Cutting strings

[deepblue]

Why do some guys clip their strings while others curl them up?

Whats the purpose in leaving them long like that?

[hi13ts]

I think some people curl them to reduce string slippage? It also could be just for looks. I tend to cut my strings, that's the way they were meant to be done.

[Aaresz]

I always trim mine. I don't believe there is any reason not to other than for looks/laziness.

[Mash94]

I always cut mine.

 

Why is everyone changing their name around here?

deepblue, Tim

[NeoConMan]

I'll be DAMNED if I change my name!

 

Yeah, I always cut mine.

Leaving them long tells me you're either lazy or too poor to afford a good set of clippers.

 

I don't want the pigtails scratching my headstock.

[Tim Plains]

Just trying to give your guitar a distinct look, I suppose. I can't see it being beneficial in anyway.

I think it looks retarded, personally.

 

Mash, I got rid of the A because I got rid of my TIMMY from Southpark avatar.

That's the only reason I had it in the first place, nothing to do with my real name.

The R9 is a much nicer avatar, don't you agree?

[Toner]

Have you ever been poked buy one of those un-wound strings? Ouch! I used to cut them kinda long, and then with a needle nose, add a small loop at the end to keep from getting poked. If I feel lazy, I'll just coil them up. Either way the guitar is OK.

[GavinGuitar]

I cut mine. I think it looks classier and neater cut - and safer for you and your bandmates' eyes! As far as the purpose for leaving long, purely aesthetic if you like that look or maybe a quick on-stage string change.

[DoubleSixx]

Yeah I cut my ends off. The only reason I can see that someone cut the ends is maybe

they were doing a show and had to change a string and didn't have anything to cut the ends.

 

Although I can't understand when people have all six un-cut.

[retrosurfer1959]

I read somewhere that this is a old classical/folk player leftover because the old Nylon/gut strings use to break where they passed over the raised bridge or where a pick hit the string, having the extra string would allow them to retie the bridge without needing a new string. Don't know if that's true or not but in a way I hope so, that's a lot cooler story than a Pippi Longstocking fetish or just being to lazy to cut them.

[NeoConMan]

Pippi Longstocking fetish

Jeez.....

THAT was random.

 

:-)

[surfpup]

I'll be DAMNED if I change my name!

 

Not until it's pried from your cold, dead fingers right!

[retrosurfer1959]

Jeez.....

THAT was random.

 

:-)

 

Guess it was, Sorry - tried to think of something with strings sticking strangely out of it's head. guess I missed the mark sarcasm and wit are sometimes a fine line and I'm clumsy.

[led floyd9]

I clip 'em, because otherwise, they start hitting other strings that are already vibrating and it makes weird sounds. Sometimes, if I don't cut the strings, the tips of the strings start hitting my fingers when I'm playing the lower frets.

Once I left the strings uncut on my Epiphone and it started scratching up the headstock, so I cut them.

And the reason everyone else has mentioned, leaving the strings uncut makes the guitar look sloppy.

 

I wonder why everyone else only has 1 reason why they cut their strings, but I have 4....... maybe I'm just really unlucky with my uncut strings?

[NeoConMan]

Sorry - tried to think of something with strings sticking strangely out of it's head.

No apology needed!

I commend you on pulling that one out of your hat!

 

My comment suggested only that it was from someplace FAR different than most guitar headstocks....

Witty.

[Thermionik]

If you don't clip them, where are you going to put your cigarette? A neat 1" long spike of wire is the ideal place to spike the tip while you do whatever - leaving the strings long means the ciggie is wibbling all over the place.

 

but N!k - you gave up in 2000

 

Yeah - but old habits die hard.....

[Mash94]

Just trying to give your guitar a distinct look' date=' I suppose. I can't see it being beneficial in anyway.

I think it looks retarded, personally.

 

Mash, I got rid of the A because I got rid of my TIMMY from Southpark avatar.

That's the only reason I had it in the first place, nothing to do with my real name.

The R9 is a much nicer avatar, don't you agree? [/quote']

 

I don't remember that avatar? must've been before my time...

IS YOUR NAME EVEN TIM??????

I feel so lied to...

[ChanMan]

I read that some folks leave them on and wound to increase sustain. In fact, they were equally incredulous in regards to our cutting of the strings...

 

...which of course, I do. Used to keep my cig there too, decades ago. It looks neater and makes less noise and fits in the case better and gets caught on less stuff and... did I mention looks neater?

[Ricky330]

I cut my strings, but often has been the time that I have impaled a finger on the sharp end... Clumsy!

[saturn]

I cut my strings too. Here's a few more observations on strings, maybe some of you have noticed?

 

I usually cut my strings to length before I wrap them around the pole and then only put enough thru to make a 90 degree crimp before I start winding. Once, on the B string, the crimped end bent down and scratched a nice little perfect circle around the tuning peg as I wound it. Ouch!

 

My case has one of those silk cover for the guitar. Well, the ends of the strings started to make little tears in the silk whenever I closed the case. Now I fold up my polishing cloth and lay it over the headstock before closing the case. This protects the silk from the cut off ends of the strings.

[NeoConMan]

THAT, Ladies & Gentlemen, is why we're here on the forum!

Thank you Saturn, very good.

 

You can never have too many polishing cloths around.