Experience is indeed the best teacher. You cannot just buy a guitar as a beginner and start wrapping the strings before you know how tuning works. You need time to learn, experiment, and test different techniques to find what works best. I have tried different wrapping styles over the years and I have found something that works for my guitar. The tone, sustain, and clarity of your guitar are all very important in determining your string wrapping style. You might actually be surprised at how important wrapping your strings is to the sound of your guitar.
Guitar strings are wrapped to make them loose and easy to bend, to keep your strings in place while you play, and to give your strings tuning allowance. This makes them easy to play and also allows room for tension maintenance. For top wrapping, the strings wrapped can last a long time since they don’t break easily due to the smoother angle.
Since wrapping guitar strings comes with numerous advantages, it is also important to note that wrapping is different for different guitars. It’s either you are wrapping your strings around the tuner post or over a Tune-O-Matic bridge in top wrapping (the Les Paul Style). Of course, fret wrapping guitar strings is also something that we shall discuss.
Wrapping On the Tuner Post
It is impossible to enjoy playing guitar if the strings are not wrapped properly. There is a recommended number of wraps that you should maintain depending on the thickness of the string. If the string is thick, then 2 to 3 rounds on the tuning post are enough. If the string is thin, you can wrap about 4 to 5 times.
Of course, there is a reason behind wrapping guitar strings on the tuner post. The first one is that you get an allowance for tension maintenance. If the strings are too tight, you can easily adjust to the recommended tension depending on the type of strings – nylon or steel.
The other reason for wrapping the strings on the tuner post is that it makes the guitar strings loose enough and easy to bend. When they are loose, it becomes easy to play the guitar since the fingers don’t slide.
The third reason is the most obvious, but I will mention it anyways. Wrapping the guitar strings on the tuner posts will lock them in as you play the guitar. If the strings are not properly wrapped they can slip while you are playing.
Top Wrapping
Top wrapping is another type of guitar string wrapping. It is a style used by one of the most legendary guitarists, Les Paul. Some guitarists think it is purely a cosmetic thing, but that aside, I have learned some valuable insights when it comes to top wrapping.
In top wrapping, the guitar strings go through the front of the tailpiece and are wrapped over the bridge. This is unlike in normal stringing where the string is supposed to go through the back of the tailpiece, then over the bridge.
This method reduces or rather makes a smoother angle and reduces the stress or tension that could cause the strings to break. Due to the smooth angle and reduced tension on the angular edges of the strings, the lifespan of the strings is, therefore, enhanced.
The only downside that I know of is that the guitar strings over the bridge will eventually wear the chrome finish on the strings points and top wrapping will scuff the tailpiece of the guitar. This, however, may not affect the performance of the guitar in terms of sound quality.
Here is a video on top wrapping:
Fret Wrapping
Using fret wraps is also part of wrapping guitar strings but for a different purpose. Fret wrapping will mute or dampen the strings when playing the guitar, especially for recording purposes.
Fret wraps are adjustable and you can wrap them on the neck of the guitar. It also helps in keeping unwanted ringing or reducing noise that is produced as you play the guitar.
Why Guitar Strings Are Wrapped
Both top wrapping and wrapping on the tuner post come with similar benefits. Wrapping on the tuner post is obvious and most guitarists do that whenever they are restringing their guitar. The point of contention where some guitarists disagree is wrapping the strings over the Tune-O-Matic bridge.
However, with the experience and knowledge that I have acquired over the years about guitar strings, I can confidently say wrapping over the bridge is more beneficial. Some of the reasons why strings are wrapped include the following:
Loosening Of the Strings
Whether it is wrapping around the tuner post or over the Tune-O-Matic bridge, wrapping helps to loosen the strings. When the guitar strings are loose, it becomes easy to bend and that also makes guitar playing enjoyable and easy.
String Tension and Stress
This applies to top wrapping. When the strings are wrapped over the bridge, the break angle over the bridge of the string is significantly reduced. The smoother the angle, the less stress exerted on the strings at the bridge.
Durability Of the Strings
Top wrapping helps to reduce the stress and tension on the break angle of the strings. This is beneficial when it comes to the lifespan of the strings since the strings will not break so easily.
Tuning Allowance
Wrapping the strings on the tuning post allows the guitarist to have an allowance for tuning the guitar without creating too much tension on the strings.
Better Sustain
Every experienced guitarist knows what better sustain can do. Almost every song needs the guitar strings to be able to sustain notes. Without this, it becomes difficult to play. This is also a point of contention among experienced guitarists who perhaps have not tried wrapping strings over the bridge.
Top wrapping enhances a more efficient energy transfer from the strings to the guitar body and back, and hence increases the bottom end and sustain.
For Recording Purposes
In fret wrapping, the only aim is to mute or dampen the strings for the purposes of recording. It serves a limited purpose, but fret wrapping is quite effective at dampening the sound produced by your guitar. Personally, when I lived in New York City I used to fret wrap my acoustic guitar to avoid annoying my neighbors too much with my constant guitar playing at random hours of the evening.
Aesthetic Purposes
Some guitarists who may not realize the difference in tone, sustain, and overall sound of the guitar strings when top-wrapped over the bridge may only do so for aesthetic purposes. Top-wrapping seems unique to many guitarists because it is less common and it has an interesting look to it.
Best Way to Wrap Guitar Strings
There is no exact “right way” to wrap guitar strings, it varies depending on personal preference. What does the guitarist want to achieve? The type of guitar will largely dictate the general tolerances for wrapping the strings, but there remains a lot of variability within those tolerances. For normal wrapping around the tuner post, it is recommended to wrap 2 – 3 times around the post for thicker strings. For the thin strings, 4 – 5 times is generally recommended.
In top-wrapping or normal wrapping under the tailpiece, it also depends on what the guitarist wants to achieve. Personally, I would recommend that you experiment with top wrapping since it enhances the life of the strings, makes the strings looser and easy to play, and you can also achieve better sustain.
Here is a great video on a great method for wrapping your strings:
Final thoughts
I hope that this article has helped you in learning why guitar strings are wrapped. With different wrappings that we have discussed, you can pick something out of each that will help you achieve the best of your guitar. You can check out more guitar tips and tricks here!