Anyone here wind they're strings upwards instead of down on the posts?

[merseybeat1963]

Its been my understanding that the string angle break at bridge affected the tightness of the string feel ...so my Les Pauls have always had back tail piece raised up to maximum possible height..reducing angle.

My only Gretsch which plays great has such shallow string angle off floating tail piece that the thin E sometimes pops out of its saddle..

And the masterbuilt Strats I had specified to play as flexible as possible, were set up by luthier with the backs raised up instead of flush to top.So there must be something to it.

 

So to somehow improve the Martin D42 Custom ..I got an Ivory saddle.

I finished the fit and had to say at that point,after strumming...if you want to improve your Martin..buy the Huss & Dalton version of it.

Then, I thought of the downward angle of the strings at the headstock to those Gotoh low stem tuners...maybe if I reduce the angle by winding strings upwards instead of down..!

Slightly trimmed bridge a hair lower to where bone one was before & wound strings upwards. And it seems a huge difference..!..

Anyone else notice this..that angle seemed to bind up the sound of the thing.

Sounds & feels better.

Im gonna try it on the J200 soon..

[j45nick]

That one's a bit counterintuitive, particularly given that stringposts are generally contoured to wind the strings down, which gives a better break angle.

[Motherofpearl]

One wind over the rest under

[modoc_333]

One wind over the rest under

 

 

 

this is the way I have done it for years! I got the idea from a book by Dan Erlewine.

 

I don't like a shallow break angle at the bridge or nut. I don't mind a little extra tension and I find that the added pressure transfers more vibration to the body... giving better tone.

[Motherofpearl]

this is the way I have done it for years! I got the idea from a book by Dan Erlewine.

 

I don't like a shallow break angle at the bridge or nut. I don't mind a little extra tension and I find that the added pressure transfers more vibration to the body... giving better tone.

+1 myself never put much thought into that it was just the way I was taught

[j45nick]

One wind over the rest under

 

 

That's pretty standard, and is the way I have done it for years. Locks the string nicely on the post.

[Kaiser Bill]

I learned the string locking against itself method from a luthier about 50 years ago. Been using it ever since on my Gibsons. I wind the strings downward toward the headstock. How or WHY would you wind them upwards?? I also keep the tail piece tight against the body. I was told it was better for sustain. HUH?? How loud to do have to play to test that theory??

[merseybeat1963]

this is the way I have done it for years! I got the idea from a book by Dan Erlewine.

 

I don't like a shallow break angle at the bridge or nut. I don't mind a little extra tension and I find that the added pressure transfers more vibration to the body... giving better tone.

 

I prefer the more rattley loose sound from a less stiff string.

The Martin D42 I was fitting the saddle on to,has a steep slanted headstock, with gotoh butterbean tuners,which have a lower than what Im used to seeing,stem.Together that drives the angle downwards.

Personally, I think the L5 is the best guitar Gibson makes overall..The only one I have, a 97', has a floating tailpiece which does not have extremely steep angle, and interestingly, the headstock angle is much less than on the Martin.

When winding the strings upwards..on those flimsey low stem butterbean tuners, comes to about the same string break as the L5.

Strings seem to feel less stiff and sound looser too.

[j45nick]

When winding the strings upwards..on those flimsey low stem butterbean tuners, comes to about the same string break as the L5.

Strings seem to feel less stiff and sound looser too.

 

 

Whatever works for you. No absolute right or wrong here.

[merseybeat1963]

I learned the string locking against itself method from a luthier about 50 years ago. Been using it ever since on my Gibsons. I wind the strings downward toward the headstock. How or WHY would you wind them upwards?? I also keep the tail piece tight against the body. I was told it was better for sustain. HUH?? How loud to do have to play to test that theory??

 

Why..?

To get a more flexible, less stiff string tuned up to pitch.

 

On a less angled headstock, or tuners with a higher stem this may not make sense.

But on this Martin,who probably share same neck angle with each other for the most part, it made an obvious difference.

If I keep this guitar, Ill change out those tuners eventually to ones with a higher stem...if they exist.

 

I havent noticed any loss of sustain lifting tail pieces on electric guitars, when plugged into a Marshall,AC30,Bassman,they sustain nice. : )

Unplugged, the two Strats I have with lifted tail vibrate about as well as my other 3 ,with flush to body tails .

I read Dan Elarlwine write what you say like 30+ years ago..and there is some truth in it Im sure, but Jimi Hendrix played his Strats with a lifted tail and tuned down to 415...all reducing sustain..but Machine Gun live was all I needed to hear to say thats good enough for me.

 

May wanna try it if a guitars action feels & responds stiff.