Top Wrap does = Less Tension

[renderit]

It be the "Queens English" and who don't like Queen?

 

[Norton]

Oh crikey, now we're doing math AND proper English...I'm in trouble.

 

[charliechitlins]

So...does the use of this equation assume that downforce and break angle on bridge/saddle contribute to string tension?
I'm not a math(s) guy(bloke).

 

[J T]

So...does the use of this equation assume that downforce and break angle on bridge/saddle contribute to string tension?
I'm not a math(s) guy(bloke).

Ah see there's where the confusion comes in.

String tension and downforce are two different things. It seems that the word tension gets substituted for what's actually downforce by many, simply because they don't know the terminology. That's OK.

String tension produces the frequency of the in-tune note. The string size and composition determine what tension the string should be at to produce the in-tune note.

Downforce is produced by the string break angle from the saddle to the tailpiece. In order to determine the downforce, the string size, composition, and note need to be factored in.

Therefore the higher the break angle (slammed tailpiece), the higher the saddle/bridge downforce. If the string is riding over the top of the tailpiece, the angle will be lower and a lower saddle/bridge downforce.

Top wrapping. Does that give the feeling of slinkier strings? Up to you.

 

[Any Name You Wish]

We need a free body diagram.

The downforce at the saddle can be broken into the vertical (perpendicular to the string) and longitudinal (parallel to the string) force vectors. As the break angle over the saddle decreases with top wrapping, the longitudinal vector (parallel the string) will decrease and the vertical force vector will decrease. Keep raising the stop bar until the string is flat just over the top of the saddle and eventually both force vectors become zero. Correct? To maintain the same note, the string tension must remain the same. So, the string tension does not change, just the force vectors on the saddle change.

 

[Happy Tree]

I've played my LPs and ESes with standard stringing, top wrap and also with the end piece of a Les Trem II. Can't say I've noticed any difference in ease of bending. But then I use 8s which are always easier to bend. Now I have Les Trems on all but one LP which is top wrapped at the moment. It will probably stay that way on the next string change "just because".

 

[RocknRollShakeUp]

Used top wrap for a year or so on two LPs and ES-335. Found out It killed the punch in the lower strings. Went back to normal, big difference.

I could see this, as at least informally speaking, less break angle - and therefore less down pressure on the saddle - would suggest less attack and definition (twang punch?).

Expounding on this a tad with my own anecdote, on one LP I have, top wrapping reduced the break angle to the point that, with 10’s in Standard E tuning, the Low E would buzz across the saddle like on a Jazzmaster without enough break angle.