How to locate string trees?

[Skyjerk]

Ive built two Strats thus far, and both times my string trees end up being a teeeny bit off line. Not a huge amount. In fact youd really have to specifically look for it to notice, but dammit I know about it and its irritating

Ideally, of course, they should be located so that the strings continue in a dead straight line from nut to peg when looking straight at the headstock and not veer toward the bass or treble sides at all.

any simple tricks or tips to help locate them right on line?

 

[mux164]

i drill for them after i have the guitar strung up, i dont know if this is the right way but its the way i have done it.
just make sure when you screw the tree down you slacken off the strings

 

[Skyjerk]

i drill for them after i have the guitar strung up, i dont know if this is the right way but its the way i have done it.
just make sure when you screw the tree down you slacken off the strings

Ive done the same thing, and slacken the strings, and then slowly and carefully push them down with a tree on the strings making sure to not push it off line. I mark the center through the hole with the right sized center punch making a very small dent in the lacquer showing exactly where to drill.

then I drill my hole and screw in the tree.

Then I put the strings user it, and bring them up to tension, and the thing is a teeny bit off toward the bass side. Every time

I think my eye is broken and no longer trust it.

The reality is that im not looking as straight down on it as I believe. My head must be shifted slightly toward the treble side in order to be off toward the bass side every time.

I'm looking for a more fool-proof method...

 

[Mayuiers]

Half the time I get my string trees just right and half the time they're off center just enough to annoy me.

Since I don't want to fill the hole for the screw and redrill another hole I simply augered out the hole in the string tree so that I can shift it over ever so slightly and bring it back in line. The head of the screw covers over the oblong hole in the string tree so no one's the wiser.

This works well with string trees that are made out of pressed metal, but not so well with the strings trees that are made of cast steel/iron.

 

[ARandall]

How about a punch which is about the same OD as the string gap. Strings stay at tension then you just place it in the gap.....or even use a drill bit of the right size. Something like that will be long, which means you can plumb it by eye or with a combo square level.

 

[reedy]

The problem may not be your eye. I'm assuming that your using the traditional style stamped/crimped tree, but if that is made so that where the stings rest as they pass through the tree is wider than the spacing at the nut the strings will always run a little off. Personally I like tele style string trees on strats, I think the look better...

Not that any of this really helps but at least it might not be your eye.

 

[J-Dizzle]

Use a ruler?