How do you feel restringing

[AlbertA]

Changing strings is cheap thrills in the world of altering the tone of a guitar, so it might pay to try some of the newer stuff on the market, as you can get longer life out of some strings than with the nickel plated steel that's become the norm.

After many years of using nickel plated steel, I found that some of the strings I hadn't tried in pure nickel and coated strings sound quite good. This is pretty nice because I hate changing strings.

Not too long ago I switched back to pure nickel (not nickel plated) strings on the electrics. I was after a more vintage sound - nickel plated steel strings didn't come out until the late 1960s or early 1970s. I started playing in 1967, so I wasn't concerned they'd sound too mellow, but some I tried indeed did sound too warm for me.

After looking for a while, a friend who does NAMM show performances where guitars have to sound their best turned me on to Sono-Tone's pure nickel wrap strings. They're almost as bright as nickel plated steel and last quite a bit longer. I think they sound great (I'm not a metal player so take my observations with that in mind).

Coated strings might also be worth a spin. I didn't like the early Elixirs and other coated electric guitar strings, so I was surprised that a Tom Anderson Tele I got a nearly year ago came with them, because it sounds great and I can't tell by feel they're even coated. I've had the guitar about 10 months and haven't had to change the strings. I'll probably keep using the brand on this guitar - it sounds killer.

A similar experience with a different brand happened with an acoustic I ordered.

A PRS Private Stock acoustic (USA made) I got back in 2013 came with a Bluegrass set of D'Addario EXP coated 80/20 Bronze strings (light tops, medium bottoms). At the time, I wasn't into coated strings, and figured uncoated would sound better. So I tried others, as well as phosphor bronze.

The guitar must have been voiced with these 80/20 coated strings, because after trying others, it seemed to sound best with the strings it came with. However, D'Addario discontinued their EXP coating and came out with XT and XS. The XT sounded good, but I preferred the older EXP and was a bit disappointed.

The XS, however turned out to be terrific, maybe better to me than the original EXPs. I've gotten 6 months out of the first set so far - without a noticeable deterioration in tone. They're still on the guitar. I really like them.

So at the minimal cost of string sets, it kinda pays to experiment a little. You might wind up with fewer string changes, and maybe improve the tone at the same time.

Everyone's got their 'I tried those and hated them' about every single product sold in the world. But we're all different, which is why we don't all buy the same exact stuff. So trust your hands and ears and see if it's worth the effort to look around.

Yes if I'm going to do coated, the D'Addario XS strings are great - way better than Elixir IMO - though I haven't tried any of their stuff in quite a while.

 

[megametal7]

Use a blocking tool, even just a rag will work.
Then roughly tune (like super rough), remove block/rag and go from low E to high E, it should take about 6-7 iterations - only tune up one string at a time in order, always in the same order.

Ill give it a go on my next restring.

Also, I want to add bigger block on the bridge, apparently it gives more sustain.

 

[AlbertA]

You can also try something like this tool: Tremolo String changing tool

 

[AlbertA]

I'm afraid a string might poke me. I got my finger cut a few times. I'm scared the hi e might snap off.

I went through that phase when I first starting playing guitar. I snapped a string and got whipped in the face :)
Now a days, just use one of those clip-on tuners and it'll be fine.

The only time I have broken a string lately has been either old strings + Floyd Rose abuse.

And today, since I was taking my PRS Silver Sky bolt-on neck on and off multiple times, so multiple rounds of making the string slack, taking neck off, putting it back on, retuning - the high E string couldn't take it anymore.

Otherwise, check your saddles - if you are braking strings often you need to deburr the contact points.

 

[Alex Kenivel]

I used to have to maintain a classroom's amount of classical guitars. Restringing electrics are a cakewalk now.

 

[strings2000]

I used to have to maintain a classroom's amount of classical guitars. Restringing electrics are a cakewalk now.

Not if it's a Floyd rose

 

[Dimiguitar]

Not if it's a Floyd rose

I just go string by string (replace one, then tune. Repeat). Doesn't take much longer than another bridge.

 

[Piing]

I have floyd rose bridge and i dread it.

Tuning takes forever….

Not if it's a Floyd rose

A cakewalk if you put an eraser under the bridge. It is a coincidence that the Staedtler Mars has exactly the same height as the gap under the Lo-Pro Edge bridge. All strings at once, so you can properly clean the fretboard.

 

[Alex Kenivel]

Not if it's a Floyd rose

Meh, maybe when I was 16. By the time I was a young adult in my first touring band my Co-guitarist usually had me change the strings on his Jackson with a FR because he couldn't.

 

[Genghis]

Not if it's a Floyd rose

They are easier than classical if you follow the method AlbertA described earlier. I’ll also add that I do a large bend on every string at about the 7th, 12th, and 17th frets to get the string winds settled into the tuners once I get the rough tuning part. From there it doesn’t take that long to get it tuned.

I still struggle a bit with tying the classical strings in, but I don’t play it that often and only have one classical guitar, so the ratio of classical changes to electric changes is pretty low.