Yes, I hear a difference... But, Either way.. It's the soul you put into your playing that does it for me Chris.. Top wrap, standard wrap, a tuna wrap with lettuce and tomato... It's all the same in your hands. You got soul for days brother.
i was about to say the same words - way more complexity with the top-wrap. the standard wrap sounds flat and dead in comparison (but likely only when A-B compared)
@@lpoolck17 agreed! I hear the complete opposite. i extracted the audio here and chopped it up so the chords where playing one at a time and switching between the different stringing methods, I find this much easier to compare. The standard method had a much more open frequency response, far more harmonics the fundamentals where really loud and strong too. But I really had to listen back multiple times to hear the difference and if you have to do that then the differences are negligible!
The reason for all this isn't because you top wrapped it. but because there's less of an angle on the strings between the tailpiece and bridge when the strings are higher on the tailpiece. So there's less friction on the bridge saddles. You can get the same effect just by raising the tailpiece. It really doesn't have to touch the body.
@@alexainsworth9102 totally pointless, there's only so high you can get the taipiece relative to the bridge before the strings aren't sitting firmly enough on the saddles and you start to get other issues.
@@qua7771 Hmmm, I've never heard this one before! Maybe there is some credence to it though. Someone stated that raising the tailpiece has the same effect as top wrapping. I agree with that. Personally, tone and feel aside, I don't like the way top wrapping looks and I don't like the way the strings going over the tailpiece feels on my hand.
Along with some of the people who've weighed in, I agree that the guitar seemed slightly brighter using the standard stringing method. Top wrapping seemed to bring out more of the natural warmth of the instrument and added a bit more "woman" to the tone. In my opinion the effect on the instruments sustain is negligible. Hardly worth mentioning. The most notable difference would seem to be the effect top wrapping has on the string tension as mentioned in the video. I've never "topped" but I'm going to try it on my 2019 60th anniversary R9. Thanks for the upload Chris. Well done and I love your playing! It's so soulful and evokes the best of the Allman Brothers to my musical sensibilities.
Nice one!... also when playing try position yourself towards the north, the telluric currents will cause a spasmodated tremor on the strings giving you a unique frasmotic and anaspeptic tone! ;-)
I started top wrapping my gibsons with my SG back in early 82 I believe. my special double cuts all come with the top wrap bridge that I like. You make some sweet sounds there my friend
I think the biggest difference is the much smaller break angle over the bridge with the top wrap puts a lot less down force on the strings and will probably extend the life of the high E string. Lately, I've been using NYXL strings and they don't break or wear out no matter what I do to them.
Hi Cris ! It's very nice of YOU to tell and show at young guitarist some "tricks". You are a good person and not a mean and jealous. (many guitarists do not want to say and help others to know his "secrets" ... Congratulations, and keep it up ... Damir, from Trieste (old player - guitarist 46-47 year ) .WWW MUSIC !!!
I have a 1992 Standard bought new 32 years ago...l can tell you that 6 years ago l sell all my stuff and l quit playing(until then l played it regularly)...2 years ago l found her at 100 km from home,l re-bought her(l am the luckiest man on Earth👍😁)and l started play again and from then on top wrapping the strings...sincerely l can't remeber precisely how it was before(the tone and sustain was not so different at my ears)but l feel more comfortable putting my right hand between the stoptail and the Nashville bridge while playing using the strings as where to hold the hand...and it appears to me easier to make bendings and vibrato(l am a total fan of Paul Kossoff and he also used to top wrap his Guitar,not always but l saw some pics where his strings were top wrapped)..cheers from Italy my friend🍷🍷🍷🎸🎸🎸👍👍👍
It does. 😁 some high end harmonics jump out more. Though tio wrap sounds rounder and warmer and tends to treat almost all nice harmonics more equal. More complex sound. I can see how people can love either.
The physics of it is well documented but more related to bowed stringed instruments like viola da gamba and double bass where the tailpiece is raised or lowered in order to effect the tension of strings down on the instrument top. The basic idea though is the relationship ofthe downward force on the bridge as effected by the angle as the strings pass over the bridge. Too much force can “choke” the instrument and the tailpiece is raised to change that angle, making it shallower. However, if the top is solid like LP, then the force won’t effect that characteristic. As stated though, the strings do feel more slinky or easier to bend when that angle is shallower. I have some pictures of a player who has two similar guitars with very similar angle yet one is top wrapped and the other has the stop TP raised with through the hole strings. These have the same angle over the bridge and the result is identical downward tension.
