
Photo 1
Do the open strings buzz or sound wimpy on your Fender-style guitar? Maybe the problem lies at the headstock.
String trees are tiny and often go unnoticed, but they play a vital role on flat, Fender-style headstocks. Also called string retainers or guides, they secure the first two (or sometimes four) strings between the nut and tuners. Photo 1 shows a guitar configured with two “butterfly" string trees holding down the top four strings.
On both guitar and bass, a string tree's primary function is to provide the correct amount of downward pressure on a string so it doesn't rattle and buzz within its nut slot. This downward pressure also ensures that a string will sustain properly when played open. If an open string isn't securely seated in its slot—essentially pinned down the way you'd press a string against a fret—it won't sound as loud or clear as it should.
Whether or not a guitar or bass requires string retainers is determined by how its headstock is constructed. For example, Gibson headstocks tilt back at an angle from the fretboard, and this angle is sufficient to create the necessary downward pressure to keep strings firmly seated in their slots en route to the tuner posts. By contrast, Strats, Teles, and most other guitars with six-in-a-row tuners have flat headstocks that run parallel to the fretboard. On these headstocks, the strings that have to travel the longest distance from the nut to the tuner posts need hardware to create this essential downward pressure.
A string tree's primary function is to provide the correct amount of downward pressure on a string so it doesn't rattle and buzz within its nut slot.
A string tree's primary function is to provide the correct amount of downward pressure on a string so it doesn't rattle and buzz within its nut slot.
Most of us never think twice about string trees until there's a problem. I've already described one—the rattle or sitar-like buzz that results from insufficient downward pressure behind the nut. But if a string tree creates excessive pressure, this can cause premature wear in the affected nut slots and also create tuning issues. And here's another consideration: If you have a whammy bar, certain types of string trees can interfere with the string returning to pitch after you release the bar.
To summarize, string trees can help or hinder your guitar's performance. Let's take a closer look and discuss ways to deal with potential problems.
Design and construction. String trees come in a variety of materials and styles. Most are metal, like the butterfly, disk, and barrel types found on Fender guitars. The metal trees will work, but if you do a lot of bending or use a whammy bar, you'll probably experience tuning problems. Why? Every time the string changes tension against the tree, the metal-to-metal contact creates friction that can cause the string to hang slightly at this point of contact.
Photo 2
To reduce friction—and thus improve tuning stability—you have two options: use a string tree made from a slippery material such as graphite (Photo 2), or install a string tree with built-in rollers that turn with the string as you bend or use the whammy bar (Photo 3).
Photo 3
Both types of retainers accomplish the goal of reducing metal-to-metal friction. I've had great success with Graph Tech string trees, which are made from a synthetic material impregnated with a Teflon-like lubricant, and roller string trees from All Parts.
What's your angle, man? The amount of downward pressure a string tree creates is determined by its location and how high it sits off the headstock. Assuming an identical location, a lower retainer—one that's close to the headstock—will create a steeper angle between it and the nut than a retainer that sits higher off the headstock. Getting the correct angle is critical for avoiding wear (too steep an angle) or sonic artifacts (too shallow an angle).
Photo 4
For a guitar equipped with a single string tree to hold the 1st and 2nd strings, the angle between the retainer and nut should be about the same as the angle between the nut and 6th-string tuner (Photo 4). For guitars that require a second string tree for the 3rd and 4th strings, the angle should approximate that of the 5th string.
Many string trees sit on a separate post or standoff spacer that determines the retainer's height. The attachment screw passes through this washer-like cylinder and goes into the headstock (Photo 5). When the post is a separate piece from the section that actually holds the strings, you can adjust the retainer's height—thereby controlling the string angle—by inserting a shorter or taller spacer.
If the string angle is too shallow and you have a removable metal or plastic spacer, you can increase the angle buy sanding or filing the spacer to reduce its height. Alternatively, you can substitute a shorter spacer: Electronic supply companies sell standoffs for PC boards, and some enterprising guitarists adapt the ball-ends of bass strings for this purpose. Stacking small washers can work too. Whether you need to go up or down, it shouldn't be too hard to adjust the height of your string tree by either modifying it or swapping it out.
