top wrapping strings

[Sgt.]

my guitar shop tech suggested i try top wrapping. i wasn't satisfied with the action because there was fret buzz. i loathe fret buzz and will take the higher action to get rid of it. the higher action is tolerable with slide playing because the slide doesn't drag on the frets. the setup i had in mind was with the tailpiece low to body, but do to fret buzz the tailpiece had to be a bit high.

tried the top wrap today, lowered the tailpiece, action is good low and no buzzes. i like it. used the fender bullet pure nickel strings and avoided the hand ripping twisty ends you get with regular strings. bullets are clean at the ball. i came across a question i wanted to ask: does it make sense to reverse the tailpiece because the ends of the strings are now facing the nut? it doesn't because the tailpiece will fall of the studs, duh.

while doing the setup i reversed the 3rd, 5th, and 6th bevel on the bridge to face the nut. does this make intonating easier? is there any best way to position the bevels to achieve easier intonation (the bridge comes from the factory with all bevels facing the nut or the other way around, i cannot remember). anyway the stock setting for the bevels on the bridge all face the same way. oh yeah it's the lp studio bridge.

as for the top wrap i'll play the guitar and see how the strings stand up.

oh yeah another thing, when you're stringing the guitar top wrap you will need a little longer string length than usual to the tuning peg to compensate for the little extra string on the tailpiece. i can never get the length right! ha ha, how long have changed strings ... twenty five years. the gibson manual suggests that all strings use the clamp method, where the first wind on the tuner end of the string go under the string and then wound over, five winds for the unwound strings and three for the wound strings to attain tuning stability. i use the general rule of thumb of, what is it, about four fingers high at the bridge to get enough string to wind around the tuning peg.

i m gettin' to love this guitar! 2011 LP Studio

[Sgt.]

my guitar shop tech suggested i try top wrapping. i wasn't satisfied with the action because there was fret buzz. i loathe fret buzz and will take the higher action to get rid of it. the higher action is tolerable with slide playing because the slide doesn't drag on the frets. the setup i had in mind was with the tailpiece low to body, but do to fret buzz the tailpiece had to be a bit high.

tried the top wrap today, lowered the tailpiece, action is good low and no buzzes. i like it. used the fender bullet pure nickel strings and avoided the hand ripping twisty ends you get with regular strings. bullets are clean at the ball. i came across a question i wanted to ask: does it make sense to reverse the tailpiece because the ends of the strings are now facing the nut? it doesn't because the tailpiece will fall of the studs, duh.

while doing the setup i reversed the 3rd, 5th, and 6th bevel on the bridge to face the nut. does this make intonating easier? is there any best way to position the bevels to achieve easier intonation (the bridge comes from the factory with all bevels facing the nut or the other way around, i cannot remember). anyway the stock setting for the bevels on the bridge all face the same way. oh yeah it's the lp studio bridge.

as for the top wrap i'll play the guitar and see how the strings stand up.

oh yeah another thing, when you're stringing the guitar top wrap you will need a little longer string length than usual to the tuning peg to compensate for the little extra string on the tailpiece. i can never get the length right! ha ha, how long have changed strings ... twenty five years. the gibson manual suggests that all strings use the clamp method, where the first wind on the tuner end of the string go under the string and then wound over, five winds for the unwound strings and three for the wound strings to attain tuning stability. i use the general rule of thumb of, what is it, about four fingers high at the bridge to get enough string to wind around the tuning peg.

i m gettin' to love this guitar! 2011 LP Studio

 

the seymour duncan site says top wrapping the strings feels 'slinky' and enhances sustain, more woody or reedy sound. i figure top wrapping will make medium guage strings feel a little easier.

[BigKahune]

... while doing the setup i reversed the 3rd, 5th, and 6th bevel on the bridge to face the nut. does this make intonating easier? is there any best way to position the bevels to achieve easier intonation (the bridge comes from the factory with all bevels facing the nut or the other way around, i cannot remember). anyway the stock setting for the bevels on the bridge all face the same way. oh yeah it's the lp studio bridge. ....

