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Restringing your guitar


Dub-T-123

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Forgive me for posting such a beginner level topic but I was surprised how much I learned and benefitted from this video..

 

When I got my new LP I noticed the tech at Wildwood had tied the strings to the tuning pegs in knots. I’ve never tried this before but the tuning stability was excellent. 
 

I’ve been experimenting with different strings on the LP and figured I’d try a different method of installing the strings as well. 
 

Until now, I have been using what he calls the “fast wrapping method” in this video. That’s the way I learned from my dad and I thought aside from locking tuners that’s pretty much the only way to install strings. 
 

Now having seen this video, I’ve been using the “tech method” and I gotta recommend that you guys try it if you haven’t heard of this before. It takes a bit of practice getting the right length of string to start with but even the strings that I screwed up a bit on my first try stayed in tune beautifully.

 

With a good setup and this tuning method, my LP is always perfectly in tune when I pull it out of the case and bends etc never pull it out of tune

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Well I think its a good idea to review how we do simple stuff like this. 

I once read that BB King (pretty sure it was him) wound the whole string around the post. I thought I'd try it out because that is supposed to be great for stability. When I later took the guitar to my luthier he bollocked me for doing this (It made extra work for him). I bet he wouldn't have said anything to King.

I dont do that anymore, but I did adopt an 'under lock' method I found in a vid. I try to avoid unnecessary winds now due to dodgey thumbs. String changes is the only thing I miss about the G-Force system. It was so quick and easy. It just unwound itself and did it self up again.

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Its why locking tuners are cool.. Less wrapping around the post and you get in tune within a couple of turns....  I only have them on one guitar mind you. I use the method of 2/3 wraps. One on top and one under the string and a third if I have misjudged the amount of string. It clamps the string in place.. Never really had much tuning issues so I stick to that method.

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2 minutes ago, Rabs said:

Its why locking tuners are cool.. Less wrapping around the post and you get in tune within a couple of turns....  I only have them on one guitar mind you. I use the method of 2/3 wraps. One on top and one under the string and a third if I have misjudged the amount of string. It clamps the string in place.. Never really had much tuning issues so I stick to that method.

Not many acoustics come with locking tuners.

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I don't like to relieve the all of string stress off of the neck, only removing all strings when installing new hardware or working on the frets and finger board. I remove one string at a time and replace it and pre-stressing each string until it sets, also I never use a winder. The wound strings I do at least one wrap around the post before putting through the hole. The plain strings get at least 2 wraps around the post and get passed through the hole twice and snugged down with pliers pulling on the end of the string.

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I do like to take all of the strings off so I can give good cleaning. As for locking tuners, my Les Paul came with them, and they are great.  For guitars with regular tuners, I set the tuner's hole perpendicular to the string, pull the string through, and then do a hard perpendicular bend coming out of the hole, and then -- as others stated -- wind downward.  Then a few pulls at the 12th fret so that it is mostly stable, and then clip the excess less than half an inch.  

Edited by 01GT eibach
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5 hours ago, ghost_of_fl said:

Not much different.  I run the string backwards into the post and then down to the saddle which pinches the string in place.  Be sure to cut off any unwound portion of the string. Then slack the string and wind it.  I find an inch of slack is about 2 winds around the post. 

The hard part is tuning.  I tune each string a little sharp, because when you tune the rest of the strings, they pull on the floating bridge which pulls the previously tuned strings flat.  So by tuning them sharp, hopefully they go closer to pitch instead of going flat.   Get it close, then lock the nut.  Now fine-tune it.   Yeah it's a pain, but once you get in tune, they don't drift very much.  

Kool, I thought this was my secret for my Floyd Rose style guitars with locking nut and clamps on the saddles. I used to allow extra wraps on the post so if I broke a string at the bridge saddle I could just back off that string a bit and re-clamp it..

Edited by mihcmac
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I use the pinch  Method and have sense I was about 25 years of age. Played lead guitar and was always having tuning issues. Then I brought it to a guitar wizard and that’s where I learned the pinch  Method. 
works great for me and I’m now 63 years old, so like 38 years or so. I only do one loop around the peg sometimes 2 on the 1st 2nd and 3rd 👍

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13 hours ago, rct said:

I haven't owned a Floyd or Kahler or any other fancy schmancy wang bar in...yeesh.  Almost 40 years.  I would be lost just looking at it.

rct

 

I still have my 'retired' Soloist. The FR has been fully blocked for many years.