Thanks for the video Chris. Asked my luthier this today (20 years+, plus touring tech including guitar repairs and supports numerous working bands) and he smiled ruthfully. He feels that, whilst a personal choice, it's largely a placebo on a modern Gibson, and done badly, overwrap will detract from sound if the angle is low and contact is reduced. Even with 10s / 11s he felt a better way was to adjust the bridge saddle and tail stop together effectively - mine has 10s on. No overwrap. The stuff about over-wrapping to help tuning stability / binding etc - you may be treating a symptom instead of the cause. Ensure the saddles are decent quality / working effectively and the nut is cut to your string size i.e. if it shipped with 8's and you are putting 11's on, then have the nut cut by a professional to suit 11's with special attention to the rear face (to pegs) where the angled out and down strings can bind. Gibson tuners are generally fine (you don't need to swap out to Grovers etc) although ensure they are in the correct position and well tightened to the head stock. A little nut sauce and you should be good to go. No overwrap. Assuming other bits done (truss rod, intonation, and always stretch new strings several times - re-tune up).
You are comparing acoustic instruments with soundboards to a solid body electric guitar. In the acoustic instruments with the strings anchored at the end block and a floating bridge wedged under the strings the height of the bridge places greater or lesser pressure on the top which tunes the top. This does not really apply to the solid Les Paul, which seems to be what you say in your post so I don't see why you mention bowed instruments at all, except to somehow legitimise the use of top wrapping as well a documented physical effect via poor logic.
I did this today on my SG 61, before i studied this post. Put on Nickel top wrapped 11/50s ( I'm normally straight though 9s ) Tuned down to Eb lowered bridge pick up, reset intonation. Straight away BFG was in the room ( up until I saw your vid didn't know Billy top wrapped.) A beautiful metallic harmony has appeared along with a lovely deep growl. It's a combination of things I know, but, it's certainly worth the effort, whether it's the top wrap or not, I've made a difference and i love it try it . Looks way cooler too.!! Dig this channel .👌
One of the things i like about the top wrap is more string is resting against metal. When you string the tailpiece regular the string is coming out of the tailpiece then goes right up to the bridge but with it wrapped over the tail the string in sitting all along the top of the tailpiece so there is more metal contact for the strings. plus it is less tension in feel and to me just sounds closer to what i like,
Definitely makes a difference. Been doing it a while. Not long ago I broke a string and only one I had around was off another guitar and was too short to wrap around. Totally different sound and feel.
Great to see a confirmation of the results from my tests. I tried the top-wrapping on my '60 Standard (R0) and the results didn't suit my playing or desired sound. Back to the string-thru method.
I thought the standard sounded a little brighter but the difference seemed pretty minimal and that was listening to it plugged into my stereo. Beautiful playing as always Chris, hope you are well 🤘🏻🎸👍🤘🏻🎸👍🤘🏻🎸👍🤘🏻🎸🤘🏻🎸👍
Good video as usual 😁. You succeed again to capture the difference. This one of those topics where everyone has strong opinion about even if they are not informed enough or haven't had thought about every angle or have not tried it them self. Also some people just do not hear/feel subtle differences. It is normal and no shame and does not make you less worth. Specially while it is on the RU-vid and people use different devices to listen to it. As I see it there are two aspects of it. One is changing angle of strings hitting a bridge While not changing a height of a stop bar. Results in in same string tension relief as rising a stop bar but for some people they like that stop bar stays low and out of the way. Very personal thing and for me not that important reason to do it but sure for someone else it is perfectly good reason to do it. Now doing it for tone that is a more valid point for me. Here it does not mean one or the other is objectively better for everyone but it gives you your subjective better result and that is most important. And greatness of this video is that is showing a difference more than I've expected. Again good job. What I hear is that standard makes some harmonics in top end and some of the mid range jump out more. Top wrap though sounds more round and warmer with more low end and seems to treat harmonics more equal and all of them come out. This might sound like less highs but adds nice complexity in the sound.like third dimension. Standard barks more and with that mid range specially on the bridge pickup and those spikey high end harmonics represents more what people tend to realise as Les Paul sound. Top wrap for me sounds more in line with real old Les Paul. Now if