Photo 5
Replacing the string tree. If you opt to upgrade to a roller or graphite retainer, it's a very simple project. All you need is a small or medium tip Philips head screwdriver. Lift the strings out from the retainer, remove it, screw the new one in place, and you're done. You might encounter small variations in screw size and threading, but most manufacturers use a consistent size. You can use your original screw if it's in good condition and fits the new retainer.
First-time installation. If you're installing a string tree on a headstock that's never had one—on a replacement neck, for example—string up the guitar and lay the new tree on the corresponding strings, midway between the nut and closest tuner. Confirm the strings are lined up evenly and then, with the screw in place, press down on the tree so the screw makes a small indentation in the headstock. This indentation should lie exactly between the two strings. Use it as a guide for drilling the mounting screw hole.
Start with a pilot hole, using a very small bit. For the screw hole proper, be sure to choose the correct drill bit—it should be slightly smaller than the screw. Measure everything twice, go slowly, and be careful how deep you drill—you don't want to drill completely through the headstock! Before installing the screw, lubricate its threads with a bar of soap or candle wax.
Inserting a delicate screw into a hard maple headstock requires skill, so don't attempt to install a new string tree unless you have the right tools and experience. If you're unsure about your abilities, take the guitar to a qualified repair tech or luthier.
Goodbye string trees. Some manufacturers offer locking tuners with staggered posts. Intended to create the required string angle on a six-in-line headstock without using string trees, staggered posts start out at a normal height for the 6th string and then gradually reduce height, which puts the shortest post furthest from the nut. Depending on the geometry of your headstock, you may be able to eliminate string trees altogether by using these tuners, but the only way to know for sure is to install them and see if you experience any of the sitar sounds or sustain issues that come from having too shallow an angle on your top strings. In most cases, you probably won't need string trees if you have staggered tuners.
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The Wilco guitarist and 6-string afficionado Nels Cline, who tells us about joining Trucks onstage in a number settings, and details how the two have developed a guitar playing relationship over the years.
From a young age, Derek Trucks was destined for guitar greatness. Growing up around the Allman Brothers scene, he had the greatest schooling any aspiring slide player could hope for. But his playing exceeded just about any expectations, high though they were, as he brought in a vast range of influences and ambition and cemented himself as one of the guitarists you need to know.
On this episode of 100 Guitarists, we’re joined by another one of the guitarists we think you need to know, Wilco guitarist and 6-string afficionado Nels Cline, who tells us about joining Trucks onstage in a number settings, and details how the two have developed a guitar playing relationship over the years.
This episode is sponsored by Sweetwater.
A satin finish with serious style. Join PG contributor Tom Butwin as he dives into the PRS Standard 24 Satin—a guitar that blends classic PRS craftsmanship with modern versatility. From its D-MO pickups to its fast-playing neck, this one’s a must-see.
PRS Standard 24 Satin Electric Guitar - Satin Red Apple Metallic
Standard 24 Satin, Red App MetA reverb-based pedal for exploring the far reaches of sound.
Easy to use control set. Wide range of sounds. Crush control is fun to explore. Filter is versatile.
Works best as a stereo effect, which may limit some players.
$299
Old Blood Noise Endeavors Dark Star Stereo
oldbloodnoise.com
The Old Blood Dark Star Stereo (DSS) is one of those pedals that lives beyond simple effect categorization. Yes, it’s a digital reverb. But like other Old Blood designs, it’s such a feature-rich, creative take on that effect that to think of it as a reverb feels not only imprecise but unfair.
The Old Blood Dark Star Stereo (DSS) is one of those pedals that lives beyond simple effect categorization. Yes, it’s a digital reverb. But like other Old Blood designs, it’s such a feature-rich, creative take on that effect that to think of it as a reverb feels not only imprecise but unfair.
In this case, reverb describes how the DSS works more than how it sounds. I’ve come to think of this pedal as a reverb-based synthesizer, where reverb is the jumping-off point for sonic creation. As such, the sounds coming out of the Dark Star can be used as subtle sweetener or sound design textures, opening up worlds that might otherwise be unreachable.
