Guitar Re-String

[lpdeluxe]

I don't cut the old strings unless I have to, because the go into the trash neater if you coil them up.

My stepson has corrosive sweat in his hands so he changes strings constantly. He gets out a pack of new strings, pulls the low E out of the package, takes the equivalent off the guitar, puts the new one on, then coils the used string and puts it in the envelope. He continues through all 6 strings, and when he's done, the guitar has new strings on it and the old ones are in the old packaging. Very tidy.

Oh, and Light, that's an old wive's "tale."

 

[Light]

Oh, and Light, that's an old wive's "tale."

Well, if she's a hot old wife, I'd prefer "tail."


Light

"Coward can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[SHEPPARDB.]

My stepson has corrosive sweat in his hands so he changes strings constantly. He gets out a pack of new strings, pulls the low E out of the package, takes the equivalent off the guitar, puts the new one on, then coils the used string and puts it in the envelope. He continues through all 6 strings, and when he's done, the guitar has new strings on it and the old ones are in the old packaging. Very tidy.

Oh, and Light, that's an old wive's "tale."

Yer both wrong.If wives were involved we would not have peckers,much less an instrument that attracts poon.
Let us never speak of this again brothers.

 

[timthetortoise]

one turn takes about 15 seconds

....................................What??

 

[acidrock]

I've always took all the strings off except on my Gretsch with a Bigsby.I don't really know anything about it so I change the strings one at a time to play it safe.

 

[sparrow]

Thanks for the replies all! The reason I started cutting strings off was mainly to do with the number of guitars that came in with strings 'tied' on. Pain in the ass! So I just started cutting them off. I have always removed all the strings, thus enabling a good clean everywhere.

Interesting responses!

 

[lpdeluxe]

I've always took all the strings off except on my Gretsch with a Bigsby.I don't really know anything about it so I change the strings one at a time to play it safe.

I learned early on that my Chet Atkins Country Gent was happiest when the strings were disturbed as little as possible. Every time you tune a string up, it rotates the bar in the TAIL piece. I'm not telling you a TALE: it takes a bit of experience to find out where the strings are stable.

Now that I've changed over to a Les Paul, with a stop TAIL piece (now **there's** an image redolent of married life) there are no more problems.

 

[zeke and pat]

Seems a bit pointless after all the previous posts but, yes I change one string at a a time and I never cut them as I always save the old strings... just in case!

 

[ggunn]

I think Muttley covers it!

The only time strings will slip on tuning pegs is if you don't wind the two first loops on correctly - two OVER the top of the string-through-the-tuner-hole, then the last one underneath. Locks the string in place.

I never do that either; I don't think that it does anything at all. I have never had a string pull though the peg hole except once when I only had enough string to go around the peg once. I just push the strings through and wind them down a few turns. Never a problem. On the wound strings, I do the sharp bend before I cut them as the string manufacturers suggest, but I'm not sure that does anything, either.

 

[WhiteStrat]

So if I hear the experts correctly--locking tuners do nothing?

I've been playing for almost 30 years now--and just ordered my first set to put on one of my guitars. It's no real loss if they're ineffective--I'm "pimping out" the guitar with all new black hardware anyway, so I was going to replace the old silver ones.

But I guess I'm revising (downward!) my expectations of the locking tuners.

 

[ggunn]

So if I hear the experts correctly--locking tuners do nothing?

I can't say, never having used them. But I guess that says something... ;^)

 

[muttley600]

I think Muttley covers it!

The only time strings will slip on tuning pegs is if you don't wind the two first loops on correctly - two OVER the top of the string-through-the-tuner-hole, then the last one underneath. Locks the string in place. If you hear slippage after this, then its the cheap gear.

I said nothing of the sort. This is how I said it should be done

I never do that either; I don't think that it does anything at all. I have never had a string pull though the peg hole except once when I only had enough string to go around the peg once. I just push the strings through and wind them down a few turns. Never a problem. On the wound strings, I do the sharp bend before I cut them as the string manufacturers suggest, but I'm not sure that does anything, either.

