Toploader Tele Bridge Replacement Ideas?

I was recently given an old Mexi tele that not until I restrung it did I realise it was a toploader!

not seen that before except on veeerry cheap copies. Investigations into drilling some holes to change it resulted in lots of folks not wanting to do the job really. Seems to make no real difference to the tone so I’ll leave it as is.

However the bridge is very cheap and nasty and I’d like something more vintage looking and that is easier to intonate. 

Note there's only 3 screws attaching that bridge which will limit your replacement options.

I built my tele using a body that had been botch-routed for through-body stringing. I dowelled the holes, repainted and fit a top loader — no discernible difference in sustain, stringing easy as pie. 

Ideally you need a three-saddle bridge, since with the reduced string pressure there is a tendency for the narrow saddles to flip, as has happened with your top E one :).

Three-screw top-loader bridges with three saddles are very rare (or maybe non-existent) though, almost all are the type you already have. It’s likely to need a fair amount of work to fit something different, and you will need to check the dimensions carefully - the position of the pickup mounting relative to the ends of the bridge matters, and can vary.

Drilling the body for stringing through is a huge amount of work and difficult to get right though - even Fender had problems in the early days.

Johnnyseven said:

Note there's only 3 screws attaching that bridge which will limit your replacement options.

Good point.  I don't know if this has the same "footprint" as an American Standard bridge (it may well not have), but Glendale make vintage-style bridge plates to fit American Standards.  Not cheap though, and not toploaders either (although I'm sure they could make a toploader version, they do with their vintage-style four-screw bridges).

https://glendaleguitars.com/product/american-standard-bridge-plates/

Just plug and re-drill the holes to accommodate the new bridge ;)

lovestrat74 said:

Just plug and re-drill the holes to accommodate the new bridge ;)

Well, yes - this was my thoughts - just blank off and start again 

In the grand Fretboard tradition, it needs a Bigsby (or G/B Bender).

Funkfingers said:

In the grand Fretboard tradition, it needs a Bigsby (or G/B Bender).

Yes, yes ,yes I know!

Armadillo do a couple. They're brass, but very nice.

I have not ever seen a top loader on a Mexican Tele quite like that but there is a company that make a top loader and string through combi but for the life of me I can't remember their name, sorry..
It's not just drilling the holes for a string through, it's fitting the ferrules as well..

Many years ago I converted a top loading Fenix Telecaster to through body loading. It was a bit of a job to do and to be quite honest I preferred the tone and feel of the original top loading arrangement. Fender USA did for a short period of time in the distant past produced the Telecaster as a top loader for a short time, they went back to through body as it wasn’t popular although some players such as G E Smith sought them out .

Armstrong sell one, though you'd need to fill and then redrill with four holes.
https://www.armstrongmusic.co.uk/products/steel-bridge-for-tele-with-3-brass-saddles-top-loading-and-through-body-stringing?srsltid=AfmBOopNBIbkLTLzHEqUzkwAW3xLTOan5b8QRKst12WlWKYh7d1d2fn3

Here you go but crikey look at the price.

https://btnmusic.co.uk/products/hipshot-stainless-steel-telecaster-bridge-3-saddle

If you look it is top and bottom loader.

Here’s an idea… why not drill three holes in the existing bridge and fit three saddles of your choice. That will give all the advantages of replacing the bridge for a fraction of either the cost or effort depending on which other bridge you choose.

I had a Mex Standard Tele that was a toploader, I think it was maybe a '96? I took it to the tech in the local shop (a very well-respected figure who designed guitars for a well-known UK brand) and he didn't want to do it. The main reason was that he couldn't guarantee that the veneer on the back (it was a sunburst) wouldn't chip and splinter as the drill bit came out the other side. It was a nice guitar and I a/bed it with a Classic 50s that I had, couldn't tell a difference beyond what was due to different woods and pickups. The pickups were excellent sounding though, I assume they were the much-maligned ceramic bar magnet types.

