go to get it positioned down the center. That's a trick that I used and found out later that real luthiers use. It's the worst when you screw the bridge down only to find that the strings are all shifted to one side of the neck.

cougar2 said:

What "Nine" said is corect but you also have to add 1/8th from the 12th fret and the saddel measurement for compensation.
Dennis

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Like I said- I'm no luthier. I know just enough to be dangerous! Haha.

But thankfully, guitars are made of wood and you can always plug bad holes you've drilled. :banana: