String Trees are a fascinating little invention. A small piece of metal fashioned into a pair of delicate twirls with a plastic base, screwed straight into your headstock. They seem almost insignificant, but they must be there for a reason, mustn’t they?
Their invention is widely credited to the master of all things guitar - Leo Fender - creator of the first commercially successful solid-bodied electric guitar, the Fender Telecaster, which, over 75 years later, is still in production and daily use by guitar legends worldwide. As well as the iconic Fender Stratocaster, the first electric bass, the Fender Precision, and many, many more iconic guitars and amplifiers.
So, if Leo invented it, it must have a purpose, but what is it?
Let’s find out, but before that, we’ll start with the absolute basics…
What is a String Tree?
A string tree is a small piece of metal that might be attached to your guitar's headstock to hold some of the strings in place. I say ‘might be’ because not all guitars feature a string tree; it depends on the tuning machine layout and the angle of the headstock.
Most Fender/Squier guitars - Stratocasters, Telecasters, Jazzmasters, Jaguars, etc. - as well as brands with similarly designed headstocks, such as G&L, Charvel, Fernandes, Jackson, ESP, and some Ibanez models, etc., will feature one or maybe two string trees.
While Gibson, Ephiphone, etc. guitars rarely feature them. This is due to the three-per-side tuning machine layout and the sharp reverse angle of the headstock.
Which brings us nicely to…
What do String Trees Do?
As you’ve probably realised by now, non-angled headstocks, especially those with six-in-line tuning machine placement, nearly always feature a string tree. While angled three-a-side headstocks don’t.
Therefore, string trees must be there to hold the strings in place. Well, that’s partly correct, but they do a lot more than that, which is where their effect on the tone of your guitar comes into play.
But first off, yes, they do hold some of the strings which have their tuning machines furthest from the nut - the B and high e strings - in place. As well as sometimes also securely holding the D and G strings, as shown below…
However, they also serve a far more important purpose, which is less obvious from casually looking at one - to create a break angle that applies pressure to the nut.
Sounds a bit complicated, I know, but in simple terms. The length of string behind the nut can be twice as long for the high e string when compared to the low one in a six-in-line layout. When you then consider that all the tuning machines are at the same height from the headstock, each string will arrive at the nut at less of an angle than the previous one. With the high e string being the most affected.
By installing a string tree, a greater break angle is created, which allows the higher strings to exert far more pressure on the nut than they would without one. And the greater vibrations created at the nut due to the string tree is what improves the tone of your guitar.
The closer the string tree is to the nut, the greater the pressure. So you could re-position it. However, Leo Fender didn’t leave anything to chance and positioned it in what he considered to be its optimal position. I wouldn’t start experimenting on a nice Strat or Tele, but if you’re building a guitar from scratch, then move the string tree around before applying the finish to the headstock; you might prefer it in a different position.
Guyker Aftermarket Replacement String Trees
Can I remove the String Tree from my Guitar?
It’s your guitar, so you can do whatever you want with it. But, as mentioned, string trees create the required pressure at the nut, so you might find that the higher strings slip out of their slots due to less pressure.
Worse still, the lower pressure exerted on the nut will result in less of the string vibrations being transferred to the nut, so your guitar could well have less sustain and a weaker overall tone.
Are there any Alternatives to String Trees?
Guitar design is constantly evolving, and some clever boffins decided that a better solution than the archaic string tree was needed.
And the result was String Retainers and Staggered Tuners.
String Retainers
These innovative little devices offer a number of benefits over string trees, so let’s find out what they are…
Universal use on ANY Headstock Layout
As you now know, string trees are typically found on six-in-line headstocks, but say you want to increase the break angle on a three-a-side headstock to get more sustain and an improvement in tuning stability? Well, you’ll need to install some string retainers!
These are easily fitted underneath the nut of the shaft of your tuning machines and securely hold the strings in place, as well as improving the sound of your instrument.
However, they’re not just for three-a-side headstocks; attach one to the shaft of the D string tuning machine, and another to the shaft of the G string, on a six-in-line headstock, and you’ll have a nice alternative to a standard string tree.
No Drilling
The design also means that there is no need to drill into your headstock, making the modification 100% reversible. Therefore, if you ever need to take them off, for example, when selling the guitar, you won’t be left with any unsightly holes that need filling.
But what if you don’t want ANYTHING holding your strings in place?
String trees and string retainers have their issues, and are particularly unpopular with tremolo bar users due to the fact that they cause unnecessary additional string friction, which can result in problems with tuning stability.
The solution… the staggered height tuner, and the rest, as they say, is history!
But are they any good? Let’s find out, but first…
What are staggered tuning machines?
Staggered tuners are, unsurprisingly, tuners that are staggered! The first tuning machine (the low E string) is therefore taller than the second one, which is slightly taller than the third, etc., with the final tuning machine (the top e string) being the shortest.
Some players install them on Fender-style headstocks to increase the string angle without the need to use string trees.
Why were staggered tuning machines invented?
Design-wise, there is nothing wrong with a straight (or non-angled) headstock. In fact, they have a number of advantages. They are easier to produce, allowing guitar manufacturers to keep the costs down, plus, because they are not angled, the neck joint is a lot stronger, with much less breakage after an accidental tumble than on your average Gibson.
However, there is one major problem. Due to the 6-in-line configuration of the majority of Fender, Squire, etc., guitars, the tuning machines of the thinner strings - B and e - are quite far from the nut. Therefore, the angle at which these thinner strings ‘break’ the nut is very shallow.
This can cause the troublesome problems I’ve just mentioned, such as strings popping out, lack of sustain, and even string buzzing on the first few frets. Leo came up with a great solution, the string tree; however, some guitarists, especially those with heavy-handed tremolo bar use and those who like to bend the strings behind the nut, don’t like them.
The modern solution - staggered tuning machines - which have a gradually lower height for each successive tuner, solves the problem, creating a steeper string angle as the tuning machines get further away from the nut.
Do Staggered Tuning Machines Work?
Well, yes and no. They do solve the problem and create a greater string angle than standard tuning machines. However, the angle is still not as severe as you would get from using a string tree - 6 to 8 degrees - and nowhere near the nut break angle of a Les Paul, which is 17 degrees.
Therefore, staggered tuners work, but your guitar might not sustain as much as it used to, or suffer from an overall loss of tone, neither of which is a plus.
Wrapping it Up!
So, there you have it, everything you ever wanted to know about string trees.
My advice is, if you have them, leave them where they are; they are doing their job just fine. However, as mentioned, if you’re currently working on a guitar project, by all means, experiment with the position; you might find something you prefer, or go for string retainers.
As for staggered tuners, unless you are having massive tuning issues caused by your string tree when you’re having fun with your tremolo bar, stick with standard tuning machines and leave your string tree in place.
