String Trees......why?

[Jack FFR1846]

I tend to always have a guitar on a stand in my living room next to my seat. Because it's out and I never know when my 9 year old is going to have a friend over who isn't behaved enough to be trusted, it tends to not be one of my balls. Lately, it's been a.....um....Canadian guitar which is the only guitar I have with string trees (is it trees or T's?). Since it's there, I've been playing around with it and I have grown to absolutely hate the string trees. I can't get the thing to tune and stay in tune. I took it to rehersal last night and probably tuned the thing 8 times in 3 hours. I've decided that it's going on Craigslist as soon as I get a picture taken. Who thought up these things and where can I hire someone to waterboard them?

 

[GHWelles]

Get a Graphtec string tree or some sort of slippery string tree. Those work. Also, get a wall hanger. The instrument is out and easily accessible and above the reach of kids.

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Graph-T...-i1129703.gc?source=4WFRWXX&CAWELAID=29471749

 

[John C]

Not sure who really came up with string trees; I know they've been on Fenders since day one - or at least day one with the 6-on-one-side headstock Broadcaster. What I don't know is if they were on any of those early Paul Bigsby guitars that predate the early Fenders.

String trees are used to make sure there is optimum string pressure over the nut to keep the string from popping out. Evidently, since all the tuners available back then had the same post height this was an issue on the "B" and high "E" strings. You can elminate the string tree if you have staggered-height tuner posts; I suspect Leo Fender came up with the string tree as just the cheapest solution for this issue.

Of course, one of the genius things about the EBMM 4+2 headstock is no string tree is needed to maintain the optimum pressure across the nut.

 

[DrKev]

I have no problem with tuning stability if the string trees are lubricated. Just a little bit of 3-n-1 oil, chapstick, or pencil lead will do fine. I prefer mint chapstick myself. Makes the trees smell nice. You could just take it off but watch out for strings popping out the nut slots, which is very annoying.

 

[beej]

It's just so much better if you can get the string angle to the nut right. Then there's no need.

One great thing about the 4&2 headstock design- it does a perfect job of aligning the strings with the nut. One of the many things I love about EBMMs.

 

[wolfbone07]

Amen, I like it better with no string trees (thank you 4+2), but when you have to have them, the graph tech string trees work pretty well.

 

[browndog]

Man, what am I new? I had to Google string trees.

 

[Spudmurphy]

Not sure who really came up with string trees; I know they've been on Fenders since day one - or at least day one with the 6-on-one-side headstock Broadcaster. What I don't know is if they were on any of those early Paul Bigsby guitars that predate the early Fenders.

Spud consults his "Story of Paul Bigsby" book.
I can't see that Bigsby used any strings trees on his guitars with one exception - on his 12 string guitar there is a tree on the high E.

John C is correct in what he says , I would add that in 1949 the Fender prototype had 3 tuners aside and didn't have any trees.

 

[Jack FFR1846]

Thanks for the explanations and hint to lube them. I happened to look at some guitars from another small California based company (who doesn't sell in stores) and the few I looked at that were 6 on a side had no Trees. I suspect the headstock is angled back or something. It really bothers me now.......that's what I get for having been spoiled playing the ASS MM90 and Al so much.... I go in and tune once, reherse and tune again Sunday morning. Come to think of it, this is the only guitar I own with 6 on a side tuners....

 

[John C]

Thanks for the explanations and hint to lube them. I happened to look at some guitars from another small California based company (who doesn't sell in stores) and the few I looked at that were 6 on a side had no Trees. I suspect the headstock is angled back or something. It really bothers me now.......that's what I get for having been spoiled playing the ASS MM90 and Al so much.... I go in and tune once, reherse and tune again Sunday morning. Come to think of it, this is the only guitar I own with 6 on a side tuners....

If it's who I'm thinking of you are correct - their headstocks have a slight angle like a PRS, even the 6-per-side.

 

[patpark]

If you have staggered tuners you don't need string trees. String trees are needed on flat headstock necks when there isn't enough angle from the nut to the tuner. If not enough angle you will get sympathetic buzzing behind the nut.

 

[TonyEVH5150]

Pat, was just getting ready to post the the same idea. Sperzel and a few other companies make tuners with staggered post heights. They eliminate the need for a string tree by altering the post height.