(Guitar tip) Top-wrapping strings on a Les Paul

500x · 24-06-2012 07:22PM #1

I'm lucky enough to own two nice Les Pauls, and a PRS Singlecut. I love how they sound, and I am a huge fan of many of the famous Les Paul players. One of mine is a 59 reissue, so it's more an ornament than anything. The other is a really nice 2005 Honeyburst Standard with a 60s profile neck (which I prefer).

The problem is, I just can't get used to playing Les Pauls!

The PRS Singlecut with it's slightly longer scale length is really really nice to play, and sounds great... But it doesn't quite feel and sound like a Gibson Les Paul (for better or for worse, I don't subscribe to that argument).

I think 10s are too slack feeling on a Les Paul, and being the wuss I am, I just couldn't get used to 11s even on the shorter scale instrument. I know there will be people saying "Just practice more" etc etc etc, but I have and I just don't like the stiffer feel.

So, I tried this top-wrapping method on my LP standard. It's where you feed the strings backwards through the stop bar and wrap back around over the bridge.

There are supposed to be benefits tonally, such as the stop bar being screwed down to the body giving extra sustain. There is a very small angle on the strings over the saddles... Which is supposed to be a positive thing. As you can tell, I don't know enough about this stuff, and haven't a developed enough ear to notice much of it really!

Anyway, the standard Les Paul is now wearing a set of 11s, top-wrapped. I jammed with it yesterday for an hour or so with the band and loved the feel!

It seems to work for me. It makes the 11s feel about as slinky as the 10s on my PRS guitars which have a slightly longer scale length. So, best of both worlds? 11s on the Les Paul (with all it's Les Paulish goodness), giving the advantage of heavier strings improving tone and sustain, with the feel (more or less) of 10s. Only thing is, I hate to think what state the stop bar is under those strings...

Hopefully this might help someone love their Les Paul more... I was going to sell my standard because I just wasn't playing it. I think I'll be using it a lot more now.

Best wishes,

Tony

kevin65 · 25-06-2012 07:21AM

Top wrapping is one of those topics that creates alot of 'debate' on the MyLesPaul forum. Some people swear by it, others think it doesn't make any difference.

I guess the best endorsement of it would be that Joe Bonamassa top wraps his LPs. Thought about it a few times, but was too lazy to try it out.:)

martinedwards · 25-06-2012 07:42AM

snake oil and emperors new clothes are phrases that come to mind.

it might make a tiny difference, but if that is enough to improve your playing experience, and therefore your playing, then it's the best thing to happen since the last very good thing!

have fun, enjoy!

Squidgy Black · 25-06-2012 10:47AM

I don't really see it having much of a difference since it's all running through the tuneomatic in the end. It'd be a different story if you swapped out the bridge altogether for a wraparound like off a LP jr.

Grolschevik · 25-06-2012 10:53AM

I restrung like this about two years ago. My thoughts:

No noticeable effect on tone.

Tuning stability the same.

Might be a bit harder on the strings (I never broke a string while playing until I restrung this way, though it has only happened once so far and ona fairly knackered set of strings).

Felt a bit more elastic in playing, though that could have been my imagination.

Best thing is it makes the tailpiece look neater; flush to the body rather than raised quite a bit...

500x · 25-06-2012 11:05AM

Grolschevik wrote: »

I restrung like this about two years ago. My thoughts:

No noticeable effect on tone.

Tuning stability the same.

Might be a bit harder on the strings (I never broke a string while playing until I restrung this way, though it has only happened once so far and ona fairly knackered set of strings).
Felt a bit more elastic in playing, though that could have been my imagination.

Best thing is it makes the tailpiece look neater; flush to the body rather than raised quite a bit...

That's it exactly, I wanted a more elastic feel and that's what I got. I think it is down to there being greater string length behind the bridge which gives the strings morre scope to move during bends etc.

I'm happy with it for now, but I'll be mindful of the potential for string breakage!

500x · 25-06-2012 11:11AM

kevin65 wrote: »

Top wrapping is one of those topics that creates alot of 'debate' on the MyLesPaul forum. Some people swear by it, others think it doesn't make any difference.

I guess the best endorsement of it would be that Joe Bonamassa top wraps his LPs. Thought about it a few times, but was too lazy to try it out.:)

I knew Joe and me had to have something in common... Pity it wasn't playing ability! I notice he plays and sounds a lot like Eric Johnson lately.

500x · 25-06-2012 11:21AM

martinedwards wrote: »

snake oil and emperors new clothes are phrases that come to mind.

it might make a tiny difference, but if that is enough to improve your playing experience, and therefore your playing, then it's the best thing to happen since the last very good thing!

have fun, enjoy!

Any improvements are significant for guitarists who play as horribly as me! I do feel more comfortable with it, so I am marking it as a positive move.

Grolschevik · 25-06-2012 01:23PM

500x wrote: »

I'm happy with it for now, but I'll be mindful of the potential for string breakage!

Watchout for awkward kinks in the reinforced windings beside the ball end.

(With minimal rewriting, that'd be a passable double entendre!)

Rented Mule · 26-06-2012 10:22PM

martinedwards wrote: »

snake oil and emperors new clothes are phrases that come to mind.

I just spent a weekend at a guitar maintenance seminar in Chicago, and these were two of his favourite phrases.

(Guitar tip) Top-wrapping strings on a Les Paul

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