Black TUSQ nut & long or short tree ?

[Smpl9]

i have a warmoth neck with a TUSQ nut and want to put in a string tree for E & B strings.

do i order the long or short version?

 

[Cagey]

Have a decent nut made/installed, and forget about the string tree.

 

[Smpl9]

Have a decent nut made/installed, and forget about the string tree.

so the TUSQ XL from warmoth isn't so good? i thought they were decent nuts? seems  ok for my set of 10's.

had read the tree helps a bit with angle on strat type pegs.

 

[SixString]

I have a TUSQ nut on my strat with no string tree(s)....plays great and don't notice any difference w/o the tree, except maybe visually.

 

[AutoBat]

They're a bit on the high side. You can get someone to file it to fit your guitar.
(they run on the high so you can do this)

There are quite a few people 'round these parts that run without string trees.  I'm too cheap to have mine modified, so I still use it how it came plus a roller string tree.

 

[Cagey]

Have a decent nut made/installed, and forget about the string tree.

so the TUSQ XL from warmoth isn't so good? i thought they were decent nuts? seems  ok for my set of 10's.

had read the tree helps a bit with angle on strat type pegs.

No, the TUSQ nuts from Warmoth are typically very good. But, you asked about installing trees, so I assumed you had nut problems. If you don't, then don't do anything. Trees are compensation for bad nuts.

 

[duosonic]

I usually use the Roller String retainers from Stew Mac when I use a string tree.

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Hardware,_parts/Electric_guitar:_String_trees_retainers/Roller_String_Retainers_for_Guitar.html

Rob

 

[AutoBat]

I usually use the Roller String retainers from Stew Mac when I use a string tree.

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Hardware,_parts/Electric_guitar:_String_trees_retainers/Roller_String_Retainers_for_Guitar.html

Rob

That's the one I've got on my Strat.  :icon_thumright:

 

[Smpl9]

Have a decent nut made/installed, and forget about the string tree.

so the TUSQ XL from warmoth isn't so good? i thought they were decent nuts? seems  ok for my set of 10's.

had read the tree helps a bit with angle on strat type pegs.

No, the TUSQ nuts from Warmoth are typically very good. But, you asked about installing trees, so I assumed you had nut problems. If you don't, then don't do anything. Trees are compensation for bad nuts.

that answers that. yeah, sorry for not mentioning that at first. slipped me mind. no reason to put one on if i don't need it. you saved me some time and money. thanks

 

[Smpl9]

I usually use the Roller String retainers from Stew Mac when I use a string tree.

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Hardware,_parts/Electric_guitar:_String_trees_retainers/Roller_String_Retainers_for_Guitar.html

Rob

although cagey answered my question quite well, i'm curious as to what nut you and "autobat" have that you use a tree with. if its a fairly good nut, do either of you notice that much diff in better tone, etc?

 

[Cagey]

Keep in mind that the power of suggestion is tremendous.

There's a school of thought that says if you don't have extra pressure on the nut, then you lose some of the energy transfer from the strings to the neck, and your tone suffers. I don't think that's true, though. You have to have a prescribed amount of tension on the string(s) in order for them to intonate properly, so they need to have a fixed point at each end to stretch them between. Your tuners work fine for that. Having extra pressure on the nut just gives the strings an excuse to hang up.

 

[drewfx]

I usually use the Roller String retainers from Stew Mac when I use a string tree.

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Hardware,_parts/Electric_guitar:_String_trees_retainers/Roller_String_Retainers_for_Guitar.html

Rob

although cagey answered my question quite well, i'm curious as to what nut you and "autobat" have that you use a tree with. if its a fairly good nut, do either of you notice that much diff in better tone, etc?

It's just about the nut being cut deep enough (but not too deep) that the strings don't pop out, particularly if you do bends on the first few frets.

The tuners and how you string it makes a difference too - if you have non-locking tuners and wrap a ton of extra string such that the string comes off near the top of the tuner, you're asking for trouble.

 

[duosonic]

I'm just using the Graph Tech nuts. 

The reason I use the string tree is because for me it makes the high strings a little more snappy (as opposed to floppy).  Depending on the guitar it can be a slight difference or a big differnce depending on scale length.  I don't really have the "string pop out" problem.  The high strings just sound better to me with the string tree on there.  It's just my ears.

Rob

 

[elgravos]

I've been combing the forum looking for a previous thread.  Someone (I think Funky Phil) actually did an A/B test using the same guitar with and without a string T.  He recorded the same note with the same set-up and then compared the sound waves.  I seem to remember the version with the string T came out on top for sustain and volume...  can't find it anywhere though.  Maybe it goes back to the old forum...  Anyhow, I use staggered tuners and no string Ts and it's just fine by me, but there is apparently some food for thought there.

 

[Smpl9]

power of suggestion, boy don't i know that too well! ;-)

anyhoo, i have sperzel locking staggered tuners and the graphtech nut from warmoth. i think i'm ok with that and probably not going to put a tree on e & b.

 

[AutoBat]

I use a roller string tree with a graph tech tusq xl nut, schaller non-staggered locking tuners.
The high E didn't like to stay put, and until recently I've been a student.  I had the tree already and couldn't cough up extra money to have the nut properly filed.
If I was to do the same today I'd have no tree & a better cut nut.  Since that didn't happen, I'm quite happy with the precut nut, I wasn't expecting it to be perfect anyhow. (I reused my MIM Strat body afterall!)

 

[Smpl9]

I use a roller string tree with a graph tech tusq xl nut, schaller non-staggered locking tuners.
The high E didn't like to stay put, and until recently I've been a student.  I had the tree already and couldn't cough up extra money to have the nut properly filed.
If I was to do the same today I'd have no tree & a better cut nut.  Since that didn't happen, I'm quite happy with the precut nut, I wasn't expecting it to be perfect anyhow. (I reused my MIM Strat body afterall!)

was your nut from a warmoth neck? my warmoth neck is on a mim strat and cost more than the whole guitar. ;-) it sounds sooo much better with the upgrades...money well worth it.

 

[AutoBat]

was your nut from a warmoth neck? my warmoth neck is on a mim strat and cost more than the whole guitar. ;-) it sounds sooo much better with the upgrades...money well worth it.

Yes. I have a mahogany/ebony warmoth pro '59 roundback, schaller lockers and graph tech tusq xl nut on a MIM body.
I bought the MIM strat (it's a 93/94) in 96 for 200 bucks.
In '05 the plastic nut broke on the OEM neck and I replaced it with a preslotted tusq xl nut.