Thru-Body vs. Top Load...changed my mind
 

I used to not care whether a bridge on a Fender top loaded or strung through body. All sounded the same to me. Today I got an 09 Precision and restrung it top loaded with XL rounds. The E string had a rattle to it. Wasn't a bad rattle...just a little annoying. Restrung it thru-body and the rattle went away. I'm convinced...at least in this instance ;)

Discuss.

Again.

Whoah! Jimmy! I'd come to you with such a question. That said I string through my Carvin ( usually not the B string) I can't hear a tonal difference but something about string through seems right to me.

Soundwise, I couldn't tell the difference top or through the body, but I think toploading is preferable as I find myself constantly swapping strings from flats to rounds to halfs.

The kink in the strings made from thru the body mounting makes them harder to reuse.

I can only speculate but I would guess that either the break angle behind the saddle wasn't very steep (i.e. the saddle was relatively low) or the saddles aren't the threaded kind and the groove in the E string saddle is wide enough to let the string rattle without sufficient down pressure. Just thinking out loud.

+1 Apparently I heard you thinking. I've got the same thoughts about this.

At least Jimmy's bass offers the possibility of stringing through the body, so, as he writes, in this instance it's useful.

I always go through body whenever possible, as it puts more downpressure on the saddle..which is probably what happened in your case. Top loading does not give you enough break angle.

Makes a lot of sense but neither of 1two's theories apply in this case. However, the string wasn't stretched out or anything, and that may have contributed. I'll see what happens when I change strings next, but for now I'm going with it.

And the string ferrules won't fall out.

JimmyM must be bored to start this weekly thread. Either that or he just wanted to be the one this time?

I found a third method. I don't top-load or body-load...I just leave the ball-ends loose and tune up to the point where the entire string is wound around the string post.

Riis

I have a few Fenders with the top load/strings through option bridges. I've never been able to discern any tonal differences between the two stringing options. However, it does seem to have string tension / setup implications ... primarily due to the break angle issue that mmbongo mentions. I'm generally more likely to go strings through with slinky roundwounds and top load with stiff flatwounds (plus some string manufacturers explicitly recommend that you do not string their flatwounds through the body).

I top load because (1) I can't hear any big tone difference, (2) I use the alcohol soak to get several uses out of a set of strings. Top loaded, I don't have to uncoil the strings to get them off the bass; I just lift the wrapped end off the tuning peg (leaving it coiled), lift the ball end from the bridge, and drop 'em in the soak tube. Figure that helps extend the service life in itself.

I've always gone thru-body on my P bass, if it ain't broke don't fix it.

On my 5 string I use a tapered B (which solved all my B string problems) and it doesn't fit right if I go through body. Top loading is greatly preferred!

A little hard to intonate, no?

It's possible that the increased break angle helped, but those saddles are multi grooved - it's actually an excellent bridge, IMO... I also think that top loading tends to push the saddle all the way forward against the intonation screw, which could affect a rattle...

... and this - on my '08 Am St Jazz, the ferrules will definitely drop out if I don't string thru...

- georgestrings

Jaco didn't need to go through-body.

:hiding:

I would have troubleshot the buzz, rather than going to the trouble of reloading the string. Could have been a spring (sometimes a little stretch is enough to fix a buzz), an intonation screw that wasn't up tight against the back of the bridge plate, etc...

As others have stated, the downward pressure on the saddle is a good thing. If my bass had a string thru option, id use it.

True, but Jaco was also high or drunk ALOT...

:D


- georgestrings

Once you try a good bridge with top loading, you really don't want to bother with anything else.
Along with Sperzel tuners, it takes a minute to change all strings.