String Trees and Hard Tail Strat / Telecaster

jaymenon

The string tree is of course a well recognised source of friction and tuning instability.

Back-angled headstocks and ingenious designs (like the Dynaguide) have been designed to mitigate the friction created by a string tree.

On a hard tail instrument however, does string design matter?  Is a good old fashioned round or butterfly string tree just as good as creating an adequate string back angle at the nut, without creating any tuning problems?

Funkfingers

Depends on how far you bend strings across the fingerboard and whether you do any Jerry Donahue-style behind the nut stunts.

richardhomer

Tuning problems are almost always traceable to the nut, in my experience.

The only string trees which have consistently caused me issues are the modern, cast Fender ones. The old style pressed ‘butterfly’ ones are fine - so long as they’re not corroded or excessively worn.

ICBM

I’ve always found the butterfly design works perfectly if you put a tiny bit of grease under it. I just put a dab on the strings, then hook them under - you then don’t need to do it again every time you change strings, it stays there for quite a while.

You do need to make sure it’s a good quality one with proper curved wings though - some cheaper ones are flat with sharp edges, and those do cause trouble.

jaymenon

ICBM said:

You do need to make sure it’s a good quality one with proper curved wings though - some cheaper ones are flat with sharp edges, and those do cause trouble.

How would I make sure of that John?

I think by examining the upper surface of the wing section to ensure a ‘concavity’...? Which indicates a convexity on the string-contacting undersurface?

These ones okay?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Guitar-string-tree-7-5-mm-string-spacing-5-0mm-raiser-in-chrome-black-or-gold/371041120460?var=640217887697

ICBM

jaymenon said:

How would I make sure of that John?

These ones okay?

Yes - just look at the wings, they’ve got a curve to the channel underneath so it’s higher at the ends, and the edges are smoothly rounded, so the strings will run easily under them.

Cheap ones are really obviously flat with sharp - and often rough - edges.

jaymenon

Thanks..!