String Tree Installation

thegummy

Just got a new neck (Fender American Standard Strat) and, to my surprise, it doesn't come with a hole for the string tree.

Can someone advise on how I'd go about installing it?

Would I have to drill before hand or would a screw that small just screw straight in?

CasperCaster

You need to drill. I know it only looks like a small hole but a real chance of causing a split if you don't drill, or of shearing the head off the screw. 

thegummy

CasperCaster said:

You need to drill. I know it only looks like a small hole but a real chance of causing a split if you don't drill, or of shearing the head off the screw. 

Cheers man, any tips on choosing the drill bit size?

Just eye ball it and try to find one that's thinner than the screw?

I don't actually have the string tree yet.

To decide where to put it I was thinking to string it up and try to place it as close to where it is on my existing Strat; any other advice on that?

victorludorum

A 1mm bit works for me, but you need to be careful as these are fragile (I use a hand drill). As for placement, I have to go with the classic position of parallel to the A tuner

ICBM

1.5mm or 1/16” into maple. If the hole is too small you’ll snap the screw, maple is a very hard and tough wood.

thegummy

ICBM said:

1.5mm or 1/16” into maple. If the hole is too small you’ll snap the screw, maple is a very hard and tough wood.

Would you suggest a manual turny drill or electric?

ICBM

thegummy said:

Would you suggest a manual turny drill or electric?

I always use a manual. Make sure you mark the depth with a bit of tape on the bit as well...

Corvus

I bin screws that come with a cheapy as well, unless it has to be gold maybe. Some of the screws that come with cheap bits are pretty poor cheese-based things.
An Archimedes drill is nice for small slow stuff, they're dirt cheap and give lots of control, small so easy to handle etc.

victorludorum

A little bit of wax/soap on the screw thread helps as well.

thegummy

Is there any chance a Strat wouldn't even need a string tree?

What symptoms is there of the problem that string trees solve, i.e. the absence of which things would indicate that no string tree was needed?

Or will a Strat always need one?

ICBM

In my experience Fenders always need a string tree, even with staggered machinehead posts - there just isn’t enough break angle for the top strings otherwise, and they can buzz or just sound weak on the open notes.

victorludorum

ICBM said:

In my experience Fenders always need a string tree, even with staggered machinehead posts - there just isn’t enough break angle for the top strings otherwise, and they can buzz or just sound weak on the open notes.

Plus, they look good when placed in the 'correct' position, and only when they are alone ;-)

axisus

I use my dremel on slow speed usually

danishbacon

Gimlets are great for this kind of work, not sure why these are not more popular

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gimlet_(tool)

TINMAN82

thegummy said:

Is there any chance a Strat wouldn't even need a string tree?

What symptoms is there of the problem that string trees solve, i.e. the absence of which things would indicate that no string tree was needed?

Or will a Strat always need one?

The Eric Johnson strat doesn’t have a string tree but uses staggered tuners (as per his preference). He’ll put his strats to the test I guess. I had a partcaster previously that didn’t need one (with staggered locking tuners) too. I prefer the vintage correct appearance with a tree though.

ICBM

The Eric Johnson Strat also has a deeper headstock rout so there’s slightly more break angle. Even so, a fair number of people find problems with the top strings buzzing.

Doodlegame

thegummy said:

Just got a new neck (Fender American Standard Strat) and, to my surprise, it doesn't come with a hole for the string tree.

Can someone advise on how I'd go about installing it?

Would I have to drill before hand or would a screw that small just screw straight in?

A little dremel would be best but baisically:


Line it up over your strings and in the position you would like it to be

Mark the hole with a pencil or something

Drill the hole, just be careful to not drill through the headstock. You should be fine to drill a couple mm and, if it's not quite far enough, screwing it in will be fine.


Watch this video from Fender..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ND63_SHrScM

Good luck, but take it to a tech if you're uncertain about doing it! 

rlw

Stick masking tape down on the headstock first - much less chance of a drill slipping on that

Mark1960

If you don't have a drill / drill bit, a small bradawl will do the job just as good.

ICBM

Mark1960 said:

If you don't have a drill / drill bit, a small bradawl will do the job just as good.

No it won't. A bradawl won't remove any material so it won't create a proper pilot hole - even if you can get it in deep enough, which is very unlikely. It's not really any different from driving the screw in directly.

It's really quite easy to snap the screw off if you don't drill properly - and you really don't want to do that, it's quite tricky to get the broken bit out without damaging the headstock. Seen it done too many times...

Rocker

TINMAN82 said:

thegummy said:

Is there any chance a Strat wouldn't even need a string tree?

What symptoms is there of the problem that string trees solve, i.e. the absence of which things would indicate that no string tree was needed?

Or will a Strat always need one?

The Eric Johnson strat doesn’t have a string tree but uses staggered tuners (as per his preference). He’ll put his strats to the test I guess. I had a partcaster previously that didn’t need one (with staggered locking tuners) too. I prefer the vintage correct appearance with a tree though.

You actually look at your headstock when playing?  Reminds me of guitarists talking about Epi LP headstock shape.....