Body or Bridge stringing

[pgbassman]

I just picked up a sweet Lakland skyline deluxe 44-02 and I restrung with Daddrio XL flat wound chromes. My issue is the wrapping on the strings will hang over the first fret if I go through the body so I strung through the bridge. What do you find the tonality difference is between through the neck and through the bridge stringing? I ordered a set of Joe Osborn flats from lakland so that next time around I will have the choice of body or bridge.

 

[5string5fingers]

The majority of people here agree there is almost no tonal differences.

 

[UncleBalsamic]

There's no difference.

 

[unclejane]

The majority of people here agree there is almost no tonal differences.

I put it right at zero tonal difference myself. In fact, I've found that top loading on my basses makes them stay in tune better. Through-body and I'm always having to tweak the tuning ever so slightly more than when top-loaded. It's also easier to find strings on 34" scale instruments....

LS

 

[pgbassman]

Thanks, I'm feeling better about my lack of options, why is that it's offered if no value? I can't seem to find a reason on any of the Bass makers sites to explain the reason or the benefit.

 

[smogg]

Supposedly through body on a bolt neck adds sustain. True? don't know but, on my USA Millennium I string through body because it gets a better break angle over the saddles than top load. I guess it's really about your comfort zone and it's probably all just in my mind anyway...lol

 

[3k Mylz]

I agree with smogg on the reasons for weighing stringing options. The string through option came around to prominence at a time when woods were manufactured differently, and technology has advanced since then. With a good wood body, and a bridge that transfers the vibrations to the body well (IE Badass, Single Fingers, Et Cetera) the string through option has become more of a selling point rather than a functionality feature. It's not identical but along the same school of thought with Neck Through VS Bolt on. If the woods jive well, and there is good vibration transfer in the bass as a whole, it sounds full. Jaco's Bass of Doom was a bolt on and I believe did not string through (A '68 Jazz I believe). That bass was the definition of awesome.

 

[KJung]

Thanks, I'm feeling better about my lack of options, why is that it's offered if no value? I can't seem to find a reason on any of the Bass makers sites to explain the reason or the benefit.

I'm one who hears or feels no difference either way (in direct A/Bing of my Celinders, which offer both ways).

The first through the body option I remember was on the old Music Man basses (if I'm remembering right, it was a long time ago). My guess is, Leo realized those old Fender bridges that everyone was replacing on their jazz basses kind of sucked.... stripping screws, moving saddles, etc., etc.). If I had to guess (and I am guessing), part of the 'through the body' thing was just to make it very clear that the strings were strongly anchored to the instrument.

I don't think it is a total 'lie' or anything, and my guess is, if you put the bass on the scope, there might be a slight difference in some sort of response. However, for the player in a live situation (or any situation for that matter), I wouldn't worry about it, assuming you have a high quality bridge that provides enough downward tension on the saddles (almost all do these days IMO).

 

[MtManiac]

I agree with smogg on the reasons for weighing stringing options. The string through option came around to prominence at a time when woods were manufactured differently, and technology has advanced since then. With a good wood body, and a bridge that transfers the vibrations to the body well (IE Badass, Single Fingers, Et Cetera) the string through option has become more of a selling point rather than a functionality feature. It's not identical but along the same school of thought with Neck Through VS Bolt on. If the woods jive well, and there is good vibration transfer in the bass as a whole, it sounds full. Jaco's Bass of Doom was a bolt on and I believe did not string through (A '68 Jazz I believe). That bass was the definition of awesome.

The original Fender P was string through only, and in 59 became top load only. Then in the 90s they went back to string through only and in the 2000s they offered a bridge with both options. I don't think it has so much to do with wood as it has to do with marketing and addressing buyers' perceptions of tonal differences. Trees haven't evolved since 1951.

 

[FunkMetalBass]

I prefer it because it puts less strain on the 3-4 screws holding down the bridge and transfers that force to the body and ferrules.

From a construction standpoint, it's much more solid to have it string-thru.

 

[pgbassman]

Just curious if anyone else has any experience or can come up with anything else to help me make up my mind before my new strings arrive. I would hate to replace a new set of strings if it isn't going to matter. Thanks to the brotherhood of the bass for all the help!

 

[mmbongo]

I prefer it because it puts less strain on the 3-4 screws holding down the bridge and transfers that force to the body and ferrules.

From a construction standpoint, it's much more solid to have it string-thru.

+1 on that. My feelings exactly. I go thru-body whenever possible....and now that I think about it I don't have a bass with a top-load only bridge. Here's my simplistic way of thinking:

Q: Thru-body, what can it hurt?
A: Nothing. It can only help because the strings are coupled to the body, the break angle is better, and there is more down pressure on the bridge which transfers more vibration to the body. Drawbacks? May require longer scale strings, string changing a little harder.

Q: Top load, what can it hurt?
A: The bridge can be ripped from the body, possible severing your arm. Okay, maybe not the arm thing and I've never seen a bridge ripped from a body personally. String changing is easier, and any string will work. I just don't like my strings pulling up the bridge, I'd rather have them clamping the bridge down, so I string through body.

 

[Thunderitter]

Get a box cutter, scalpel, etc and carefully and lightly draw it down from the nut to the end of the offending wrapping (don't dig into the string!) and then remove the wrapping - no problem!

I should add the wrapping is only there to help the string grip around the tuning post and to make the end of the string neat an tidy and less prone to separation, which is obviously not an issue when it's wrapped around said post.

 

[Rocky McD]

In theory, the more pressure a saddle applies to the base plate, the more vibe goes to the body. The accute break angle of the string over the saddle, "should" apply much more downward pressue. Stringing thru the upper bridge applies much less downward pressure; however, an equal amount of pressure is applied to the mounting screws into the body. That is why most people can't really hear a tonal difference. I string thru to the body on my Fenders, it just seems like the right thing to do.

 

[darkstorm]

Thru body is supposed to increase sustain and body vibration transfer. However in my experience a high mass bridge thats properly bolted to body doesnt need string thru body. Increase for sustain is tiny bit for string thru to me. Id rather have a high mass bridge and no string thru body as oposed to low mass with string thru body. On guitars it can serve an unintended purpose though. For scraping across the strings between the tune-o-matic and body furrels. Lol.

String thru body does seem to give at least the feel of a little more tension on bass. Maybe useful for some, not for others. I dont notice this with guitars,. just basses in minor way.

String thru body as you found can be troublesome with some strings. On my Traben, the red wrap for rotosounds I put on it is just a couple eights of an inch past the nut on headstock size. Its bridge doesnt give top load option, just string thru body, Did use to have an esp ltd which didnt allow for string with wrap at headstock end, cause too much length was used for the thru body part of string.

 

[sloasdaylight]

This is based entirely on personal experience, so take it for what it's worth.

My buddy has a string through bass, and all mine are top loaded. I've found from playing his bass then playing one of mine that there at least feels like there's greater tension on his, and also when comparing his bass' sustain (his is neck thru as well) compared to my neck through, it seems like his sustains longer with more clarity, but again, this is all subjective stuff.

Frankly I don't think it honestly makes enough of a difference for me to want to have my bass modded to be string through, but I can at least tell the difference when I'm playing them one after another.