Can I use top wrap strings on mine?

[felipevsw]

Is this too shallow angle for top wrapping my strings? Notice how my tailpiece is one of those "tall" ones. I should've taken pictures before the top wrap, but the 3 wound strings were definitely touching the back of the TOM bridge, thus why I'm trying the top wrap. My eyes are not very good so I'm not sure if the unwound string are touching the TOM bridge too, but you can see in the pictures how steep the angle is on them.

If the angle isn't optimal I might need to buy a new tailpiece (or whole bridge set)...




This is a 1999 Gibson Studio by the way (with dot inlays). I bought this one used a few months back, and I don't know much of its history, so I can't say if this bridge set is original or not. It does look very clean and mint for a 20+ y/o guitar, so it might've been changed recently. I know that the pups were changed for an R9's Burstbucker pro (2015).

 

[mudface]

That is what top wrapping looks like.

I think you’re good.

 

[kakerlak]

As long as your break angle is sufficient to prevent strings ringing dead, buzzing, and/or ringing behind the bridge, then you're fine. It really doesn't take a ton of break angle to sound okay, especially with the tailpiece so close by. It's a bigger issue on things like archtops that have a lot of string length behind the bridge and can be squirrelly as the the break angle approaches flat

 

[jskidder]

What's your action like? That bridge looks high to me.

Are you planning to top-wrap the G/B/e strings as well?

 

[felipevsw]

What's your action like? That bridge looks high to me.

Are you planning to top-wrap the G/B/e strings as well?

I need to have it higher on the low E side bc of some buzzing around the 5th fret in the 5th string. I don’t think I can adjust the trust rod much further as it already seems to have a slight under bow, so it seems that’s as low as the bridge can get.
I am top wrapping the unwound strings now. Would you recommend against it?

 

[BDW60]

Is this too shallow angle for top wrapping my strings? Notice how my tailpiece is one of those "tall" ones. I should've taken pictures before the top wrap, but the 3 wound strings were definitely touching the back of the TOM bridge, thus why I'm trying the top wrap. My eyes are not very good so I'm not sure if the unwound string are touching the TOM bridge too, but you can see in the pictures how steep the angle is on them.

If the angle isn't optimal I might need to buy a new tailpiece (or whole bridge set)...

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This is a 1999 Gibson Studio by the way (with dot inlays). I bought this one used a few months back, and I don't know much of its history, so I can't say if this bridge set is original or not. It does look very clean and mint for a 20+ y/o guitar, so it might've been changed recently. I know that the pups were changed for an R9's Burstbucker pro (2015).

For future reference, you can always use a playing card to see if the strings are on the bridge or not. If it slides under with no resistance, you’re good. It is hard to see. Especially when the close vision goes to hell at about age 45. That’s when I started acquiring my blur-o-vision. Still 20-20 from distance, so I got that going for me.

 

[jskidder]

I need to have it higher on the low E side bc of some buzzing around the 5th fret in the 5th string. I don’t think I can adjust the trust rod much further as it already seems to have a slight under bow, so it seems that’s as low as the bridge can get.
I am top wrapping the unwound strings now. Would you recommend against it?

Sounds like maybe you need a pro setup.

I personally don't think wrapping or not makes a difference one way or the other. But I do think you should wrap them all if you're going to wrap.

 

[Mike I]

Why not just string it normally, and raise the tailpiece until a piece of paper can slide between the strings and bridge?

 

[Mick Weiss]

Keep in mind if you decide to top wrap, the strings will leave marks on the tailpiece. I personally top wrap most of my Gibbys, unless I can't get low enough to do it....

 

[guysmiley]

Why not just string it normally, and raise the tailpiece until a piece of paper can slide between the strings and bridge?

This. That's what it is designed for. Plus it makes the strings easier to bend. I personally have a ton of doubts the decked tail piece adds any sustain anyhow.

 

[redking]

What are you trying to accomplish with your setup? Ever try a different guage of strings to see if that gives you the feel you are looking for? They make 9.5 and 10.5's these days, so that might give you the slight change in feel that you are looking for, depending on whether you want them to feel slinkier or firmer.

 

[bum]

Try it, play the crap out of it and report back

 

[musicmaniac]

If you're going to top wrap do them all. But I'd try it with just the tail piece raised.

 

[ArchEtech]

I’m not getting the “card under the bridge” reference here. Can someone better explain.

I’m not currently top wrapped but used to do it on all my tune o matic. I never believe there is anything that changed about the sound but I definitely liked how it felt as far as resting my palm/wrist.

 

[felipevsw]

It wasn't my intention to start yet another debate on whether top wrapping is better or not, I just posted a picture of my wrapped strings and asked if the angle was good enough to keep it or not, this was just about the angle, if it is good or not steep enough. I'd imagine that many people here would do it on theirs, and since this is my first attempt and my tailpiece is one of those tall ones, I was concerned with the angle.

Keep in mind if you decide to top wrap, the strings will leave marks on the tailpiece. I personally top wrap most of my Gibbys, unless I can't get low enough to do it....

As you are more experienced with using it on your guitars, can you look at the picture and compare the angle with yours and see if it is steep enough?

What are you trying to accomplish with your setup? Ever try a different guage of strings to see if that gives you the feel you are looking for? They make 9.5 and 10.5's these days, so that might give you the slight change in feel that you are looking for, depending on whether you want them to feel slinkier or firmer.

This is a fairly new guitar to me, I bought it used a few months ago, so I'm still experimenting with it. I will try it all, topwrap, raise the tailpiece and what have you, and on each try I will play it for a few days to see how I feel about it, how it sounds, if it makes any different in the sound or not. I was just concerned with the angle of the topwrap.

Why not just string it normally, and raise the tailpiece until a piece of paper can slide between the strings and bridge?

I will try it, I will try it all, including top wrap, I was just concerned about the angle, if it was steep enough (check picture in first post).

 

[redking]

The purpose of top wrapping is typically to make the strings feel slinkier by reducing the tension on the backside of the bridge. I suppose a secondary reason to do it would be if you were breaking a lot of strings at the saddle and wanted to reduce the break angle a bit to address that problem. If neither of these things are a concern, then I wouldn't feel the need to try top wrapping.