- Apr 18, 2008
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- 31,705
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- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
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String through body
- Thread starter Cliff Bordwell
- Start date
- Apr 6, 2013
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- Agent for Scandinavian countries: Stick Enterprises Inc.
i think that the only reason that luthiers make this option for sting thru is because has to do with the tension of the strings!! you can change the tension to the set of the strings that you are using with this way!thats all! i prefer the clasic way because i cant deal with big tension strings
I've had string through bridges on a few basses - The last two were an 08 American Standard Jazz & a 50th Anniversary Jazz. I tried the Am.Std strung both ways, and there was definitely more sustain at the lower frequencies when strung through the body.
The most interesting stringing difference I've noticed is with headless basses - The Status stringing system is designed so that the tops of the strings can either be clamped down and cut off, or for double ball end strings to be just clipped into the retainers at the top of the neck. I found that bottom end frequency response was a lot thicker when clamped down, but the double ball end retainers gave a much rounder sound and more freedom/articulation to the strings.
The most interesting stringing difference I've noticed is with headless basses - The Status stringing system is designed so that the tops of the strings can either be clamped down and cut off, or for double ball end strings to be just clipped into the retainers at the top of the neck. I found that bottom end frequency response was a lot thicker when clamped down, but the double ball end retainers gave a much rounder sound and more freedom/articulation to the strings.
I have a Jackson that I can string either way. I just go through the bridge. Its a pain to get the string out if I go thought the body
- Apr 18, 2008
- 16,007
- 1
- 31,705
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- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
Did you perform this experiment using the same set of strings? If not, your comparison is meaningless.
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Obviously not, as one set was double ball end, but they were both brand new, same 30-90 gauge and same manufacturer.
- Apr 18, 2008
- 16,007
- 1
- 31,705
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- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
Same model? Both D'Addario XLs, for instance? If so, that's a better test.
Sent from my asteroid using Awesome
Yes, same model, just one set single ball end and the other double ball end. In all honesty, I think the biggest difference was in the string tension on the Status basses. You get more tension with the clamp/cut off setup, principally because it's nearly an inch further up the string retainer.
- Apr 18, 2008
- 16,007
- 1
- 31,705
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- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
Did you tune both sets to the same pitches? If so, then there was no change in tension.
I'm not trying to tell you that there was no difference. You perceived a difference, so there was a difference. The trouble most people have is attributing the effect to the correct cause. To properly evaluate the effect, one must alter one and only one variable in the entire setup. Even manufacturing tolerances at the string factory could have resulted in your two sets of supposedly identical strings having enough actual compositional differences to contribute to what you heard (ever gotten a "dead" string right out of the package?). Or perhaps the "clamp-and-cut" option increases the break angle over the nut. Or perhaps one of your E strings got slightly twisted during installation. Or perhaps one set of strings had a different section of the taper crossing the saddle (assuming taper-core strings). Or....
Sent from my asteroid using Awesome
That's a very detailed answer - Yes, looking at my S2's string retainer. The clamp and cut option actually decreases the break angle over the nut/zero fret.
Thank for that!
- Apr 18, 2008
- 16,007
- 1
- 31,705
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- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
I may be putting my head in the lions' jaw here, but here goes; I never experimented with the string thru option on my G&L L2500, so I know nothing about it. Then I got curious and went to G&L site. Here's their quote (which I know could be sales pitch BS); "The bridge on the L-2500 now offers a string-through-body option in addition to going through the rear of the bridge. According to G&L's testing, 'the low B strung through the body gave a much more tight and focused sound."
I don't want to try it now, because I'm selling it and if I do try it, I might cancel the sale. A wise man once said: "Never play a bass you are trying to sell." Anyway, just thought I'd pass that along.
Cheers,
Neal.
I don't want to try it now, because I'm selling it and if I do try it, I might cancel the sale. A wise man once said: "Never play a bass you are trying to sell." Anyway, just thought I'd pass that along.
Cheers,
Neal.
If it's the same thickness string, at the same nut to saddle length at the same pitch then the tuner is putting the same number of pounds of pull into the string to get it there.
They can FEEL different, though.
All my short scales are string through so I can utilize standard length strings
This leaves me with a much greater selection of strings
This leaves me with a much greater selection of strings
I've strung my Lakland 55-94 thru body and top load before to compare. They were both 5 string D'Addario XL Nickel round sets in long(top load) and super long(thru body) of the same guage - 45s to 130s.
I found that they sound very similar either way while there was a slight difference in sustain(longer with thru body) but most noticeably, it felt very different on my right(picking/fingering) hand. Top load had a softer feel, sort of spongier while thru body felt more taut which is what i prefer since i do dig in a fair bit sometimes. I've stuck with thru body stringing ever since.
I've never done partial top load and thru body stringing on a bass that offers both avenues since i prefer the consistent feel i get now, although, i can see the benefit of top loading G-E strings and going thru body on the low B like what Mike Lull has offered for increased B string tautness.
I found that they sound very similar either way while there was a slight difference in sustain(longer with thru body) but most noticeably, it felt very different on my right(picking/fingering) hand. Top load had a softer feel, sort of spongier while thru body felt more taut which is what i prefer since i do dig in a fair bit sometimes. I've stuck with thru body stringing ever since.
I've never done partial top load and thru body stringing on a bass that offers both avenues since i prefer the consistent feel i get now, although, i can see the benefit of top loading G-E strings and going thru body on the low B like what Mike Lull has offered for increased B string tautness.
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I am not saying you are wrong, but how is this possible? If you take the same string, the same bass, and the same tuning, you will have the same amount of tension in the string. How can it "feel" different because of what happens with the string past the witness points?
Please explain.
Two separate things, both having to do with perceived stiffness, and people not knowing the difference between that and tightness:
The first is that going through body vs through bridge gives you a different break angle over the bridge saddle. The increased break angle of through body feels stiffer to a lot of people, particularly on thicker strings.
The second, and this is more applicable to instruments with a lot of string length between the bridge and a tailpiece, is that theoretically the more total distance of string from tuning post to ball-end there is the more that string could stretch when you bend the string. Therefore it would feel more flexible.
I understand that the break angle is different. I have had problems with a steep break angle going through the body on a B string. By itself, I don't see what the break angle would have to do with stiffness or tightness. If the second part of you supposition, that a lot of string length allows more "stretch" when you bend, wouldn't that imply that top loading or tailpiece loading would make it easier to play out of tune than with string through?