you want one more opinion why does it sound differently I can offer you jet another explanation. This time shared by people in the business of making tone happen and making/building guitars and amplifiers. Simple reason why is there a difference is not only in string angle but in the interaction between a stop bar and string to. More string contacts a stop bar hence more vibrations makes it's way into it and into the studs there fore into the body of a guitar. Now more does not mean better or worse. All of the vibrations from strings on this type of the LP enter the body at only four points that are the studs (forget neck joint for a second). Bridge studs are dominant while they have high string tension. So more vibrations originate from them. Introducing more vibration into stop tail studs that are at the distance will amplifie some and dampen the other frequencies. Like pebble thrown into a puddle. Single pebble makes defined wave pattern. More of them at same time make things more complicated. And now the industry's people part. Pickups hear strings. But string vibrate only at frequencies that are not lost to dampening of every part of a guitar. Yes every part. Even tuners and paint. Yes wood and shape of it. Yes also once dampened by magnetic pull. Maple transduce highs better but only because it transduce lows wose and there for it sounds brighter. Warm sounding wood just dampens highs more. Some radical shape of the body kills some frequencies. Position of bridge in the body will change sound. Now you make perfect body and bridge and now you are still nowhere. Other end of the strings will be dampened by neck, nut, string trees, tuners and vibrations and shape of a headstock to. And you get that right. Well you are not there eirher. Now vibrations go true the neck back into the body and fight with once that come from the bridge. So you solve that all. You avoid dampening of good harmonics as much as possible. Guitar sings un plugged. Resonates 1 minute long. Now pickups should be able to listen to it and make nice signal out of it. Pickups should not do magnetic pull and dampen strings. To high pickups and once with super strong magnets do that. To hot wound pickups lose high end mostly. Now you get good pickups let we say scatter wound alnicio II low turn maple spacer non potted silver nickel base vintage PAF 59 goodness. You are still not there. Wiring, pots, even the toggle switch will influence the signal and similar to vibrations dampening will steal some frequencies from it. So you do that. Sure perfect guitar. Now only the signal chain, and amp and speaker. 50 more ways to lose some of the frequencies. Cable lengths, buffered or not, pedals, even power supply for them, chain order. Everything makes difference. Amp matter greatly, but speaker choice will influence end result even more. Good sound of electric guitars alive is sometimes pure luck. To be able to shape it and make it way tou want it is bit higher level. On the end you hear only things that you have not lost in that complete story. After all I have seen and things I have build I still get amazed how some things can influence end result so much. Little things like output Jack, or toggle switch or guitar finish or tunners or simple top wrap 😁. How sometimes removing source of dampening makes instrument so much better and sometimes makes it almost soulless. Revealing something is a double edged sword. And on the end you are finally happy with result. It is awesome. Can people recognize it? Can they hear the difference between pure tube complex beautiful overdrive and cheap digital distorsion effect? And if they do hear and feel us it up their alley? Was it Pearl's in front of pig's? On other hand when someone gets it I get a best kick ever from it. I fix or mod a guitar or amp or build boutique amp for someone and he plays it for the first time and he gets it and can make even more out of it than I can I feel so good. Specially if they find setting and use I was not aware of. That is why I do it.
How funny, when I clicked the video, showing as a result of me watching another vid, I wasn't watching but listening and I thought, "that sounds like Chris Buck!" What a distinctive player!
I have tried both with my Les Paul, and have gone top wrapped which has allowed me to move up a guage. I use very light strings (8's) but the 9's with the lower tension have improved my tone.
There should be little-to-no difference in tone, but it will probably play different. If you hear a difference it's most likely because no strings are the same, every time you change strings you change the over all tone, sustain, playability, etc. pre-stretching or any other trick doesn't change this either. The top-wrap idea was just so you could have the tail piece snug to the body to avoid vibrations from it while having better string angle behind the bridge. The normal wrap works just fine but if your studs aren't long enough you might have some vibration or physically can't raise the tailpiece high enough for the good back angle so you use the top-wrap concept instead.
