Stop bar taipieces - a question?

[DavidRees]

for many years  I have been playing a Yamaha MSG. A 25" scale strung with 10s [started with 9s eventually went up to 11s which seemed to choke the guitar, for a year now back with 10s]. The tuneamatic and stop bar tailpiece set up offered the option of stringing through the body 'tele' style in addition to the normal arrangement providing a little more tension I guess and that's the way I've always played it.
I was wondering what would be the other advantages with this approach? No one else with the tuneamatic and stopbar tailpiece seem to offer this approach and that includes Martyn Booth who designed the MSG  and does not offer the 'string through' option on any of his current guitars - I am going to try the normal method of stringing for a change but any views and opinions would be much appreciated
regards and thank you David

[DavidRees]

I did mean to add that the MSGs tailpiece is a weird beast in that it has two options - it routes the string at right angles if going through body but differently [sort of lying across the top with a notch at the end] if going normal - it does mean you need an extra hand to hold the strings in the tailpiece whilst restringing [or restring one at a time]
regards David

[DavidRees]

any comments/opinions anyone?
regards david

[Philly Q]

Hi David, not sure I have much to say but I hate to see an unanswered thread!  :)

I've never tried a set-neck guitar with through-body stringing.  I know there are (or used to be) some cheaper Teles with top-strung bridges, and it was always considered much better to have through-body stringing for better sustain and depth of tone.

Whether the same applies with set-necks I don't know.   I suspect the likes of PRS (and Martyn Booth himself) wouldn't be using stoptails or traditional tailpieces if through-body stringing was going to sound better.  The woods are different, the construction is different, and I suppose the mass of a stop tailpiece has a very different effect from the thin metal of a Tele bridge. 

I guess the best thing to do is try it and find out!  :D


(I've always liked the look of those MSGs, I see them on eBay sometimes.  I've heard the necks are a bit on the skinny side though?)

[Will]

I can't help, but am quite curious.. Do you have any close ups of this? It sounds cool to have the option