neastguy Posted June 23, 2020 Share Posted June 23, 2020 so I noticed recently that my strings are hitting my bridge.. any tips for top wrapping it? reason to not etc???/ top and bottom guitars in pics are my Hamer's.middle my LP. bottom one is my p90 or should I just raise the bridge a bit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killerteddybear Posted June 23, 2020 Share Posted June 23, 2020 Couldn't you just raise them thar studs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disturber Posted June 23, 2020 Share Posted June 23, 2020 Raise the stop tailpiece until the strings go free. Or top wrap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biz Prof Posted June 23, 2020 Share Posted June 23, 2020 ^^^^ This. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neastguy Posted June 23, 2020 Author Share Posted June 23, 2020 yeah.. i was just wondering if those of you who top wrapped noticed anything different ... better or worse.. thats all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCChris Posted June 23, 2020 Share Posted June 23, 2020 3 minutes ago, neastguy said: yeah.. i was just wondering if those of you who top wrapped noticed anything different ... better or worse.. thats all A little slinkier feel plus the added sustain from having the tailpiece screwed down all the way (the latter might merely be psychosomatic bullshit). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobB Posted June 23, 2020 Share Posted June 23, 2020 The only top wrap I like is a stop bar bridge. Top wrapped tuneomatics impart a spongy feel to the strings that I don’t like. Some like it (worked for Duane Allman). Some even use the word, "like", four times in a paragraph. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neastguy Posted June 23, 2020 Author Share Posted June 23, 2020 4 minutes ago, MCChris said: A little slinkier feel plus the added sustain from having the tailpiece screwed down all the way (the latter might merely be psychosomatic bullshit). hmm... we usually tune down a half step at gigs.... I wonder if it would make the guitars way to slinky if I top wrapped.. I have 10's on them now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topekatj Posted June 23, 2020 Share Posted June 23, 2020 2 hours ago, neastguy said: A little light dusting on examples 2 &3 might help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neastguy Posted June 23, 2020 Author Share Posted June 23, 2020 17 minutes ago, topekatj said: A little light dusting on examples 2 &3 might help I dust a little when I change the strings... usually once or twice a year Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
velorush Posted June 23, 2020 Share Posted June 23, 2020 Just now, neastguy said: I dust a little when I change the strings... usually once or twice a year Oh, please! You could likely plant turnips on all of my guitars! 😅 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hamerhead Posted June 23, 2020 Share Posted June 23, 2020 I top wrap my LP and like it a lot, not so much with other guitars I've tried it on. It's a feel thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biz Prof Posted June 23, 2020 Share Posted June 23, 2020 2 hours ago, topekatj said: A little light dusting on examples 2 &3 might help But according to Nigel Tufnel, you "can't really dust for vomit." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crunchee Posted June 23, 2020 Share Posted June 23, 2020 5 hours ago, Disturber said: Raise the stop tailpiece until the strings go free. Or top wrap. I used to do this, back when I had Hamer Specials/Studios, and it works well...though it can look a little weird having the stop tailpiece raised up, depending on how high you adjust it. To tell the truth though, I couldn't tell much difference in tone (if any), if/when the strings touched the bridge edges or not, since that short length of string between the bridge and stop tailpiece wasn't vibrating that I could see or hear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neastguy Posted June 24, 2020 Author Share Posted June 24, 2020 19 hours ago, crunchee said: I used to do this, back when I had Hamer Specials/Studios, and it works well...though it can look a little weird having the stop tailpiece raised up, depending on how high you adjust it. To tell the truth though, I couldn't tell much difference in tone (if any), if/when the strings touched the bridge edges or not, since that short length of string between the bridge and stop tailpiece wasn't vibrating that I could see or hear. Im tempted to just leave it be then.. I've never had any issues at all.. thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommy p Posted June 24, 2020 Share Posted June 24, 2020 I "owned" Tom Terrific's Beatles graphic Sunburst and it was top-wrapped. When I read about top-wrapping giving a guitar a slinkier feel I was 100% sure it was bullshit but I'm convinced. I loved playing that one and would consider top-wrapping some of my other guitars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce919 Posted June 24, 2020 Share Posted June 24, 2020 Just do it ! see how it plays sounds, change it back on the next string change it it does not work out. I have a few guitars I keep set this way others it did't seem to play correct. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hamerhead Posted June 24, 2020 Share Posted June 24, 2020 Something to consider - it'll leave a mark. If you don't want to scuff a clean tailpiece, use a beater to try it for the first time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dutchman Posted June 25, 2020 Share Posted June 25, 2020 I top wrap all my TOM’s! To me the strings are slinkier. One thing I do is add a extra ball end on the string so your not bending the wrapped end just the string. I think I hear longer sustain also, but I’ve never tested if there really is longer sustain. Or louder. I’ve been restringing my guitars like this so long I can’t remember when I started... Decades... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobB Posted June 25, 2020 Share Posted June 25, 2020 3 hours ago, Dutchman said: I top wrap all my TOM’s! To me the strings are slinkier. One thing I do is add a extra ball end on the string so your not bending the wrapped end just the string. That is a really clever hack. You should send pics/description to StewMac. They may publish it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neastguy Posted June 25, 2020 Author Share Posted June 25, 2020 6 hours ago, Dutchman said: I top wrap all my TOM’s! To me the strings are slinkier. One thing I do is add a extra ball end on the string so your not bending the wrapped end just the string. I think I hear longer sustain also, but I’ve never tested if there really is longer sustain. Or louder. I’ve been restringing my guitars like this so long I can’t remember when I started... Decades... yeah.. Im not sure I understand what you mean .. can you post a pic? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZR Posted June 25, 2020 Share Posted June 25, 2020 He means putting an extra ball end on the string. Slide the little metal ring down the string so that when inserted from the pickup-side of the tailpiece it can't enter as far and that will keep the wrapped part of the string inside the tailpiece and only the string itself will protrude from the non-pickup side. So, that when it's bent up and over the tailpiece it won't be bending and possibly start unwrapping the wound end of the string due to the extreme bend. It's an excellent idea...I'll give it a try! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hamerhead Posted June 25, 2020 Share Posted June 25, 2020 It works great. Some guys put a dab of super glue to hold them in place (in the tailpiece). I haven't....yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshoowah Posted June 25, 2020 Share Posted June 25, 2020 47 minutes ago, hamerhead said: It works great. Some guys put a dab of super glue to hold them in place (in the tailpiece). I haven't....yet. I've been doing it for as long as I've had my LP Special (over 25 years), but I prefer to have them loose (no glue), because I do occasionally go back to 'regular' stringing just for variety. But this spacer is as important when top-wrapping as having the tailpiece at the right height so the string only bends over the saddle (not the back of the TOM) when not top wrapping (better tone, sustain, tuning stability and string life). Try it! Slab body with P90s just works for going over the top! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cynic Posted June 25, 2020 Share Posted June 25, 2020 I believe it was @murkat who had fabricated a wee little plate that prevented the ball end of the strings from going so deep into the bridge that it prevented the wrapped portions from being part of the bend. It probably isn't more effective than using the ball ends, but it's probably easier keeping track of one thing instead of six during a string change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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