Cons to Top Wrapping?

[DavidLopezJr]

Why do you top wrap? What are pros and cons of it?

Picture:

 

[walterw]

i hated it; my les paul felt like it had a trapeze tailpiece, and everything was just loose and "un-solid" feeling.

plenty of folks like it for just the same reason.

 

[BarryE]

I do it, like the feel better and my Les Paul sounds great so why mess with it. The strings do feel a touch looser. Using 10's. Another reason is it keeps the strings from contacting the back of the tunematic bridge if the tailpiece is screwed down some which I prefer.

 

[DavidLopezJr]

I've heard of less string breakage and less sustain but that it works great on hollow guitars for better reactions to the tone woods.

 

[TwoTubMan]

I've heard of less string breakage and less sustain but that it works great on hollow guitars for better reactions to the tone woods.

Where did you hear of this?

 

[musicofanatic5]

the main reason peeps do it imo is cos it looks cool

[mod edit]

Differnt gtrs like it more than others. I always give 'em a chance to try it.

 

[Tuberattler]

I overwrap because my LP stays in tune better, I like the looser feel and the trapeze feel that the previous poster didn't like. My guitar just behaves better.. as for looks I don't like it but oh well..

 

[slartibartfast]

Pulls all the hairs out of my wrist

 

[Sterling#Sound]

I tried this for a while but I find that the tone of the lp becomes more banjo-like. Some lp afficionados will call that more treble but it sounds less solid to me. Also the string tension is reduced so you need to bend the strings more to get to pitch.

 

[RRfireblade]

I've never done it , never saw a reason to do it.

I doubt I'd ever try unless I had some specifc 'issue' but then I'd probably address that issue directly.

Think it looks silly and possible uncomfortable but whatever floats your boat.

 

[Don A]

It gives the guitar a slinkier feel. I love it on my Studio, hated it on my Gary Moore Les Paul. The Studio had a steeper neck angle and higher bridge and tailpiece.

 

[GuitslingerTim]

The action is too stiff on my LP without top wrapping and I use 10's. Top wrapped, the plain strings are still plenty stiff, but the wound strings are much slinkier. Even though it plays good as is, I might try top wrapping just the plain strings the next time I change them to try and balance the feel between the plain and wound strings.

 

[HoboMan]

Con - it will ruin the chrome finish on your tailpiece.

When I was much younger I topwrapped because it looked cool but now I just raise the tailpiece.

 

[DavidLopezJr]

Where did you hear of this?

String breakge was on wikipedia article for stoptail bridge. Sustain was in this thread. Hollow bodies in another thread on hear.

Remeber I said heard not believe.

 

[Thwap]

I topwrap because I like to deck the tailpiece, and if I don't, the strings hit the back edge of the bridge.

I suppose it makes it feel a little looser...

 

[Tycho]

I bought a well-used Firebird that came to me top-wrapped. I don't know why, but I haven't changed it, even though I don't top-wrap any other Gibsons. It does feel slinkier, and I guess I've just gotten used to that feel on the 'bird.

 

[Trebor Renkluaf]

I top wrap because he did it:

and this guy still does it:

and this guy as well:

Even this guy has been known to do it:

I do it becuase I've flattened two bridges by cranking my tail piece all the way down. Now I can do that, top wrap, get the sustain and feel I want without flattening my bridge.

 

[57special]

Pulls all the hairs out of my wrist

Could be a good thing, then?

Top wrapping should be done on a guitar that has a higher bridge, or one where the tailpiece is closer to the bridge. It's all about getting the optimal break angle from the TP to the bridge.

 

[The Golden Boy]

I've never done it , never saw a reason to do it.

I doubt I'd ever try unless I had some specifc 'issue' but then I'd probably address that issue directly.

Think it looks silly and possible uncomfortable but whatever floats your boat.

You should try it, you might like it. It costs nothing and it might be a change you like.

I don't hear a bit of difference in the tone with any of the guitars I've tried it on.

I immediately feel the difference.

I don't like the feel, I don't hear any difference in the tone- I don't top-wrap.

I can see it making a difference for in breaking strings- there's less downward directed force at the break point on the saddle-

 

[stevieboy]

I've tried it, and I think it's more of a string feel thing than a big tone issue, but I feel that way about my wrap bridge guitars too. (String feel and how the player responds to that will of course affect tone somewhat.) I also found that I had to drop the tailpiece down to the body or it was too loose and the strings wouldn't stay in the saddles. I guess you could raise the tailpiece as HoboMan says and get similar results.

Looks cool? Does anyone really notice?