Why would too many winds around the string tree be bad?

[Cederick]

I really don't see how too many winds could be bad...

Too few and the string might slip if bending, but from 2-3 winds it's all good. Then you could add hundreds of winds and it wouldn't slip anymore would it?

Or is this "rule" about trems? Too many winds many pulls the string backwards when pulling the trem down. This is the only reason I could think of in this topic

But it shouldn't affect a Floyd at all since the strings are clamped.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

I wouldn't do any wraps around the trees.  :icon_scratch:

 

[Updown]

I just use locking tuners on everything ...... to easy  :icon_biggrin:

No winding .... No slipping .... More time for drinking 

 

[mullyman]

As far as I know there is no too many wraps rule. It'd be a pure pain in the ass going around a dozen times, but it wouldn't hurt anything. Rule of thumb I use, on non-locking posts, 2 wraps maximum on the wound strings, 4-5 minimum on the unwound. That's just me though.
MULLY

 

[Cederick]

Yeah exactlty what I thought, it's one of my friends who keep telling me not to do too many winds when setting up some of his guitars... It's because the "professional" guitar tech in his town told him that...

 

[Steve_Karl]

Lot's'a wraps isn't a problem at all if you stretch them into place.

 

[Alfang]

The bottom line is this, the more wraps, arround the the tuner peg, the more they act like a watch spring when you depress the trem. so you get slack un raveling at the tuner, then not fully re-wrapping when the trem is released. there-by sharpening your tuning. There's nothing more to this than that, locking tuners prevent this and many many many of us here swear by locking tuners.
If you have a hard tail or don't use your trem its not a big deal having multiple wraps, still, locking tuners are the way to go.

 

[Cagey]

This ^

 

[SustainerPlayer]

And then ... B.B. King wraps the full length of the string around the post.

But I'm not that awesome, so I prefer a few winds or even better ... locking tuners.

 

[pabloman]

B.B. doesn't play with a trem and he has fine tuners on a stoptail :dontknow:

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

Every pro has some little OCD quirk in their style, gear, habits, superstition, etc., etc., that you wouldn't teach as textbook form.  Because he or anyone does something that works for them doesn't mean it will for me or you.  Long live the King!

 

[drewfx]

Well since this is what some of us would call a "string tree", I would say any wraps is too many (YMMV) :toothy12::

So either this is the funniest thread ever or I think you mean "tuning post". :toothy11:

 

[Neo Fender]

If you have a bridge or trem with fine tuning screws and a locking nut, once you have your guitar up pretty close to pitch, tuning machines become passe.  Just clamp the nut down and cut loose any strings north of the nut.













Don't. 

 

[SustainerPlayer]

But ... but ... Lucille modified with a Floyd would be pretty cool.  :headbang1: :sign13:

 

[-CB-]

The bottom line is this, the more wraps, arround the the tuner peg, the more they act like a watch spring when you depress the trem. so you get slack un raveling at the tuner, then not fully re-wrapping when the trem is released. there-by sharpening your tuning. There's nothing more to this than that, locking tuners prevent this and many many many of us here swear by locking tuners.
If you have a hard tail or don't use your trem its not a big deal having multiple wraps, still, locking tuners are the way to go.

More or less the way it is, but I'll add that even with a hardtail or stop bar or other fixed bridge, its still asking for trouble.  You're setting up a tension over the string nut that need not be there.  In other words, even when you just... bend a string, you're tightening the coil that the windings make up, and then loosening it again.  It may, or may not return to where you want it. 

Furthermore, its harder to stretch in new strings, as you have to stretch the string, and all the windings on the post... which never really works as well as it ought to with lots of windings.

I'm formerly of the "more windings = better hold on the post" crowd.  Frank Ford showed be the light.  You string up a guitar like he shows, and you've got 1 to 1-1/2 wraps on the post, and... the biggie.... the string stays put.  Done, period, end of story the string stays put.  I've found after I've done that, stretching in is fast, and stability is reached very rapidly, and it stays put.

If you string with a gazillion wraps on the post, and it works for you, great.  But there's also no need to court troubles by using all those wraps.  They're not needed and they open the door to problems.

 

[Cederick]

Oh I thought string tree was the pole on the tuner machine...

 

[mullyman]

Oh I thought string tree was the pole on the tuner machine...

Don't sweat it, bro. Everyone knows what you were talking about.
MULLY

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

And it's a tee.

 

[Cagey]

No, it's a string "tree" or "retainer". Always has been, ever since Leo started slapping them on headstocks to compensate for slapdash nut work.

 

[Jumble Jumble]

Anyway, the mains reasons IMO why too many wraps are bad are:

1. Extra length of string means extra stretching. Over time the wrapped part of the string will stretch, but it's hard to get all that stretching done at the time of stringing up.

2. Friction. Each wrap can snag on the ones above or below. Snagging strings, as we know, cause tuning stability problems when bending or using a whammy.