String Trees???

[King Elvis]

Ok, this may be another one of my stupid questions, but...
What is the purpose of string trees on a strat style guitar??
Do you need to have just the first 2 strings under a string tree or all of the first 4 like strats do??
How do they determine where on the headstock the string trees go?? is it measured precise or no??

 

[scottboyher]

The string trees are on the lighter end of the strings to keep them firmly in their seats and maintain the tone... The angle coming off the nut is too straight and Leo added the trees.

Smart man.

 

[Aaron Cheney]

Strings need a certain amount of downward pressure behind the nut (and saddles, for that matter) in order to stay seated and ring properly. Up until Leo came along, most lutheirs created that downward pressure with a headstock that tilted backwards from the neck, Gibson being the classic example.
When Leo invented the 'Casters, his intent was to create a mass-production guitar that was cheap and quick to build, but professionaly viable - an "every-man's guitar". To simplify neck production, he made the headstock on the same plane as the rest of the neck. The problem was that the downward pressure was gone. He solved this by adding the string trees, which were only necessary on 4 of the strings, since the Low E, and A tuners were close to enough to the nut not to need them.
These days, PRS has taken a middle-ground, with a head stock that tilts back more than a strat, but not as much as a Les Paul. Ernie Ball has re-arranged their headstock configuration so that it stays flat but all the tuners are close enough behind the nut that string trees are unnecessary. Some builders also use staggered-height tuners that accomplish the same thing.

Aaron
http://www.voodoovibe.com

 

[NoiseFactory]

Do you need to have just the first 2 strings under a string tree or all of the first 4 like strats do??

Fender started using string trees on the 1st 4 strings in 1972. (They used only 1, on the 1st 2 strings, prior to this time.)
What year is your strat?

Take care,
Tony

 

[King Elvis]

Strat is a 1980

 

[Major Tom]

I only use the trees on the Eand B strings