How Zakk Strings His Guitar

mickymg2003 · 22-06-2005 7:16pm #1

I noticed this on the bls website.Does anybody know why zakk wylde strings his guitar this way.I've never tried it and i was wondering if it makes the guitar sound heavier or something.

feylya · 22-06-2005 7:40pm

Doesn't make it sound heavier, just changes the tension on the strings, makes them easier to bend. Some people say it allows more string vibration transfer into the body cos the tail piece has to be screwed down tight onto the body.

Mongo · 22-06-2005 9:16pm

Sorry what's different about a normally tuned guitar?

feylya · 22-06-2005 9:18pm

The strings go over the stop bar.

Mr. CooL ICE · 23-06-2005 8:31am

I cant actually make out whats different about, whats going on with the stop bar?

Doctor J · 23-06-2005 8:36am

Normally, you'd feed the strings in through the back of the tailpiece and up over the bridge. It creates a good break angle over the bridge. Zakk feeds his strings through the front of the tailpiece (ie moving away from the bridge) and then wraps them over the tailpiece back towards the bridge.

Mr. CooL ICE · 23-06-2005 8:41am

Ah right. Would it not make it a bit of a bitch to tune, no?

Doctor J · 23-06-2005 8:46am

It shouldn't. There are plenty of guitars which only have that type of tailpiece as the bridge and use the wrapover technique. Tbh I think it's just a personal foible he does, which is sweet and all

dabhoys · 23-06-2005 9:08am

The PRS Stoptails are like that but come designed that way with grooves along the top for the strings to sit it. Its a weird bridge to get the hang of when your used to a tune-o-matic bridge...

Karl Hungus · 23-06-2005 2:28pm

Whoa, now that is interesting. My Stealth is going to have a Tune O Matic, so I might give that kind of stringing a go, and see what kind of difference it makes.

feylya · 23-06-2005 2:33pm

LordChessington wrote:

Ah right. Would it not make it a bit of a bitch to tune, no?

How would it?

Johnny Storm · 23-06-2005 2:35pm

Karl Hungus wrote:

Whoa, now that is interesting. My Stealth is going to have a Tune O Matic, so I might give that kind of stringing a go, and see what kind of difference it makes.

I tried it many years ago with my POS Les Paul copy. I didn't notice any difference to sustain or tone at all. The strings did make their own grooves in the heel end of the tail piece though.

Giblet · 23-06-2005 2:36pm

I've tried it, it will scratch the stopbar

You have to screw the stop bar in a bit more. It didn't make any difference with my setup. Maybe if you had the grooves didn't use the saddles?

Johnny Storm · 23-06-2005 2:43pm

Giblet wrote:

I've tried it, it will scratch the stopbar

You have to screw the stop bar in a bit more. It didn't make any difference with my setup. Maybe if you had the grooves didn't use the saddles?

Hi Giblet,

If your question is for me then yes I did screw in the tailpiece/stopbar as far as it would go and the strings did still break over the TOM saddles but at a less acute angle than before.

It seems to be one of these great ideas that you'd think would work but actually doesn't

How Zakk Strings His Guitar

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