Reverb and Beyond
Functionally speaking, the DSS starts with reverb and applies a high-/low-pass filter, two pitch shifters, each with a two-octave range in each direction, plus bit-crushing and distortion. Controls for lag (pre-delay), multiply (feedback), and decay follow, with mini knobs for volume, mix, and spread. Additional control features include presets, MIDI functionality, plus expression and aux control.
The DSS can be routed in mono, stereo, or mono-in/stereo-out. Both jacks are single TRS, and it’s easy to switch between settings by holding down the bypass switch and selecting via the preset button.
Although it sounds great in mono, stereo is where this iteration of the Dark Star—which follows the mono Dark Star and Dark Star V2—really comes alive. Starting with the filter, both pitch shifters, and crush knobs at noon—all have center detents—affords the most neutral settings. The result is a pad reverb, as synthetic as but less sparkly than a shimmer. The filter control is a fine way to distinguish clean and effect signals. In low-pass mode, the effect signal can easily get dark and spooky while maintaining fidelity and without getting murky. On the other end, high-pass settings are handy for refining those reverb pads and keeping them from washing out the clarity of the clean signal.
Lower fidelity is close at hand when you want it. The crush control, when turned counterclockwise, reduces the bit rate of the effect signal, evoking all kinds of digitally compromised sounds, from early samplers to cell phones, depending on how you flavor it. Counterclockwise applies distortion to the reverb signal. There’s a lot to explore within the wide ranges of the two pitch controls, too. With a four-octave range, quantized in half steps, the combinations can be extreme, and Dark Star takes on a life of its own.
Formless Reflections of Matter
The DSS is easy to get acquainted with, especially for a pedal with so many features, 10 knobs, and two footswitches. I quickly got a feel for the reverb itself at the most neutral filter and pitch settings, where I enjoyed the weight a responsive, textural pad lent to everything I played.
With just the filter and crush controls, there’s plenty to explore. Sitting in the sweet spot between a pair of vintage Fenders, I conjured a Twin Peaks-inspired hazy fog to accompany honeyed diatonic arpeggios, slowly filtering and crushing that sound into a dark, evil low-end whir as chords leaned toward dissonance. Eventually, I cranked the high-pass filter, producing an early MP3-in-a-good-way “shhh” that was fine accompaniment to sparser voicings along my fretboard. It was a true sonic journeyThe pitch controls increase possibilities for both ambience and dissonance. Simple tweaks push the boundaries of possibility in exponentially deeper directions. For more subtle thickening and accompaniment sounds, adding octaves, which are easy to tune by ear, offers precise tone sculpting, dimension, and a wider frequency range. Hearing simple harmonic ideas plucked against celeste- and organ-like reverberations kept me in the Harold Budd and Brian Eno space for long enough to consider new recording projects.
There is as much fun to be had at the highest feedback settings on the DSS. Be forewarned: Spend too much time there and you might need a name for your new ambient band. Cranking the multiply and decay knobs, I’d drop in a few notes, or maybe just a chord, and get to work scanning the pitch knobs and sculpting with the filter. Soon, I conjured bold Ligeti-inspired orchestral sounds fit for a guitar remix of 2001: A Space Odyssey.
The Verdict
The Dark Star Stereo strikes a nice balance between deep control, a wide range of sonic rewards, playability, and an always-sounds-great vibe. The controls are easy to use, so it doesn’t take long to get in the zone, and once you do, there’s plenty to explore. Throughout my time with the DSS, I was impressed with its high-fidelity clarity. I attribute that to the filter, which allows clean and reverb signals to perform dry/wet balance and EQ functions. That alone encouraged more adventurous and creative exploration. Though not every player needs this kind of tone tool, the DSS is a must-check-out effect for anyone serious about wild reverb adventures, and it’s simple and intuitive enough to be a good fit for anyone just starting exploration of those zones. However you come to the Dark Star, it’s a unique-sounding pedal that deserves attention. PG
The exquisite BilT Brothers collaborative guitar: a Frank Brothers Ultra Light in BilT eggplant sparkleburst with Arcane 3x3 Gold Foil Humbuckers and loaded with a Caroline Custom Cannonball Distortion.