Oh wow that top wrapping makes it so much better sounding. Cant put my finger on it but maybe more even, like highs less high and lows less low. That and string separation seems better.
It sounds fantastic either way! Your string attack is what I am hearing mostly when you play any guitar without the pick. Derek Trucks does that only with a slide.
I tried it a while ago on two LPs, liked it at first and then I noticed that there is always one string sounding weird somewhere on the fretboard. Often the G-String. Funny buzzing noises. So I am not liking top-wrapping myself. Might work on some LPs, not on mine.
Standard wrapping is more percussive and bright, top wrapping is warmer with longer note decay and sustain. I raised mine to the ideal height & stacked some metal washers on the adjustable posts between the tailpiece and body for better sustain and a more solid mount.
I have been top wrapping strings on my L/P for 10+ years . I also give my ES-339 the same treatment . It makes them easier , more fun to play in my opinion . I haven't noticed any loss of tonal quality or sustain . I have found that sliding a used ball-end on the string prior to installation keeps the windings on the ball end off the tailpiece . That way the string makes better contact with the tailpiece enabling better energy transfer to the guitar body .... or so they say ...
i’ve been a les paul guy for a while and i’m also a 12-56 strings guy. when i started top wrapping, i couldn’t tell much tonal / sustain difference. i did notice a marginal ‘resonance’ difference because (i suspect) the tailpiece was all the way against the body. but agreed, the biggest difference i noticed was perceived string tension. being a 12’s guy, they felt a little more like 11’s in tension and i was able to do bends easier and perceived an overall slightly easier playability. i’m a huge fan.
Another reason for top wrapping is if you have some sharp edges on the bridge saddles and you break strings a lot. It happened to me and top wrapping changes the string angle and solves the problem.
Top wrap sounded a bit fuller with more sustain...but also compressed slightly and cleaner, from a technique standpoint, which implies greater ease in playing. Great vid thx!!
I know some people were forced to top wrap because of build quality issues with how high the neck was set and with intonation problems. Meaning that the bridge had to be lifted to get a decent string action and the saddles moved closer to the nut in order to set the intonation correctly. With standard stringing through the tail piece it puts such a steep break angle that the string catches the back of the bridge before passing over the saddle. Top wrapping lifts the string ..reduces the break angle and helps to improve set up... and yes sure I dont mean ALL Gibsons but I have had to set up Gibsons and Epiphones for people with a top wrap because of this issue in the past. Whether it changes the tone....who knows. I would hazard a guess that it is just a placebo effect.... If you want better tone try and emulate the way Chris plays.... lets face it both Chris(and Ariel Posen) play with a similar finger/pick style and I would take their tones any day...some of the best tones out there imo.
I’m sure when joe does it on his vintage lp’s he changes out the tail piece so it doesn’t damage the actual vintage one. I notice a huge difference in string tension when I’ve tried it in the past.
The top wrap makes it sound more metallic to my ears . I don't hear anything different in the way it sustains one way or the other . Interesting video , cheers mate 👍
Thanks for the comparison, Chris. Think I'll try this next time I change strings. What is your opinion of roller bridges for Les Pauls. I bought one for a new build that's getting a Bigsby, and I thought about putting one on my Les Paul copy. Wondered if you like them? 👍😎🎸🎶
Loved that solo at the end. Just man...as far as the wrap there is a Slight difference. The standard wrap seems like it is breaking up easier like the strings were closer to the pickups or like you were playing a bit harder. Maybe that’s it but having slinkier strings sounds like a win even if the sound isn’t mind blowingly (new word yay) different. Thanks for putting these out every week. You’re playing inspires me so much.
I have top wrapped my Les Paul ever since I bought it in 2004. I noticed Zakk Wylde was top wrapping, so I did some research. Like you said, top wrapping makes the strings more flexible with the lower tension, and this is the main reason I do it. Plus it just looks cool, haha. Regards, Chris!
