How You String Your LP

[Phoenix]

Hey everyone, I thought I'd bring up this topic because there's lots of ideas and things to be said about it. This is how I personally have always strung my LP.

 

1. Imagine the guitar is standing straight up (vertically)

2. I start with low E, and put it through the tuner hole (pointed vertically)

3. I turn the tuner so the bent end of the string out the end of the tuner hole goes clockwise.

4. I make the end of the bent string go underneath the actual main length of the rest of the string, and then i keep turning so the string goes over the main length of the string. So it basically goes under, then over, over, over until its wound.

 

How do you guys do it?

[rocketman]

That's the exact same way as I do it for my electrics. But my acoustic I do it differently because the thicker strings. I follow this approach for the acoustic.

[HeadCase]

Main length, over.... under, under, under..

It takes advantage of the headstock angle.

That's what I do anyway..

 

Is that what you mean?

[Dynadude]

I leave just enough free length to make about two turns around the post. To lock the string, I pull the loose end back around the same direction as the main length will wrap, then pull it under the main length and bend it back in the opposite direction.

 

Then, tighten the string while watching the bend/hook, to make sure it doesn't slip out of place.

 

Snip the loose end really close, and go on to the next string.

 

The fewer wraps around the post, the less stretching to deal with, and the locked end will not allow the string to pull back through the post.

[Phoenix]

Yeah, I see how you guys are doing it. I just think it's good for everyone to see alt. methods. The only thing I probably shouldn't do is take off all the strings.. (makes it easier to clean/lemon oil etc.) But yeah I change my strings every 3 weeks at most. How often do you all?

[KSG_Standard]

How often you change your strings is dependent on several things. First, you can usually feel and hear when it's time to change them, they feel gunky, or rough and they sound a little more dead. How your skin reacts with the strings matters, some people are oilier or sweat more, some people leave more skin behind on the strings. How hard do you play? Lots of bending? Etc., etc.

 

I change the strings when I need to, sometimes good strings will last 6 months and I play every day. Since I have multiple guitars to play, the playtime get's spread around and I don't need to change strings very often. If you are changing the strings every three weeks, you are either goin at it real hard (if that's the case then rock on) or you are very wealthy and enjow wasteing money.

[RichCI]

I follow this approach for the acoustic.

 

That's how I string my electrics at the tuners. Except for my 57 Strat with those vintage-style tuners; that involves a lot of cussing.

 

I start with the high E string and work down to the low E because I stretch each string a bit after I change it so I'm more gentle at the beginning. Since the high E string is so thin, I'm less likely to break it while stretching whereas if I started with the thicker ones where I stretch the heck out of them, I'd be really wrenching the thin ones later on.

[Boston004681]

I change mine once a month or so.

[phil325]

i put the low e string in the tuner and make the string end turn counterclockwise

[phil325]

yeah I change my strings every 3 weeks at most. How often do you all?

 

wow every 3 weeks? i'm about every 1-2 months at least. but then again i dont get to play as much as most people and i try to wipe down the guitar, take care of the strings or whatever after each play.

[saturn]

Hey everyone' date=' I thought I'd bring up this topic because there's lots of ideas and things to be said about it. This is how I personally have always strung my LP.

 

1. Imagine the guitar is standing straight up (vertically)

2. I start with low E, and put it through the tuner hole (pointed vertically)

3. I turn the tuner so the bent end of the string out the end of the tuner hole goes clockwise.

4. I make the end of the bent string go underneath the actual main length of the rest of the string, and then i keep turning so the string goes over the main length of the string. So it basically goes under, then over, over, over until its wound.

 

How do you guys do it?[/quote']

 

Very similar to your method, but I cut the string to length first, just a little above the next tuning peg. Thread just enough string through the peg to make the bend and then there's enough slack in the string to make the first wrap over the kinked end by hand before I even turn the peg. Then I wind the rest under while keeping as much tention as I can until the slack is gone. Since the peg is fatter at the bottom, the strings kind of push their way upward as it gets tighter and the kinked part is squeezed between the first "over" wrap and the other "under" wraps. I think I make it way more complicated than it need to be.

[Phoenix]

Saturn your method seems reliable but a tad complicated... anyways I do play in a dropped tuning, I play with heavy strings, I play every day on my LP for several hours, and when I play with friends I play hard. My sweat is extremely acidic and wears of the finish and everything else on my guitar much quicker than normal (including strings). So yeah, thats why I change often. I play with DR tite-fits 11-50's and I've been eyeing a few of their heavier sets (going to mix the sets a bit). What do you guys all play with?