This forward-thinking custom guitar commissioned by our columnist makes a special case for partnership in the guitar building community.
Owning a guitar shop, your brain is full of to-do lists, questions, and plenty of compulsive thoughts over details. And when you run a shop that specializes in custom builds that you spec out from boutique companies, the ideas for these guitars often come at the most random times of day (and night). While I don’t subscribe to the notion of fate, the following makes a case for its existence.
It was like any other random day at work: We had customers coming in, items shipping out, services on the bench. I was simultaneously working on a pedalboard for a customer and making plans with some vendors. I was on the phone with Brandon Darner of BilT Guitars when DHL dropped off our latest Frank Brothers guitar. Now, I’m never shy about talking up builds from any of our vendors. Spec’ing guitars for our shop, seeing their execution exceed my expectations, and then getting it into the hands of its new owner is one of my absolute favorite parts of my job. So, naturally I mentioned that we just got a new Frank Brothers in. Brandon told me how much he loved their stuff—sort of a “game recognizing game” kind of thing.
After we unboxed the guitar, I called Tim Frank to let him know how we continue to be impressed with their work and how much we loved the new arrival. I also mentioned Brandon had some very nice things to say about their work. Tim’s response was something like, “Oh wow! That’s really cool. Their stuff is amazing and we have a lot of respect for those guys.” At first, I thought he was just being polite, but I’ve gotten to know him pretty well. I knew that the compliment and sentiment was genuine and past the point of his wonderful Canadian pleasantness. One thing led to another, and I started a group text. Very quickly, they became friends. In fact, Brandon even ordered a Frank Brothers shortly after the introduction.
The Frank Brothers and BilT team, left to right: Tim Frank, Tim Thelen (BilT), Nick Frank, and Brandon Darner (BilT).
My last call of the day was to Philippe Herndon from Caroline Guitar Company. As we talked, he was glowing about the pedal building community and how friendly and collaborative it is, and obvious questions popped into my head: “Why aren’t guitar companies like that?” “Why can’t we do a collab guitar?”
Long story extremely short, with tons of excitement, I got Brandon and Tim on the phone and proposed the idea of doing a guitar together. Without hesitation, the response from both was “Hell yeah, let’s do it!” and it was time for us to spec it. We decided on a Frank Brothers Ultra Light. BilT would apply their world-class fit/finish as well as their signature effects treatment. I picked my favorite finish in the BilT repertoire called eggplant sparkleburst, selected Arcane 3x3 Gold Foil Humbuckers, and tapped Philippe on the shoulder to ask if he had any Custom Cannonball Distortions—the first pedal I bought from Caroline in 2013—that he could provide for the build, to which he happily obliged.
A year or so later, the BilT Brothers was born. Of course, it is exceptional beyond words and is a true testament to the results of these incredible companies working together to produce something truly remarkable. We decided, with custom shirts and all, to proudly debut our creation at Fretboard Summit in Chicago. The reaction from everyone exceeded our expectations and showed me that the level of mutual respect and admiration in this business can lead to phenomenal results.
This project has opened a lot of doors that I’m not sure anyone knew existed. For me, the most exciting part of all of this is the fact that, like the smaller pedal companies, there is an actual community here filled with like-minded, pure enthusiasts who also happen to be master craftsmen—and who truly geek out over each other’s work.
Never was this more evident than at the Wood Wire Volts show this January, where not only did the BilT and Frank Brothers crews travel and stay together, they were also often in deep chats with fellow luminaries Sacha Dunable (Dunable Guitars) and Carlos Lopez (Castedosa Guitars), discussing the trade, the work, and ideas for the future. If the vibe is any indicator, we can safely assume that while the BilT Brothers was, by all accounts, the first ever collab guitar of its kind, it will not be the last.
This entire experience is reminiscent of the DIY community ethos that I’ve clung to and has inspired me for most of my life. There is a cliché about the journey being greater than the destination, and while the destination in this case is one of the finest guitars I’ve ever laid my hands on, I’d have to say it holds true