Roundwounds through the body, flatwounds through the bridge?

[michael_t]

If I was a guitar builder and I felt strongly about stringing the strings through the body, I'd drill the holes at more of an angle.

That's exactly what Yamaha has done with their "diagonal thru-body" design.

 

[JimmyM]

I have never heard a difference between the two on any bass I've ever owned that allowed for both, and generally I just go through the bridge except on my 09 Fender P with Dunlop flats. It's black and maple and I liked the way the black silks lined up on the headstock all even and purdy. Been on it over a year at this point, still doing fine.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

That's exactly what Yamaha has done with their "diagonal thru-body" design.

View attachment 4333990

And a design feature I have seen elsewhere and intend on incorporating in a future build. It makes sense, and looks pretty cool.

 

[micguy]

Insufficient down pressure at the saddle can steal vibrational energy, and cause odd overtones.

If the saddles are bouncing off the plate or rattling around, yes you could lose some energy that way, but that's a pretty extreme case.

 

[micguy]

That's exactly what Yamaha has done with their "diagonal thru-body" design.

View attachment 4333990

I actually like that idea, because it doesn't bend the strings as much. I would still only use it when I needed the extra length to keep the fat part of the string off the tuner, and even then only on the lowest string.

 

[Killing Floor]

If I was a guitar builder and I felt strongly about stringing the strings through the body, I'd drill the holes at more of an angle.

From a physics (statics) perspective you're on the right track. Doesn't someone do that? Maybe Yamaha? Seems like I've seen that before.

But so much of the bass and guitar world is still "Leo did it". Angle cut isn't really any harder on CNC anyway.

 

[BlueTalon]

From a physics (statics) perspective you're on the right track. Doesn't someone do that? Maybe Yamaha? Seems like I've seen that before.

But so much of the bass and guitar world is still "Leo did it". Angle cut isn't really any harder on CNC anyway.

You quoted my post on page 1 of this thread. At the top of page 2 is the very thing you mentioned.

 

[michael_t]

You quoted my post on page 1 of this thread. At the top of page 2 is the very thing you mentioned.

I'm the one who mentioned Yamaha in post #21, not @Killing Floor.

 

[BarfanyShart]

Some flats (the low strings particularly) break when you put them through the body with a tight bend. Same thing with trying to put them in with pegs on an acoustic BG. The manufacturer should give you a clue in the specs somewhere whether you can theoretically use them through body (and that usually means you can use pegs, too) - but you know all about the gulf between theory and practice. The stiffer the string, the less it likes being bent. I imagine a certain share of rounds may also have this problem, at least with the core getting broken, but much more likely with flats.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

If the saddles are bouncing off the plate or rattling around, yes you could lose some energy that way, but that's a pretty extreme case.

Personal experience. Shimmed it.
Threaded saddle , light guage strings. So little down pressure that the G string would move with playing forces.

The minimal down pressure on another there was not sufficient pressure to keep the saddle itself from displacing while using a pick.

Doesn't need to be extreme.

Telecaster guitar with smooth barrels, g,b,e do the same thing with saddles on the plate. The strings can move pretty easily without grooves.

 

[BlueTalon]

I'm the one who mentioned Yamaha in post #21, not @Killing Floor.

He said, "Doesn't someone do that? Maybe Yamaha?" I then referred him to your post.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

I saw this mentioned on an ad for a five-string Fender P. Is that a common thing for basses with bridges that allow top-loading or through-body? If so what's the reasoning?

Intrigued.

It's so you can string them however you want. I far prefer through the bridge. I neither see, nor hear any benefit from stringing through the body. Also through the bridge, my strings aren't kinked to the point that the winds are separating.

 

[Killing Floor]

You quoted my post on page 1 of this thread. At the top of page 2 is the very thing you mentioned.

Sure. But reading entire threads is super taxing on my brain. So I did the right thing and skipped to the end. So I'm doing the best I can with my limited thought resource.

 

[Killing Floor]

I'm the one who mentioned Yamaha in post #21, not @Killing Floor.

Following after genius is still kinda smart, right? Couldn't quite remember but glad you did.

 

[KJMO]

I wish. Have broken a Labella DTF clean off at the ball end stringing through body when the package warned me in big letters not to do so. Be smarter than I was.

I'll add a data point, in that I broke the E string of a set of chromes on an American Standard Jazz strung through the body. It looked really bent and janky, then broke where it looked "separated". Not unequivocal, but good enough that I wouldn't suggest it's always a good idea. I'm sure it depends on a lot of things, even how you have to set your bridge to get it intoned (if you have to pull it way back, it increases the angle), but it's something to be aware of since it can be a problem.

 

[Kukulkan61]

Old wives tales. Been going thru the body for over 3 decades, using many brands of flats [including heavy gauge GHS 115-55's], and the only string I've ever broken was a Jazz bass resting on a stand that was hit by a flying billiard ball.
View attachment 4333370

Me too, I just put a new set of Chromes on my Lakland Pbass thru the body!

 

[Kukulkan61]

Some flats (the low strings particularly) break when you put them through the body with a tight bend. Same thing with trying to put them in with pegs on an acoustic BG. The manufacturer should give you a clue in the specs somewhere whether you can theoretically use them through body (and that usually means you can use pegs, too) - but you know all about the gulf between theory and practice. The stiffer the string, the less it likes being bent. I imagine a certain share of rounds may also have this problem, at least with the core getting broken, but much more likely with flats.

It's never happened to me been using flats for the last 10 years..

 

[KJMO]

It's never happened to me been using flats for the last 10 years..

Which means it works for you, with the bass you have, set up the way it's set up. Not that it works for everyone with their bass, setup the way they have to set it up.

 

[Gothic]

THIS THREAD is just one example of what COULD happen to flats when the break angle at the saddle is too sharp.

Yikes!

I had (kind of) the opposite happen to me. I (carefully...) snipped the end part of one of the strings from a set of Chromes and the damn thing unravelled and kept unravelling while being tuned up. Needless to say, it was goodbye. Ever since I'm always afraid when doing that. I'll even go so far as having 38 winds on the post to prevent that from happening again!
Ever since then, whenever I snip, I carefully bend the string with pliers and pray to whatever deity's available before I snip.

 

[BlueTalon]

Yikes!

I had (kind of) the opposite happen to me. I (carefully...) snipped the end part of one of the strings from a set of Chromes and the damn thing unravelled and kept unravelling while being tuned up. Needless to say, it was goodbye. Ever since I'm always afraid when doing that. I'll even go so far as having 38 winds on the post to prevent that from happening again!
Ever since then, whenever I snip, I carefully bend the string with pliers and pray to whatever deity's available before I snip.

I always bend my strings twice before snipping. They're going to end up being bent twice anyway.