Just a stupid question on a cold day.
Somewhere along the way, Fender put 2 string trees then they went to 1 and it may have been back and forth at different times in production runs.

Why 1 or 2?

jeff

Why two tree's???
Why not always two trees???

Ok answer one, WHY.
Fender/CBS thought, and I think this to be because a combination of back pressure behind the nut, G string tuner placement and common G string gauge. The G string tuner is in just the right place where it doesn't cause a problem for wound strings, but needs some extra down pressure behind the nut for unwound strings. If you strike a open unwound G string and compare it to the open B or E. It will sound a bit off, slightly squarewave sounding almost. If you drop down to a .014" G string, the problem disappears. Or if you go up to .020 it disappears.
It's just a unfortunate convergance of factors, that produce that problem. Ok you've got to be sharp to hear it under normal conditions but it is there.

WHY NOT
String trees can be a tuning hazzard. They were only ever a bodge job to cover up bad design anyhow. To put it bluntly.
Two tree's looks wrong to me. But then again, so does a rosewood board on a strat. So that shows how valid my tastes are

Another example of CBS getting it right for once.

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No no and no

Nikininja,
Good answer. I just never knew why some had 2 and some have 1.

Personally, I kind of like the look of 2 (shows about my taste).

Jeff

So Jeff, if you have chance.

Please compare the open G to open B string on a 2 tree strat. Then do the same on a single tree strat.
It's faint unless your listening for it. There is a slightly muted tinge to the edge of the open G note.
Tell me if you find the same, please.

Hey if you prefer two, then good for you. Thats your choice and I'm no one to seek to change your mind. All I'd say is that for the sake of tuning stability look for two of the Deluxe type trees that are far less prone to snagging the string. See if they work to eliminate the downpressure problem enough.

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No no and no

Now some scientific question, can the observed dullness on the unwound G string be fixed with the raised G string magnet on the vintage stagger pickup?

TimDrakeMusic had a pic of his Tele and his thing is to leave a bit more string and thus have 4 or 5 winds on the G tuner post to increase the down pressure.

I do this too, it increases the string break over the nut.

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Tune Low, Play Hard & Floor it!

If your guitar uses staggered tuners, the second string tree is not necessary because the tuners themselves feature shorter posts. Fender officially used a single string tree in 1998 with the advent of the American Deluxe Series, though single string trees were already offered on many Custom Shop guitars (such as the Moto Stratocaster and the Black Beauty) since 1995.

"Ahhh!" that's why!
Thanks...my Strat has the staggered tuners and 1 tree. I was thinking about adding another tree. Thought it would help and thought it looked "cool". But sounds unnecessary now.

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-T

"You can't spend what you ain't got, you can't lose what you ain't never had" ~ McKinley Morganfield

Except that staggered height tuners by themselves don't provide enough downpressure. Thats why the American Deluxe uses a string tree.
Increasing the number of winds can help, but can also cause tuning stablilty issues. And also who doesn't bend the G more than anything else?
Both like string trees are nothing more than a bodge to get round bad design.

Pickup magnet stagger has nothing to do with it. It's entirely a design fault at the headstock.
The only real fix is a back angled headstock ala Gibson. Or two cut the neck on two parallel planes. The rear of the headstock being on a lower plane than the heel of the neck. Which would enable you to keep the same thickness headstock without compromising down pressure.

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No no and no

I have a late 90's Am Strat with 2 trees. I reckon I could just take the G/D tree off and see what it sounds like and if I notice a difference. May be an interesting experiment.
j

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Nice explanation Niki - I never really knew what the deal was but the wound vs unwound G makes sense. Anyway, I gave this a try with two of my guitars with one and two trees, respectively and I was unable to notice any muted tone. HOWEVER, I have always wound more string around the G-string post (more G String! ) to increase the break on the nut on my guitars. So I popped the G-tree off one of my two-tree Strats, retuned and gave your little experiment a try. Again, no muted tones, but I think I have to attribute it to the number of winds I put on the G.

...either that or my ear just isn't that good

I'll give it a try if I get a chance tonight.

However, I have locking tuners on my guitar with the 2 trees and thus, do not have extra wraps of the G string (Is that even legal in Kentucky? )

Jeff

OK, perhaps my ear isn't that good but I couldn't hear a difference. At least not enough difference to leave a hole (actually 2 holes) in the headstock if I were to remove the string second tree

These are the "T" shaped ones on the American series and nto the stamped steel "M" shaped ones from the MIM series.

Jeff

And both Mexican and American guitars had two tree's?

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No no and no

The US had 2 trees originally.

The Mex had 2 trees when I got it but I assume it was added later. The were the stamped steel Mex type. I replaced with the "T" US type.

I'm not sure but I don't think a 1998 Mex strat had 2 trees. Somewhere in the past 10 years or so, somebody added one on. I put the locking tuners on a month or so back when I converted it to HSS configuration.

I don't have any tuning issues with either. I hardly ever use the trem (can't remember ever using it for that matter) so I have the bridge on both solid against the body (not floating).

I did take the 2nd tree off the US strat (it was the one out when I decided to test, if the Mex was out I would have used that one...) and couldn't hear a difference. So, I think I'll leave well enough alone.

Both of these guitars sound great, both stay in tune just fine and I don't reallly want to be filling in a screw hole (and a stud hole) in the headstock.

It was a worthy experiment though.

I did play it both through my amp and without the amp to see if I could hear a difference. If there is, it's so slight that my ear can't pick it up. Of course, I'm 50, been playing for over 30 years and my hearing isn't what it used to be.

Jeff