I've had both methods on my guitar of 12 years. With the standard Nashville bridge, the top wrap allowed the tailpiece to be tight to the body without the strings touching the bridge. After swapping to a slimmer ABR-1 bridge, the tailpiece can be strung normally and tight to guitar body without the strings fouling on the bridge. Top wrap gives a slinky feel to the strings, but the shallow break angle over the bridge reduces definition and sustain. Personally I think that the choice to top wrap or not depends on the best result in setup on an individual basis. My original tailpiece is all scuffed up now due to years of top wrapping, so will keep it seperate with the Nashville bridge and get a new one to go with the ABR-1🤟
One big thing, top wrap definitely has more oscillation, a more natural "vibrato" if you will. Quite distinct. Also top warap has a slightly fuller tone, although standard does acentuate the high end a little more. i did the top wrap on my Eastman SB59, and was quite astonished at the increased sustain. Doing this to all my Agile LP's now, and my SG. Not sure about doing it in a semi hollow, ( Eastman T486)guess it won't hurt to try, fretboard needs cleaning anyway!
Johan Segeborn did a similar test: in both video I hear a low frequency loss with the top wrap, probably because the smaller angle at the saddle reduces the downward pressure of the string at the contact point of the saddle. The Les Paul headstock was designed to keep the right pressure of the strings at the nut, so are the staggered tuners for guitars with flat headstocks. So I personally don't see any advantage in reducing this pressure at the bridge.
it is not your imagination and i can prove it. Look at the tailpiece with the strings wrapped over. you will see the strings are laying on more metal than when you string it regular. With it strung normal the string comes out of the tailpiece and goes right up to the bridge but top wrapping the strings all rest along the tail's top metal then go to the bridge. More contact with the tailpiece= more mass=more energy= more resonance and volume. it may not be a real lot but there is a increase.
The Bridge gives you more of a "core tone" the Tail-Piece gives you more of a "harmonic tone". When you top wrap you take off pressure from the bridge so more energy goes to the Tailpiece. By the way you can achieve the same effect by simply elevating the tailpiece however you will feel less slinkiness. By adjusting the Tailpiece height you can tune it in exactly how you like it, it's like a balance control between "core tone" and "harmonic tone". A little higher or a little lower until you hear exactly what you want.
I wanted to update my post because I recently fell down this rabbit hole again and elaborate more on what Electro Fuzz initially wrote. A high tailpiece yields slightly less tension and a low tailpiece slightly more. I believe that this tension difference changes the attack characteristic of the notes that may account for the tone difference. Think about it...with less string tension you'll get a very slight increase in "string rattle" when you hit the notes. This rattle could give rise to an increase in over and under tones. It's almost like adding false harmonics every time you pluck a note. So, with a higher tailpiece you get less string tension resulting in more string rattle which may be perceived as more harmonic content to the notes. With a lower tailpiece you get more string tension and a stronger, more immediate fundamental tone to the notes.
I go with standard I feel with top wrapping you lose some of that twang and snappiness of tone that I like. As for slinky feel I use light gauge strings anyway Ernie ball 9s so slinky feeling isn't a issue
There is one really practical reason for top wrapping or raising the stop tailpiece..if your guitar has a really steep backward angle and you need to raise the bridge, then you’ll find that the strings coming from the tailpiece may hit the back of the bridge and sit at the back of the saddles rather than snug on top..top wrapping or raising the stp sorts this out..I’ve always thought that guitars with trapezes sound sweeter and have good note definition..a more shallower angle over the bridge emulates this imo..take a look at Larry Carlton’s 335s..notice the stp is further back than standard..he might be on to something!!
Hi Chris I over wrap my les Paul and sg I feel there is more sustain in both but the biggest change in tone is when I upgraded the tail piece on both guitar is using Gibson historical light aluminium tailpiece like the way all the old les Paul’s came with I couldn’t believe the difference in both guitars the vibrations travel throughout the guitar, where as the zinc tailpiece kill the vibrations try it ‼️
I'm usually shit at hearing differences in tone like that, but the normal wrap was definitely brighter. I have heard of LP players doing the overwrap thing before, now I'll have to give that a shot on my LP.
Top stringing cuts down the break angle, and there are some shimmering overtones that can be coaxed out of it. With new strings on it, try strumming across behind the bridge, and the effect may be small. but it may broaden the sound. Les Pauls can get kind of "chunky", with the bridge pickup.
This is really one that brings the haters out. I did a top wrap video and some of the comments have been quite something. I love the feel of the guitar after I top wrapped and that’s enough for me. Don’t like it, don’t do it. Simples!!