Another vote for the Armstrong Music one here - good quality bridge with both loading options. Having to redrill for the mounting is unfortunate but probably easier than going for the string through option. 

thermionic said:

I had a Mex Standard Tele that was a toploader, I think it was maybe a '96? I took it to the tech in the local shop (a very well-respected figure who designed guitars for a well-known UK brand) and he didn't want to do it. The main reason was that he couldn't guarantee that the veneer on the back (it was a sunburst) wouldn't chip and splinter as the drill bit came out the other side.

There’s also a problem with the drill bit ‘wandering’ as it goes through the wood grain - this results in misaligned/unevenly-spaced (to the point that the ferrules may not fit next to each other, as well as looking ugly) holes on the back. To avoid that, you need to drill one hole right through with a slightly smaller bit, mark and drill the other five only halfway through from the back at the correct spacing from that one, then from the front and hope there isn’t too much of a kink where the two holes meet in the middle, then follow up with the final drill size. It can be done, but it’s tricky to make sure the marked positions on the back exactly correspond to the holes in the bridge - ideally you need a jig (which is how Fender do it). It’s not impossible, but it’s far more difficult than it looks at first.

I’ve done one, and only one. Wouldn’t bother again.

Jeff Buckley played a toploader, nothing wrong with them really

I have a Fender CS '59 Tele toploader. It's superb.

Travisthedog said:

I was recently given an old Mexi tele that not until I restrung it did I realise it was a toploader!

not seen that before except on veeerry cheap copies. Investigations into drilling some holes to change it resulted in lots of folks not wanting to do the job really. Seems to make no real difference to the tone so I’ll leave it as is.

However the bridge is very cheap and nasty and I’d like something more vintage looking and that is easier to intonate. 

Here’s what she’s currently wearing - any suggestions for a sensible upgrade ? - yes I know it needs a bigsby but I can’t afford one 

https://imgur.com/a/VLJQcDm

https://i.imgur.com/avqMfsn.jpeg
https://i.imgur.com/1RYK3wY.jpeg

You are more than welcome to this if you like? I did exactly the same thing with a mid nineties Mexican tele and it did fit. If I recall correctly, you could just see the original (3) bridge holes when installed, but literally only just. Worked out really well. 

I  use a Wilkingson compensated saddle bridge .Also a top or bottom loader .Had one for years no issues etc .I  prefer top loaders .

ICBM said:

thermionic said:

I had a Mex Standard Tele that was a toploader, I think it was maybe a '96? I took it to the tech in the local shop (a very well-respected figure who designed guitars for a well-known UK brand) and he didn't want to do it. The main reason was that he couldn't guarantee that the veneer on the back (it was a sunburst) wouldn't chip and splinter as the drill bit came out the other side.

There’s also a problem with the drill bit ‘wandering’ as it goes through the wood grain - this results in misaligned/unevenly-spaced (to the point that the ferrules may not fit next to each other, as well as looking ugly) holes on the back. To avoid that, you need to drill one hole right through with a slightly smaller bit, mark and drill the other five only halfway through from the back at the correct spacing from that one, then from the front and hope there isn’t too much of a kink where the two holes meet in the middle, then follow up with the final drill size. It can be done, but it’s tricky to make sure the marked positions on the back exactly correspond to the holes in the bridge - ideally you need a jig (which is how Fender do it). It’s not impossible, but it’s far more difficult than it looks at first.

I’ve done one, and only one. Wouldn’t bother again.

I use a Stewmac template and drill 1/8" holes from the front, outer two all the way through, inner four half way. I lower the drill *very* slowly which helps avoid wander. Then I line up the template on the back against the outer holes and drill 1/8" holes for the inner four to meet those from the front.

Finally I have a counterbore with a 1/8" guide and 3/8 cutter to widen the holes for the ferrules. This makes a pretty neat job of it. Not always _perfect_ but very close.

Thanks all for the suggestions 
my favourite option so far is that of @lovestrat74 of Rowling off the old holes and starting again with a 4 hole bridge !!!