Ranger56 Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 I bought this guitar several years ago and it's treated me well. I've mostly ran .11 on it, but im thinking about moving up to heaver gauges for experimentation and possibly keeping it that way. I was wondering if this is a solid guitar, and if it could hold .13s without something cracking or breaking since .13 do put a lot of stress on the guitar. I know this question might be sad, but whats the proper way of stringing a guitar? There are 2 parts my question is aimed at. One is the bridge pins and the other is the tuners. I've been doing what I was taught by my instructor which I now think may be wrong. On the bridge side, is the little ball supposed to hold on to the tip of the pins or is it supposed to sit in the corner of the pin and wood(body)? I was told this is okay, and so thats how I've always done it, except recently I've noticed that the wood in the area is sort of falling apart. Obviously I cant see it, but from feel it felt like it's separating. Is this normal and thus the inevitable or have I been ignorant? As far as the tuners go, I was instructed by my old instructor to have the maximum amount of winds around the tuners as possible, as this would help to keep the guitar in tune. After really breaking in strings, it seems like my guitar never goes out of tune, yet I've never seen any one else do this. I see a couple of wraps, but thats about it. Is what I've been doing in anyway bad or does it not matter? Is what my instructor told me true? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIX Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 Hello Ranger56, Your instructor was wrong. Underneath the bridge is something called a bridge plate. The object is to have the ball that is on the end of the string pressed up against the bridge plate and held in place by the bridge pin. This helps transferred string energy when strummed or plucked to the top of the guitar. As for what you are feeling when you reach into the sound hole; you're touching the bridge plate and what you are feeling is not the result of how you have been string the guitar. When the guitar's bridge was put on at the factory they have to drill holes into the top for the strings and pins. Unfortunately they do not use anything to support the bridge plate and it results in tear out. Many people just live with it or never even know about it. It can be repaired, but it has to be done by and expert. Here is a link to YouTube on how to srting a guitar. I suggest watching a few to get the see what is the best way to string your guitar. Also you could always ask your local guitar shop to show you how to string the guitar properly. YouTube How to String a Guitar Now about string gauges I think you would be okay putting on 13s, but you'll need to have the truss bar adjusted and probably have the action checked. I personally would recommend putting on 12 first to see how the guitar reacts and maybe you like the sound and action with 12s. Originally your guitar came from Epiphone with 12s. Anyway hope that helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger56 Posted December 29, 2011 Author Share Posted December 29, 2011 Generally how much does it cost to get the repair done? I know it will probably vary shop to shop, but whats a ball park estimation so im not shocked when they tell me. But thank you for the information. Ive actually watched countless how to videos, and none really go in depth talking about the small details and whys. Infact, thats what sort of created the confusion for me, because in some videos they say to put the ball in the hole and then to insert the pin in, which if you think about it, sounds like the end of the pin is supposed to catch the ball and hold the string tension. As far as the string goes, I managed to break one of mine when I initially got it from over tightening accidently so I got a new set and having no clue about anything the store I went to recommended me .11s hence why I've ran those. But I have been running .12 for a couple of weeks now and it is definitely a different experience, but im thinking I'd give the .13s a shot before I decide. By the way, how much does the adjustment for .13s costs? Just a ball park for this as well. I will go to my local shop to get prices, but it wont be until a week or two due to my weird work and school schedule so I just want to have an idea on what to expect. Also, one last question. Does an aftermarket saddle have to grooved? Im not sure if mine has developed grooves from all the tension since the stock saddle plastic, but im also thinking about changing the saddle and nut, and the saddle doesnt come grooved, so im curious to if that will pose any kind of issue or not. The length and thickness match, the height I can adjust, it's just the groove thing thats bothering me. My logic tells me it wont matter since the grooves in the nut and the placement of the pins will essentially direct the string into the correct zone under tension but I just want to make sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIX Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 I did some checking and none of my local shops listed a price for bridge plate repair. I do my own, so I don't have any idea what it would cost. Repair would require removing the defective plate and installing a new one. There is a device that you can order from StewMac that will work as a temp fix. You may find that it may change the sound of the guitar, sometimes for the better. Here is the link to StewMac: StewMac Plate Mate I agree there are a lot of videos, but they all seem to miss specific details that would be help to the novice. I also looked to see if I could find a video or picture on how the ball end should be seated, but again came up with nothing. I do know that before inserting the ball end of the string I put a slight bend on the string with the ball end of the string this insures that it seats correctly against the bridge plate. Yeah 11s are a custom light gauge string and make it easy to fret strings. When you go to a heavier gauge strings it will require more pressure to fret the string and make a bit more difficult to play. Here is a link to one a local shop and they list some repair prices and so they might be able to give you an idea of cost for adjustment and repairs. Guitar Workshop Your saddle sounds a bit wore and a new saddle won't have any groves, but if you replace it with another plastic saddle it will developed groves after time. Also replacing it will change you string height and affect the string action. This is something that can be addressed with saddle replacement and a setup. Something best done by a guitar tech. Also you can have them look at the condition of the nut to see if it needs to be replace or the slots cut a bit deeper for a more comfortable playability. I hope I've been of some help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger56 Posted December 30, 2011 Author Share Posted December 30, 2011 Youve been of great help! I managed to find this link which was pretty helpful. I've never seen the inside of a guitar so i had trouble imagining what it looks like. I was under the impression what I was feeling was basically the body it self hence why the fear. As far as the saddle and nut go, the reason I want to replace both, as well as my pins is just mainly for sound improvement. I want to get either Tusq(the synthetic ones) or bone parts. Still unsure of which. I see you also have the AJ200SCE. Have you installed the brass plate on yours? If yes, did you like the sound change? I know none of these will be the same as simply getting a better guitar, but I cant justify a new guitar right now, plus the small changes will keep me happy, and really the experience is what makes it worth it. But thanks so much for your help! I might just make a how to video my self and get into the details. Out of curiosity, do higher end guitars do anything to deal with the bridge wear from the string ball? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIX Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 Not a problem glad I could be of some help to you. Can't really say which is better Tusq or Bone. I have a couple of guitars with bone saddles and they sound very nice. The only thing to keep in mind is that bone is very brittle, but I don't know about Tusq. My AJ200SCE's bridge plate is fine, so I had no need to put a brass plate on it. I do have an Ibanez AEF18 that I had to repair the bridge plate. Once I completed the repair; the guitar sounded much more pronounce, which really was an improvement from what it did sound like before the repair. I also had another Ibanez that I did install a brass plate and it also had a similar effect on the sound. Not all guitars will benefit from a brass plate; in some cases it can boast some negative sounds especially in thin small body guitars, i.e. make the sound too tinny. I really can't comment on higher end acoustic guitar's bridge plates. I do own a Washburn mini jumbo with a solid top and the bridge plate looks perfect; a really nice guitar. Having said that; I would hope that manufacture would take better care with the higher end guitars when drilling the holes for the pins, so they don't end up with tear out. I can say from my experience that my Epiphone have been pretty good; their not perfect, but their not as bad as some guitars I've owned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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