LesPaul restringing, tail peice stringing slot thing..

[cyndicate]

Which way do you string it, I've seen it done two different ways. One way is where you insert from the bottom of the tail peice and string that way, the other is where you insert from the top and wind it around the peice. I did it the second way pictured below and there is a MAJOR improvement in tuning stability on the Les Paul Classic, especially on that nasty G. Not sure if its common knowledge to do it that way, but I see it done both ways.

Here's a pic of what I'm talking about. Note: this pic isn't my guitar, its just a random picture I found online.

 

[blackba]

I always do it the standard way (ie opposite of the way you have pictured). I have heard wrapping it around like you have in the picture is the best way to do it, but for some reason I have never tried it

 

[cyndicate]

I always do it the standard way (ie opposite of the way you have pictured). I have heard wrapping it around like you have in the picture is the best way to do it, but for some reason I have never tried it

Yeah I always did it the opposite way, try it and see if it improves your tuning stability, it certainly did for me on the Classic, I am thinking it is due to this since I didn't mess with any other settings, but I am going to try it on my other Les Paul tonight.

 

[blackba]

Tension is also changed when wrapping.

Do you think it goes up or down when wrapping the strings?

 

[cyndicate]

Tension is also changed when wrapping.

I didn't notice a major tension increase/decrease, but does Increased tension mean better tuning stability? I.e. a strat vs a les paul. It seems Les Pauls are so loose feeling that maybe thats the reason the strings don't stay in tune because they don't stretch out as much?

 

[BGG]

The idea is you screw the tailpiece right down to the body, this increases resonance to my ears and sustain too.
It also 'reduces' string tension, therefore if a player uses 9's they can go to 10 without much difference when top wrapping

I string all my Dawsons this way !!

 

[Subclavian]

I wrap my pauls too...it makes the resonance sound way better and just sounds more "toneful", stays in tune, and I find I break less strings.

of course, it does require a good itonation and stuff but that's all to be expected.


sub

 

[Marshall Freak]

If you look in the pic at your A string, see how the windings are making a hard corner at the back? If it breaks a string, it'll be there. The best thing you can do, is next time you change strings, use your wire cutters to cut the little Ball off the end of the old strings, and then thread your new string through it before putting it on. It'll act like a shim to pull the string farther in, and the windings will still be inside the TP and the break angle won't be as bad. That's what I used to do anyway.

 

[broknstuff]

When doing it that way you also lower the stop tail piece as far down right? The idea being to get it as close to the body as possible?

 

[cyndicate]

The idea is you screw the tailpiece right down to the body, this increases resonance to my ears and sustain too.
It also 'reduces' string tension, therefore if a player uses 9's they can go to 10 without much difference when top wrapping

I string all my Dawsons this way !!

I don't think mine is flush down to the body but I did change from 9's to 10 in this way and I didn't feel too big of a difference like you mentioned.

 

[blackba]

The idea is you screw the tailpiece right down to the body, this increases resonance to my ears and sustain too.
It also 'reduces' string tension, therefore if a player uses 9's they can go to 10 without much difference when top wrapping

I string all my Dawsons this way !!

Increasing resonance and sustain sounds great. Being a strat guy by nature I am not sure I want to reduce string tension. I will give it a shot on my neck restring, I just restrung one LP last week.....

 

[troublehead]

This thread got me curious so I just tried the "wrap" on my LP. I can't tell any difference whatsoever in tone or string tension

 

[SFW]

I've done both ways, and prefer the traditional way. When you top wrap, it makes the strings feel spongier. The strings don't snap back into place as quickly. Now before you guys go all crazy on me. These are just things that I have noticed for using the top wrap method.

 

[Everlone]

I've tried the top wrap method several times over the course of having my Les Paul. I couldn't tell any significant difference in anything any of those times, but I did see the hard corner some of the strings were bending at like Marshall Freak mentioned so I just went back to the normal stringing method.

 

[Mark Day]

I put two extra ball ends on each string, this keeps them from breaking at that steep angle. I prefer the top wrap. Getting the bridge down on the deck is why I do it, I thought it made the strings a little slinkier too.

Mark