Love your playing Chris. I cannot see either string wrapping technique making any difference whatsoever, in spite of what we might want to believe! If the only point of contact is the bridge and the nut, how can there possibly be any physical/audible difference at all? It might feel slightly different (not sure how) but other than that?
If you dont want to wait till the next time you change your strings in order to try this, you can anfold the screws of the tailpiece for a couple of turns. I do this for many years now because I dont want to scratch the black color of the tailpiece...works the same
I have a Gibson Les Paul Custom Black Beauty that I top wrap because the stop bar has to be raised too high in a standard stringing on this particular guitar. Top wrapping allows me to bury the stop bar right down to the body, seems to help the sustain a bit although not overly dramatic. I own several Gibson Les Pauls and most are not top wrapped, I let the guitar tell me what it wants.
I'm surprised at the increased sustain, evenness of volume, and smoothness of decay you can hear with top wrapping. The Standard string install seems too brittle, the notes decay too fast, and the volume differences are too extreme, to my ears anyway. I tried top wrapping once, years ago, and didn't like the strings against my palm or the way it looked. I've got 3 Les Pauls now, and hearing the improvements all around with top wrapping, I'm going to have to give it another try, at least on the Tokai, as the increase in sustain, the improvement in tone, and the longer note decay are all substantial... and far more the sound I'm looking for and have been chasing for some time now.... Thanks for the video...! 6:36 Top Wrap 8:17 Standard
Why are you surprised? with top wrapping all the strings are sitting on more metal. the strings all sit on the entire top of the tailpiece creating more connection and mass. I have been top wrapping for over 10 years. would never go back to regular.
Super video. The top wrap sounds better to me. I seems to make the guitar more alive and warm. The tone is so smooth and the note clarity and definition are superb. More sustain is there to carry the balance from note to note.
You get more sustain because you can screw the tail piece right down to the body. If you don’t top wrap then there is too much tension which makes it harder to bend and can collapse the bridge over time.
Install all the strings standard, with the difference being that the plain strings have a ball on the ball end. I have mine strung that way. Great sustain!
Pffft… I’m just here to appreciate the exquisite soloing. I’ve considered top wrapping my LP, that what brought me to this vid, but the playing was tops!
I've been top wrapping for a while now since I changed to 11 there is definitely a difference with flexibility rather than standard wrap I've also changed my top nut to brass that makes a big difference to tone and sustaine too... as always brilliant playing chris 👍👏👏
Wow didnt think I would but even being nearly deaf in one ear I can tell the difference and it is a good one, top wrap sounds less dead to me and more musical, the standard seemed to fall off quicker and have less tone quality. Just my opinion. I'm wondering how top wrap makes strings more slinky? sounds good to me though. I think there is a remarkable difference in tone in the top wrap, it's subtle but to me it adds that little bit extra that makes a unique tone, I shall be trying this myself. Thanks. Superb playing btw!!
Think the sustain comes from the tailpiece being dropped against the guitar body, the top wrap is just a way of bringing the rake angle back in line with the bridge.
theres a massive difference not a lot of people know this but top wrapping your atring not only giving you a slinky feel but it also get rids of the fret buzz ive tested it on my 2 lespaul after i did a top wrap bending feels a lot smoother and sustain is the most noticable changes
well presented experiment, I didn’t expect to ear much difference but definitely more sustain with top rap more obvious on the neck and middle, might try it one day. Regards
For what it's worth I've been experimenting with top-wrapping for a couple of years now. The two main pros for me are that the strings are slinkier feeling making bends easier, and the strings clear the back of the bridge so there is one less contact point for the strings to get hung up on and cause tuning issues. This is why so many Les Paulers think their tuning issues are at the nut. That's not always the case. Tailpiece all the way down traditionally strung the strings contact the back of the bridge. The cons to top wrapping are, you have to push the bends higher than your muscle memory gives you, and the strings are just a tad too sloppy (I play Ernie Ball Pink Slinkys) for my tastes. I found a happy medium in stringing through the back of the tailpiece and adjusting the height of the tailpiece screws to just clear the back of the bridge. Vivian Campbell does this. Traditional stringing with the tailpiece all the way down is too low over the back of the bridge and top wrapping is too high. For me. I haven't really noticed any improvement in sustain because the maximum sustain comes from playing strings open. The instant you fret a note with the flesh of your fingers (even though you have a metal fret on either side) you're dampening the vibration of that string and diminishing the sustain anyway.