In fact I made a point of saying don't do anything fancy at the tuner post it just makes them harder to remove and the string material need to be wound on the post evenly to avoid uneven tension when the string material settles to avoid breaking them in severe cases. Through the tuner post hole and a couple of turns down the post. Thats really all there is to it.

 

[muttley600]

So if I hear the experts correctly--locking tuners do nothing?

I've been playing for almost 30 years now--and just ordered my first set to put on one of my guitars. It's no real loss if they're ineffective--I'm "pimping out" the guitar with all new black hardware anyway, so I was going to replace the old silver ones.

But I guess I'm revising (downward!) my expectations of the locking tuners.

What were you expecting them to do? In one sense all tuners are "locking tuners". The string just doesn't slip on the post despite what people may say. Not having a go just not sure what you would expect locking tuners to achieve. All they do is something that a decent tuner with the string wound on correctly does already.

 

[WhiteStrat]

What were you expecting them to do? In one sense all tuners are "locking tuners". The string just doesn't slip on the post despite what people may say. Not having a go just not sure what you would expect locking tuners to achieve. All they do is something that a decent tuner with the string wound on correctly does already.

I guess I just assumed there was some slippage on the post (and I wind my strings fairly well, if I do say so myself. )

My expensive guitars--which I would hope have better hardware, tuners included--seem to hold their tune better than the cheapies; but even there, with much bending at all they'll drop.

If not at the tuner, where is the play in the string's tension?

 

[Myriad_Rocker]

There are a crazy amount on replies to this thread already...well, at least based on the simple topic. But there are many methods, I suppose. Not one of them is the "right" way. There are several "right" ways.

For me, I take off the A, D, G, and B strings first. I leave the two E's on. This leaves some tension on the neck. I then clean the guitar. Then I put on the new A, D, G, and B strings. Then I move to the E's.

 

[Zaphod B]

Except for the Les Pauls, I take 'em all off at once. Then I put the new ones all back on. I do use a locking wrap on the tuner posts but that's just my personal preference.

On the Les Pauls I leave one string on before starting to fit the new ones so that the tailpiece won't fall off.

It ain't rocket science, ya know.

 

[lpdeluxe]

It ain't rocket science, ya know.

Heresy! You'll be banned for life.

 

[Zaphod B]

Heresy! You'll be banned for life.

Never happen!

 

[ggunn]

I guess I just assumed there was some slippage on the post (and I wind my strings fairly well, if I do say so myself. )

My expensive guitars--which I would hope have better hardware, tuners included--seem to hold their tune better than the cheapies; but even there, with much bending at all they'll drop.

If not at the tuner, where is the play in the string's tension?

Most of it is between the nut and the tuning peg. If the string does not slide easily through the nut, then the tension may be higher on the peg side than the bridge side after a bend, which will result in the string being flat. A bone rather than plastic nut will help this (brass is right out), as will making sure that the nut is cut correctly for the gauge strings you use. If when you are bringing a string up to pitch you hear a "ping" and the string jumps up in pitch, that's a sure sign that your nut slots are too tight. Metal string trees can also retain tension.

Your expensive guitars probably have a bone nut and the cheap ones probably have plastic.

 

[muttley600]

If not at the tuner, where is the play in the string's tension?

Just about everything on a guitar will move with changes in the environment to some degree. The wood, metal and other materials it is made of are all responding to changes in humidity and temperature. Even a very slight change will result in a change it the tension. Each guitar is different and to a degree the more expensive or better made a guitar is with better material quality the less this can be. This is by no means the rule. There are cheap guitars that stay in tune perfectly well and come out of the case in tune after weeks of not being played. Equally there are expensive guitars that won't hold tune for a short while.

The string sticking in the nut slots or at the saddle can make this worse and why it is important to make sure that it's right. The difference between expensive tuners and cheaper ones has to do with how smooth they turn and how long the gears will last. The ratio also makes a difference to some people. I fit Gotoh 510's as standard these days unless asked for something else. I don't think there has been a better tuner out there.

There is nothing wrong with locking tuners by the way. Just no real advantage in them.