Wrap around TP

[jim in texas]

This was discussed a few weeks ago but I'm so damn old I can't remember what was said.

Please tell me again about wrapping the strings on the outside of the tail piece. I remember it increased the sustain but what else happens?

 

[Ed Rafalko]

granny says when she wraps things stay fresher and warmer longer.

 

[jscorno]

I know the action on my Custom is a lot stiffer if I don't wrap around the tail piece.

What's the theory behind having more sustain if the tailpiece is wrapped?

 

[jim in texas]

Ed...

Granny said you better wrap your young ass back to work before you get nabbed for playing on the computer during business hours.

She is the caring type by the way.

 

[Ed Rafalko]

My boss says granny needs to lay off the shine.

 

[toni]

Jim,

wrapping the strings around the tailpiece gives a little more attack to the tone and reduce the pressure on the adjustable bridge. But it may depend on your guitar.
but for me, the biggest change in tone is due to the height of the tailpeice, no matter if the strings are wrapped around or not.

 

[60burst]

I agree with Toni. I couldn't tell much difference. The height of the tail piece matters, though.

 

[jim in texas]

Please explain how the height of the tailpiece effects the tone. I would surmise that the higher TP puts less stress on the bridge.?

 

[Davepaf]

Yes, yes it does. I raised the TP on my Les Pauls, and noticed a little difference in tone, not enough to make me do backflips or nothin'. They felt a little different too. I cant quite describe it. I screwed around with different heights a little, it is different. Might get better results with your guitar.
(I might get better results if I drink more.....:davepaf)

 

[Ed Rafalko]

You'll get beter results if you drink less- and you'll be able to REMEMBER them the next day, too!

 

[Davepaf]

Who are you?:davepaf

 

[jim in texas]

Ed.....

Can you answer my question? TP up or TP down???

 

[Ed Rafalko]

I can't answer your question Jim. I can give you MY imp[ression of it though.
When I tried wrapping the strings over it didn't do anything for me. i tried it with the tp high and with it low and with it in between and my hand could not get comfortable resting on it.

Tonewise, I noticed very little if any difference. But i was using a Duncan Distortion through a Marshall Lead 12 so it might make some difference in another rig.
People SWEAR up and down they get different tones with different heights on their tailpieces. I've tried it lots and lots of times and I just can't see a difference. I now drop the bridge as low as it'll go and then back up so it just misses touching the body. I do that because I run a low ABR-1 and if I crank the tp all the way down the strings touch the back of it, and i don't want THAT because I don't like grooves in my bridges where they're not supposed to be. But for me it's not a tone thing.
But people think i'm crazy, so don't listen to ME.

 

[60burst]

Jim,

There are lots of opinions on this but a good place to start is to adjust your stop where you have good contact with the strings on the saddles. In other words, you don't want too steep of an angle from your bridge saddles down to your stop. Don't screw your stop all of the way to the body and let your strings put a lot of pressure on the back of the bridge.

 

[jim in texas]

Thanks guys!!!!!!!


Granny just said " See I told you not to f*ck with that thing. You don't listen to me dammit. Your just like your father."

 

[Snags]

Big Al once discussed finding a 'sweet spot' with the strings wrapped over the bar, and the bar raised just slightly off of the top of the guitar.