I heard a tiny bit of difference, but it was mostly due to the strum in each take being slightly different; i.e., the Human Element. The facts are these: Decreasing the break over angle at the saddle lowers string tension slightly, improves tuning stability and..... that's it. The real reason to over wrap is that you have a vintage instrument which is typically going to have smaller diameter studs on the tailpiece and shallower sleeves in the body and you don't want your tailpiece to get whacked and bent over but you do want the playability benefits of having it raised up higher. It has nothing to do with tone and everything to do with not wanting to bust your prized vintage guitar. At the end of the day your goal is to have a break over angle which is steep enough to hold the string down firmly but shallow enough that the string does not contact the bridge on its way from the saddle to the tailpiece. That's all there is to it. No magic; no tricks.
Its a huge difference in the sound of course because of the angle and tension of the strings top wrapping has a warmer sound but the main benefits of top wrapping is that you can use 11,s and get a thicker tone but they will feel like 10,s when you bend.And Billy Gibbons is great but he has a very thin sound compare to someone like Bonamassa which sounds huge!
Chris I think a great idea for these videos would be to do a Clapton strat shootout... i.e the old lace sensors models(my favorite) vs the newer vintage noiseless models, or even one of the rare rosewood models as well... you’d be lucky to get your hands on one of them though
The action (distance of string from pickups etc) doesn’t change at all because the bridge dictates that, not the tailpiece. The bridge didn’t move throughout all this 🙂
If the scale length is the same, the strings the same weight and the tuning the same then the "tension" of the strings cannot be different. By tension I mean, as is usually meant, the longitudinal tension in the strings. So, I'm thinking "tension" is not the right concept. Maybe the longer overall length of the string from ball end to tuner head allows for a bit more stretch, which is what makes bends easier
Hav to agree on this 1, strings hav to be a certain tension to be in tune . Iv done this in the past and strings were somewhat easier to bend, so tension is probably the wrong word. Although i thought it did make a difference in bending. Cheers.
Greg, you're right. The tension must be the same to be in tune. The longer length achieved by top wrapping requires the string to be stretched a greater distance in order to bend up notes.
You get the same effect by raising the stop tail. You should also never allow the string to contact on the body of the bridge at the back as the double contact is detrimental to the interaction of the note on the body.
You are right sir. I have just written a very similar comment. The equation of strings is this one. hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/Waves/string.html. It can't be a different tension in the strings if the mass, pitch, and lenght is the same. Nothing that is not between the nut or fret played and the saddle will affect string tension, so it doesn´t matter the overall length of the string from ball end to tuner head. What really changes is the distribution of the string tension in the bridge and the tailpiece. Top wrapping makes the angle less sharp on the saddle so it has less vertical tension on the saddle but more horizontal tension on the tailpiece. The result is that string breaks less, because of the less sharp angle, but the actual axial tension on the string is the same
Chris! You are great guitar player. I am very impressed and glad to get to know with your music. I wish I had your records CD. I'm guitar player too, but with 40 years music experience. I know what I am talking about. Your guitar solos are very often for me more informative and emotional than, Bonamassa' Shepherd's ones, for example. I just want to share with you my small opinion. Wish you all the best.
Top wrapping seems to sound smoother and warmer and I think the sustain and the attack are different, it seems to sustain slightly more consistently and longer, it seems like you have more control over the sustain and timbre, rather than being limited by the guitar. In standard setup the attack sounds more clunky and the sustain dies away quicker, I prefer the top rap sound, and personally I also prefer the feel when playing. The difference may not be massive, but all these minute changes put together end up making a big change to your tone.
I have recently changed to this myself on a les paul would be interesting to see a through the tailpiece vs through the body stringing on a telecaster to see the differences in sustain
There’s a small difference in tone I preferred the non wrapped But if it changes the feel as much as you reported then that will have a much more significant impact on tone by changing how you play. Interesting.
The mistake is saying top wrap changes TONE. It changes the feedback acoustically. It will add to sustain and playability. Tone is from the pickups. Basically the microphones of the guitar.
