String Trees or Not!

[rhp52]

I've been having trouble with a strat i have keeping tune, and had been suspecting the string tree was the culprit.

After yet another go round adjusting the 6 screw tremolo, I removed the string tree.

Bingo! Guitar keeps much better tune, and plays great. My tech confirmed my decision.

Just wanted to pass this along in case any of you are experiencing the same problem. Try removing the string tree. If the B and E strings are not affected, you may want to leave it off.

[Dana Olsen]

In most Strats there's a tradeoff with string trees: Use 'em, and the High "E" and "B" strings played open ring better, but the tuning when using the bar suffers.

Don't use 'em, the open strings don't ring so well, but they stay in tune way better when using the bar.

The solution, to me, is to use staggered tuners - they put just enough downward pressure on the string at the nut to make it ring, but they don't affect the tuning when using the bar.

You can also raise the trees by using a taller height adjusting shim, and lubricate the strings under the tree - that helps too, along with lubricating the nut and making sure the nut slots are cut right.

I hope THIS helps, Dana O.

[rhp52]

There is no change without the trees. Could be the neck is helping with that. It's nice and beefy, and some fine wood on the body. Guess I'm just lucky

[VanR]

I use Vaseline to lube the bottom of the string trees. Very rarely have any tuning problems on my Strats.

[walterw]

fender-type guitars without that first tree feel weird to me, the top two strings don't bend the same way.

+1 to having that tree not be all the way down against the headstock.

[stevel]

Originally Posted by walterw

fender-type guitars without that first tree feel weird to me, the top two strings don't bend the same way.

+1 to having that tree not be all the way down against the headstock.

I've been having problems with my high E lately on a non-treed strat with locking tuners (unfortunately, not the Sperzels they put on the later deluxes).

My E and B posts are shorter (or at least, the hole in the post is lower than the other 4) but unless I wrap the string quite a few winds around the post there's not enough downbearing on the nut. In fact, I've seen it recommended for locking tuners that you *don't* have a full wrap around the post. But my lower 4 strings will exhibit problems if not wrapped at least once to push them down far enough.

But don't they make string trees that are little rollers?

Any experience with how they work? I have the roller nut, I'm thinking, why not a "roller tree" as well?

Steve

[Davo17]

Those rollers work great. On my MIM strats, I will loosen the screw holding the tree down to that the angle is not so steep.

[RvChevron]

I use a tree for the e and b strings for my strats. No staggered machine heads currenly available can eliminate the need for that tree at all.

Don't have much trouble keeping those two strings in tune at all.

The big plus is they keep the strings easier to bend. Yes, not the other way around.

I find that if you don't screw the tree down all the way and apply plenty of lube at contacts points, they are much less of a problem tuning wise.

And for all these reasons, strats and teles really should've had reversed headstock in the first place.

[walterw]

a simple trick i got from looking at tom andersons is to cut a short length of humbucker mounting spring to stick under a tree to give it some height. i find that if you adjust the tree so that the angle of the top two strings about equals the G, it's enough to eliminate false tones and strings jumping out of the nut slots, but doesn't create too many tuning troubles (once properly lubricated, of course).

[RvChevron]

Originally Posted by walterw

a simple trick i got from looking at tom andersons is to cut a short length of humbucker mounting spring to stick under a tree to give it some height. i find that if you adjust the tree so that the angle of the top two strings about equals the G, it's enough to eliminate false tones and strings jumping out of the nut slots, but doesn't create too many tuning troubles (once properly lubricated, of course).

I use a spare bridge intonation spring instead, more robust.

Great minds think alike....

[RockStarNick]

Graph Tech needs to make a "ferraglide" string tree.

So it looks 100% stock from the top, but has graphite inserts underneath where the strings make contact.