String butler

fastonebaz

Anyone used a string butler?   https://wiki.stringbutler.com/en/stringbutler/string-butler-v3-chrome/

Snake oil or legitimate science solution?  

sweepy

Spend the money and get the nut cut properly tbh an over engineered “solution” to a problem that should be addressed elsewhere imho

thegummy

I bought one but the tuners I have don't have the nuts required for non destructive installation so I'd have had to drill my headstock to install it.

I was pretty sold on it though. I don't really see how the same problem could be solved by cutting the nut. The problem it addresses is the one that PRS address by having the tuners for the middle strings closer together on the headstock.

fastonebaz

The justification for it looks quite compelling I must say.

Jonathanthomas83

Once the nut is cut properly, strings stay in tune, thus negating the need for the string butler. Keeping the strings straight is one solution, but there is more than one way to skin a cat. The traditional way is cutting the nut properly in the first place. Because even efter string butler installation, if the nut slots aren't correct, the strings could still be being pinched and the problem *may* persist.

stickyfiddle

All it does is move the point of friction from the nut to the ugly metal thing. There's simply no need for it if your nut is cut properly, and it may not actually fully fix the problem if your nut isn't cut correctly. 

ESchap

Nut aside, this could be useful if the tuner positions have been badly cut in the headstock, e.g. where the 5th string lies against the post of the 6th when strung.  Fairly common problem on smaller Gibson headstocks.

thegummy

This has all come up before with the same kind of responses.

It basically comes down to a couple of points:

The points of contact for the string on the string butler are rollers.

Many people have tuning stability problems with the middle 2 strings on Gibsons despite having played large numbers of high end models.

The few reports I've seen say the string butler helped the issue quite a lot, I haven't seen a report where it didn't but I didn't get to try mine.

If the tuning issue proves to be a big problem for me I'll consider drilling the headstock to install it though but the guitar is one of my lesser used ones now so it's not really been much of a problem for me yet.

stickyfiddle

thegummy said:

 
Many people have tuning stability problems with the middle 2 strings on Gibsons despite having played large numbers of high end models.
 

But perhaps they haven't played any well set-up ones? Gibsons are well known for badly cut nuts from the factory.

thegummy said:

The few reports I've seen say the string butler helped the issue quite a lot, I haven't seen a report where it didn't but I didn't get to try mine.

Isn't that because anyone who isn't already having tuning problems won't need to try one?

Noone's saying it won't help. Just that it's not the best answer.

Rocker

It might make the neck dive problem on SGs even worse 

thegummy

stickyfiddle said:

thegummy said:

 
Many people have tuning stability problems with the middle 2 strings on Gibsons despite having played large numbers of high end models.
 

But perhaps they haven't played any well set-up ones? Gibsons are well known for badly cut nuts from the factory.

I mentioned this the last time the topic came up - Tim Pierce is one of the top session players of the past 30 years. He has a staggering gear collection and has played a huge number of guitars over the years. He states that he's always had tuning problems on Gibsons on the middle strings.

To me, the idea that all those guitars he's played just happen to all have poorly made nuts is a bit of a coincidence.

To think that someone with the resources and gear collection he has (including custom made amp switchers made specifically for his setup) has just never had access to anyone who could properly cut nuts on Gibsons, in my opinion, is far fetched.

Note: Tim does a video about the string butler where he claims it fixes the problem but, since a lot of YouTube recommendations are just dishonest paid advertisements, I wouldn't trust that at all. His comments about Gibson tuning aren't from anything to do with the string butler though, he's just mentioned it a few times over the years as one of the cons of Les Pauls.

ICBM

fastonebaz said:

The justification for it looks quite compelling I must say.

The thing itself looks quite appalling though.

(I know looks aren't everything...)

stickyfiddle said:

All it does is move the point of friction from the nut to the ugly metal thing. There's simply no need for it if your nut is cut properly, and it may not actually fully fix the problem if your nut isn't cut correctly. 

This.

A properly-cut *hard* material nut, with a little lubrication if necessary, will work fine. A badly-cut or soft material nut will still snag with a straight string path, because there is still a downward angle which is the cause of most of the friction.

stickyfiddle said:

Noone's saying it won't help. Just that it's not the best answer.

Exactly. As so many things to do with guitars and tuning seem to be, it's a gadget to avoid having to fix the real problem correctly.

thegummy

Rocker said:

It might make the neck dive problem on SGs even worse 

That's actually a good point. Also could potentially introduce dead spots.

I'd never thought of that but I'll be taking that into consideration if I do go back down the route of installing it.

ChrisGriff

The design intention of the String Butler is to give straight pull to a typical 3+3 fanned headstock.

Straight pull headstock design is generally considered better from an engineering point of view and less prone to strings sticking in the nut slots. Nevertheless a well cut ‘normal’ 3+3 nut usually does the job fine.  Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and if you do decide to fit one you’ll probably have to straighten up the nut slots to suit it – or fit a new nut.

Bridgehouse

-1 for the worst named product I've seen for a while. 

In what way does this piece of metal answer the door/phone, server coffee at 11 and ensure your mail is dealt with?

They should have called it String Shepherd.

rico

How long have Gibson style headstocks been around? It's a solution looking for a problem, in my opinion.

57Deluxe

bit pretentious init?

http://i66.tinypic.com/25z1qbc.jpg

axisus

This is for people who would pay £100 for a ridiculous looking nose warmer because someone told them it would keep harmful alpha radiation at bay

thegummy

I'd love to play all these Les Pauls whose G string never gets bent out of tune.