 

It has to do with string length. Flipping the facing the bevels gives the point of string contact more travel in the opposite direction, if you need it to make the string longer or shorter for intonation. In the pic below, the facing of the E A D saddles give the strings' points of contact more travel toward the stop, allowing a longer string for intonation. The facing of the G B E saddles give the strings' points of contact more travel toward the neck, allowing a shorter string for intonation. As for top wrapping, some like it, I don't.

 

[pippy]

Top-wrapping is always destined to polarize opinions.

 

There have been dozens of threads here and in the lounge on the subject.

 

Many clever people have poster formulae which prove both that it works / it doesn't work.

 

Some have posted pictures of, say, Billy Gibbons playing 'Pearly' top-wrapped and say "If it's good enough for him..." and then others post pictures of, erm, Billy Gibbons playing 'Pearly' regularly-strung.

 

P.

[Sgt.]

Top-wrapping is always destined to polarize opinions.

 

There have been dozens of threads here and in the lounge on the subject.

 

Many clever people have poster formulae which prove both that it works / it doesn't work.

 

Some have posted pictures of, say, Billy Gibbons playing 'Pearly' top-wrapped and say "If it's good enough for him..." and then others post pictures of, erm, Billy Gibbons playing 'Pearly' regularly-strung.

 

P.

[pippy]

it seems to enable my action to get lower when it had to be high due to fret buzz. i'll watch the longevity of the strings too, if they last as long as regular strung, hey it works.

 

That's exactly the right approach; if it works for you then that's the only thing which counts.

 

I have no opinion on the matter one way or the other as I've never tried it out for myself. I must say, however, I've thoroughly enjoyed watching the debate go back and forth....

 

P.

[Gary Moore Tribute]

I have it setup top wrapped on a few of my guitars. I will say however it won't cure fret buzzing as the position of the bridge & nut are unchanged.

To stop the buzzing you need to perform a setup. This needs to be done as the seasons change I've found (How cold the truss rod is effects it length)

 

It can be something as simple as slacking the truss rod a little and that can cure it, however depending on how much you play it the bridge may also need resetting.

I do setups myself but I don't recommend them to the inexperienced.

 

Regarding the top wrap the string is longer from end to end so when tensed it will have the extra length to bend but its not much...

The sustain comment is more to do with how SOLID the bridge & tailpiece are to the body, with this method, the tailpiece is dropped down almost to the body. However the bridge needs to be like the epiphone type to add any substantial improvement, see this:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzM9dvV-VJU

 

From 11:30 to 14:40

[Sgt.]

I have it setup top wrapped on a few of my guitars. I will say however it won't cure fret buzzing as the position of the bridge & nut are unchanged.

To stop the buzzing you need to perform a setup. This needs to be done as the seasons change I've found (How cold the truss rod is effects it length)

 

It can be something as simple as slacking the truss rod a little and that can cure it, however depending on how much you play it the bridge may also need resetting.

I do setups myself but I don't recommend them to the inexperienced.

 

Regarding the top wrap the string is longer from end to end so when tensed it will have the extra length to bend but its not much...

The sustain comment is more to do with how SOLID the bridge & tailpiece are to the body, with this method, the tailpiece is dropped down almost to the body. However the bridge needs to be like the epiphone type to add any substantial improvement, see this:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzM9dvV-VJU

 

From 11:30 to 14:40

yes i realized the fret buzz is not really relieved it's pretty much the same, when i started doing the setup again. the truss rod was better off where it was from the last setup that relieved the fret buzz. but one can dream, the low action buzz or not felt gooooood.

[AXE®]

[Gary Moore Tribute]

Yeah the buzz fixing is such a fine thing, especially to ensure the intonation is accurate at the 12th. Watching Davey4557 is a great luthier to learn from...