The Kahler on the Fingerbone was easier. It fully locks off with a grubscrew. 

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used the "lock" method for a number if years, the scorpion tail is why I don't do that any more.. 

wanna know what I noticed when just doing the basic wrap?  Not one single iota of difference in tuning stability...  none..

Three wraps is all ya need,  lube the nut and saddles, stretch the strings, play music..

 

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I take all strings off at once, and just do the quick method, but when I get bendy with the strings, they do go out of tune some times - so I'll try the first method, (over then under) next time and see if it makes a difference.  

a little bit of rambling - with respect to taking all the strings off vs not, it is noticeably easier to clean the guitar and fret board with all the strings off, and although it's been a perpetual point of discussion - I have yet to hear of anyone being definitively able to say it makes a difference either way...  so I choose easier cleaning.

Also for those people who say they take the guitar out of their case and it's perfectly in tune...  I do play acoustic mostly, but I notice day to day changes in the tuning due to how the neck bends with different humanities...  does that not occur on electrics, or maybe imply humidity mgt in the case?

Finally, I got a new strap the other day, it's pretty cool.

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21 minutes ago, uncle fester said:

I take all strings off at once, and just do the quick method, but when I get bendy with the strings, they do go out of tune some times - so I'll try the first method, (over then under) next time and see if it makes a difference.  

a little bit of rambling - with respect to taking all the strings off vs not, it is noticeably easier to clean the guitar and fret board with all the strings off, and although it's been a perpetual point of discussion - I have yet to hear of anyone being definitively able to say it makes a difference either way...  so I choose easier cleaning.

Also for those people who say they take the guitar out of their case and it's perfectly in tune...  I do play acoustic mostly, but I notice day to day changes in the tuning due to how the neck bends with different humanities...  does that not occur on electrics, or maybe imply humidity mgt in the case?

Finally, I got a new strap the other day, it's pretty cool.

 

The tuning thing for electrics is about the same I think. The weird thing is when the strings detune in symmetry. Meaning its a semitone flat, but in perfect relative tuning to itself. 

And yes, your new strap is cool indeed. 

Edited by merciful-evans
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There is no advantage to NOT taking all the strings off on an acoustic other than being careless and losing some of the parts! 🙂

if you're changing out stings on Paul or SG.  that may be a different story.  I like to keep the two E strings on till I'm done any cleaning or fret board oiling.  The bridge wheels are too easily moved/disturbed and THAT will mess with your setup.  It is easy to get back,, but.. I avoid it if I can.  On my fenders, does not matter.  The action set isn't relying on those thumb wheels like a Gibson does.

About tuning,, ya,, my guitars are usually in tune, but when I check with a tuner, it's usually a few semitones sharp.  And almost always about the same amount (like ME mentions)  We can hypothesize forever on why they go sharp,,  I have theories, but..  that's all they are.  

 

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I got into the habit of changing one string at a time when I first using the Soloist. The Floyd would have to be reset otherwise (before it was blocked off). For 16 years it was my only working guitar. So that became a habit. 

The only guitar I regularly do that with now is the Hofner archtop, so I don't lose the bridge position. There's only a light pencil mark to guide me where it sits. 

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3 hours ago, uncle fester said:

I take all strings off at once, and just do the quick method, but when I get bendy with the strings, they do go out of tune some times - so I'll try the first method, (over then under) next time and see if it makes a difference.  

a little bit of rambling - with respect to taking all the strings off vs not, it is noticeably easier to clean the guitar and fret board with all the strings off, and although it's been a perpetual point of discussion - I have yet to hear of anyone being definitively able to say it makes a difference either way...  so I choose easier cleaning.

Also for those people who say they take the guitar out of their case and it's perfectly in tune...  I do play acoustic mostly, but I notice day to day changes in the tuning due to how the neck bends with different humanities...  does that not occur on electrics, or maybe imply humidity mgt in the case?

Finally, I got a new strap the other day, it's pretty cool.

I usually leave one or two strings on to keep the stopbar in place. 

No need to adjust the truss rod for a half hour or so with no strings on, according to a luthier round here who I really trust. Nothing's gonna explode and your house won't catch fire. 

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