Seriously. It is semi-annoying to string a Fendery guitar in such a fashion so as not to require one. But i will do it every time, because string trees suck so much.

Feels better without them, sounds better without them, stays in tune better without them.

Basically, fuck those fucking things.

What is the point of them, anyway? My Ibanez has them and I've been tempted since I got it to just remove them. They seem pretty well pointless to me.

Well, on a traditional Fender neck, the headstock is just straight and flat. Most other guitars are angled back a bit, either with a scarf joint like most jacksons/ibanezes, etc, or with a really sketchy onepiece like the highly snappable Gibsons.

On the flat fender style, the headstock joint is strong and one nice resonant piece, but, there isn't generally enough break angle between the nut and tuning peg to ensure that open strings will ring correctly, or indeed that the strings won't pop out of the nut all the time.

You can avoid using them a lot of the time by taking the time to wind extra extra winds on the G, B, e strings so the break angle is better, but if you don't you will possibly/probably get some problems.

I hate winding the tiny bastard strings, so I'll deal with the trees.

Sounds like you need one of these:



Yes, they even come in purple.

I have one, and use it regularly. Though it does not say "Fender" on it, but a minute with a white-out pen could fix that.

To satisfy my curiosity, is there any more to it than "wind them more and you'll be fine"?

Nah, not really. You just have to take care that you wind them just the right amount, so that the winds go in a neat row from the hole down, with no overlaps or anything like that. The winds have to hold the string down, so they have to be clean and orderly, single file. Thus, too many winds is as unhelpful as too few. Not difficult to get the balance right though. Worth it for me, because i hate the string trees so much.

Some day, i will just put the nicey nice staggered Sperzel lockers on all of my geetars and it will be fantastic.

Another reason to ditch the trees, is that, especially on fixed bridge geetars, it makes above the nut bending easier, or in some cases where it is not generally, it makes it: possible.

I, for one, enjoy them. They are happy little trees.

I would like them more if they were actually shaped like trees maybe.

I would stab myself in trhe eye if I had to do this. I haz not that patience, but I understand why you would do it. The trees don't both me. How 'bout some fancy ones like on the deluxe models?

I got those for my MIM early on. They are definitely better, but i still hate them. Actually, because of the way the nut is cut on my main blue tele, i do have to use the tree just for the high E string. I have one of those fancier ones up there for it.

Nah, the best possible solution is those locking Sperzels that have the staggered heights built in. The higher strings' tuners are shorter, and it is awesome.

I love the shit out of locking Sperzels. No winds at all, super clean tuning gear action with a perfect ratio. BAST.

my reverend has locking tuners with auto cut, planet waves.

staggered height would alleviate the whole tree issue.

*examines string winds*

I could do it, but it would probably try my patience and I am an impatient restringer.

Sperzels would probably be a better choice. I love locking tuners, but am no longer possessed of any.

I have one set on the Jackson neck that i am going to make into some sort of LP. I would have them on everything if they weren't so pricy.

Actually, i wouldn't even have that set were it not for the fact that back in the day some random dood at the boston guitar center used to give me insane discounts for Like, i didn't know the guy at all? Maybe he thought i was someone else? Whatever it was, the set of Sperzels on the jackson only cost me $30.

Damn, d00d.

I fondly remember when you could still totally take GC for a ride on stuff. That doesn't happen anymore.

Possessed of or by? Possessed by tuners might be interesting. Headspinning and whatnot.

You would think with my professional tuning tunists abilities I would haz patience for string winding. It seems I am more , hrmmmm , union based tunist. I must have the string change union change the strings then I come along and just tune.

When I built my strat I used these just because

Hey man, the unions didn't fight for what you have got now, just for you to throw it away crossing crafts, and stealing the jobs of your dues paying String Changing brothers!

Exactly. I came home one night and there was a huge inflatable rat on my lawn. I know now not to change strings

Oh man, i want about thirty of those rats for my lawn and roof.