Stop tailpiece hieght question.

[QuattroSte]

Hi All,

Amateur question here! I sent my LS50 out to be professionally setup and when it came back the stop tailpiece was screwed right down close to the body! I know very little about this or if this is the correct position, or if it makes much of a difference. My other two guitars with stop tailpieces are not tight to the body and are about 2-3mm above the body.

What effect if any, does this have?

 

[hans-j?rgen]

What effect if any, does this have?

The flatter the string angle over the bridge, the softer the string tension is. You can feel that (easier to bend) and also hear it, because usually it sounds more mellow and softer which can be the right or the wrong thing for that particular guitar. So screwing it down means more tight bass response, less "flubby" strings, sometimes more "life" (see my review on the three LS60s). By the way, wrapping the strings around the tailpiece has the same effect as lifting up the tailpiece, but looks way cooler... :wink:

 

[QuattroSte]

Thanks Hans!

 

[mgdew]

...By the way, wrapping the strings around the tailpiece has the same effect as lifting up the tailpiece, but looks way cooler... :wink:

A Mr Zakk Wylde uses this technique I believe.

 

[hans-j?rgen]

...By the way, wrapping the strings around the tailpiece has the same effect as lifting up the tailpiece, but looks way cooler... :wink:

A Mr Zakk Wylde uses this technique I believe.

Zack who?

http://cgi.ebay.com/TOKAI-Love-Rock-ZAKK-WYLDE-Style-Bullseye-Guitar-NEW_W0QQitemZ7341204127QQcategoryZ2384QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Jimmy Page, Billy Gibbons and others were also seen with this wrapping method once in a while. By the way, I'm sorry of course, QuattroSte...

 

[Jim Jones]

I just tried top-wrapping for the first time last year and I like it - it does make the strings feel a little slinkier.

I tried it after watching the Zeppelin DVD and noticing Jimmy Page with top-wrapped strings (in the footage from the Royal Albert Hall, 1970.)

Jim

 

[spikeymikey]

I think Duane Allman did it too - personally I find notes lose a bit of attack or definition or something but I aint gonna argue with those guys or you guys for that matter - maybe it depends on the tailpiece height. I heard that you can lose a bit of oomph! if the strings touch the rear edge of the ABR and on my two the high E does but I dont want to raise the tail or topwrap so I live with it - to me it seems alright - I'm no Eric Johnson for sure

 

[hans-j?rgen]

I think Duane Allman did it too - personally I find notes lose a bit of attack or definition or something but I aint gonna argue with those guys or you guys for that matter - maybe it depends on the tailpiece height.

That's the reason I went back to normal wrapping on my LS120 again that really suffered from top wrapping, because she sounds dark and woody without that help anyhow, but is feeling much more alive now. After installing a lightweight tailpiece on my LS60 with two-piece mahogany back I also do not wrap the strings there anymore. Like I mentioned before, you really have to test it for each guitar, bright ones might sound and feel better with it.

 

[spikeymikey]

I think it does depend on the guitar in question. But the strings touching the ABR still makes me wonder

 

[Jim Jones]

Hey Mikey,

Do you mean your strings are touching the bridge "behind" the saddles? I'd raise the tailpiece a bit then if I were you. Thanks to the internet I got hung up the need to have the tailpiece touching the body (for maximum sustain), but I find it really doesn't make any difference to me. On my Burny there's more sustain now that it's lifted to be honest.

Jim

 

[spikeymikey]

Cheers Jim, yes I got hung up on that too- dunno where I heard it - but I'll try what you said and see how it goes.