wrap strings around stop tail

[MojoRedFoot]

Why do some people wrap the strings around the stop tail piece on a TOM bridge? Just curious. I see it once in a while but never tried it. Does it do something to the sustain? I'm using what I remember from college physics to figure out the benefit. Any insight?

[deepblue]

Some say its more string to stop bar contact so that = more sustain.

 

I just hate the way it looks.

[LPguitarman]

I also don't like the way it looks. I've heard it is less tension on the strings, easier bends.

[ksdaddy]

I've seen some like that too. Could be a fad, could be a strange misinterpretation of how it's 'supposed' to be strung, or it could have something to do with string tension.

 

Back in the 80s I sold a Hondo LP Special style to a guy. He complained it felt stiff. I raised the tailpiece a little, changing the string's break angle over the saddles. He thought I was a magician or something. I don't know if it really had any effect or if it was all in his head.

 

But I do believe there should be a difference in tension there, and maybe a difference in tone as a result, but I don't know if the difference is dramatic enough for our fingers and ears to really notice. 'Your mileage may vary' and all that.

[Twiz]

I top-wrap. I really can't tell a difference one way or another -tone wise.

[MojoRedFoot]

In that case, I'll leave it as is. I only use 10-46 so string bends are not hard. Thanks for the input everyone.

[saturn]

I've tried it both ways (go ahead and make a joke here). Haven't seen much difference.

 

Notice the very slight angle here

 

When I string it normal, some of the strings actually touch the back side of my bridge because of the steep string angle. Some people claim that is a "tone sucker" but I haven't noticed.

[Laaz]

It also scratches the hell out of your tail piece. Tried it and saw no difference.

[Cruznolfart]

Seems to me one of the gods tried it back in the 60s and some peeps convinced themselves it was the super-secret tone acquiring trick that only one guitar-god in the entire universe used. They have kept the secret to themselves for all these years. No one knows about it. :-

[Tim Plains]

I couldn't hear a difference but could definitely feel a difference. I don't like how the strings feel when they're top wrapped.

[EVOL!]

I top wrapped before I put the Bigsby on my SG. I liked it because it gave me another place to strum to make the guitar squeal.

 

http://www.myspace.com/dundrearies

 

That shattering glass noise at the beginning of Disappearing Ink is me strumming between the bridge and tail piece, strings top wrapped, through a fuzz box.

[craigh]

Didn't Billy Gibbons string up Pearly Gates that way?

 

Craig

[FirstMeasure]

Isn't there a Tailpiece that's designed to Wrap Around and isn't it older than the Stop Tailpiece? Perhaps that's where the whole Top Wrapped Stop Tailpiece thing started.

[DrJustice]

If anything, since less pressure is put on the saddles with "top-wrapping" you should get less sustain...

Yet another useless guitar myth?

 

DJ

--

[Thundergod]

It's all a myth.

[rockman82]

I top wrap because my tailpiece is worn out. I had to top wrap my strings to prevent them from breaking. The strings slots on the tail piece got so rough that they would break my high e string. I did get them filed down, but i wasn't confident enough that they wouldn't break so i top wrapped. Personally, it doesn't bother me. I think it looks cool even though it might not give a difference on sustain. I also like it because the tailpiece looks like those old Les Paul and SG Jrs that had the wrap around bridge instead of the stop bar.

[Mark Lee]

I wrap it under the tailpiece to get a more acute angle between the strings and the bridge. it takes a little longer to get the strings threaded through but I think it does help the tone.

[surfpup]

I top wrap. It works for me, and Billy Gibbons, and AXE®.... enough said.

[saturn]

If you plan to top-wrap, here's a little thing I learned.

 

It might be easier to remove the stopp-bar completely and thread all the strings through before setting the stop-bar back in place. I find it hard to get the strings to go though "backwards" with the stop-tail inplace. Plus, the strings come out the other side at a down angle and can dig into your top.

[NeoConMan]

Here's everything I know about it;

 

 

 

 

 

www.rattlesnakeroadhouse.com/TopWrapping.html

 

"Hell, maybe you could top wrap the headstock and bring the strings over the Gibson logo..."

 

[rockman82]

Honestly, just stringing through normally gave my strings a greater chance of breaking. Now having a new tailpiece would solve that, but top-wrapping saved my guitar strings lol

 

If i get a new tailpiece for my SG, i'll string through again. But to me, either way works good. I've had my strings top wrapped since last September, and i haven't had a problem yet. But i agree with most people. I don't think it changes the sound, and i don't think it makes a difference in feel. People probably do it for looks, and people probably hate it because of how it looks. But in the end, a guitar's just a guitar.

[NeoConMan]

1975 Peavey T-60 (Right Handed)

I thought 1978 was the first year for the T-40/T-60.

 

 

I have one of each, 1979 and 1980.

Great pieces!

[:oilpit:]

I've topwrapped ever since I first heard about it. However on my LP with an ABR bridge, topwrapping the bass strings doesn't leave enough downward pressure on the bridge to keep the strings in the saddles, they flop all over the place.

 

So I started regular wrapping the bass strings, and topwrapping the treble strings. I did it once, then I just sorta kept doing it, and now I string up all my TOM guitars as such. The biggest (and only) advantage to this is that the guitar doesn't go out of tune as much when you hit chords a little harder than you should.

 

It looks weird as **** though...

[badbluesplayer]

Neo's right about string tension. Changing the break angle over the bridge does not effect sting tension, and does not change how hard it is to bend strings. All it does is change the amount of downward force on the bridge.

 

The string tension in front of the bridge and behind the bridge is always the same, regardless of the break angle.

[brundaddy]

If I tend to break strings at the bridge on any given guitar, I'll top wrap. Say what you will but it seems to drastically lessen string breakage for me.

 

And I really don't think there is any difference in tone or tension at all.