Restringing Guitars

[la szum]

What'd you do?

Went to the store and got beer. Best decision I have made all day!!

 

[DrewJD82]

LAST thing I ever wanted to think about is @DrewJD82 bedsheets. Lol

Have you tried matches?

Satin bedsheets rule until there’s two drunk people on them. That’s how I met my last neighbor for the first time, after someone’s head hit the wall at about 35mph.

 

[Sleezy E]

Yu


When I was gigging on the regular a weekly change was essential. Still broke strings,
and that was why I always had another guitar tuned and ready to go.

Now I am a lazy, semi-retired, not-so-pro musician. Hence, me kicking the can down
the road on string changes.

same.

I'm also a little anal about washing my hands before playing.
Dirty fingers make dirty strings

 

[DrewJD82]

same.

I'm also a little anal about washing my hands before playing.
Dirty fingers make dirty strings

Hahahah that’s one thing I don’t do…..but I do often wipe them down with Music Nomad’s String Fuel when I’m in the middle of recording to keep the grime off them. Especially bass strings.

 

[fretworn]

"Wait until the guitar is almost unplayable before you change strings" person …

I did change the strings on the Strat last week… Man those new nickels sound mighty nice

“All shiny and chrome…”

 

[la szum]

My last string change was July.... which was the last time
we had a gig.

So the D'Addarios come wrapped in 2's. Not used to that.
Somehow put the A string where the E was supposed to
go, and the E where the A was. Then I cut them after winding
them on the locking tuners. Realized my mistake. Have to
swap them back around, but now the A is too fucking short to
reach the tuning peg where it should have gone in the first place,
because I cut it. So I have to open another package and rob a second
A string. Yup. Me doing me.

Then I went and got beer.

I swear I have done this before. Not recently, though.

 

[la szum]

@jellodog was right. He can eye the future. I only did one guitar last night.

It takes me about an hour to change strings. I like to condition the fretboard,
polish the frets, lube the nut and saddles, and clean up the axe from top to
bottom when I do a string change. Sometimes even some setup adjustments.
During the change of seasons I find I have too tweak the truss rod and dial in
the action a bit. Tends to be cooler and drier in the winter, which means the
wood shrinks. Yeah, full on Costanza!!

 

[DrewJD82]

My last string change was July.... which was the last time
we had a gig.

So the D'Addarios come wrapped in 2's. Not used to that.
Somehow put the A string where the E was supposed to
go, and the E where the A was. Then I cut them after winding
them on the locking tuners. Realized my mistake. Have to
swap them back around, but now the A is too f*****g short to
reach the tuning peg where it should have gone in the first place,
because I cut it. So I have to open another package and rob a second
A string. Yup. Me doing me.

Then I went and got beer.

I swear I have done this before. Not recently, though.

Dude…..I don’t want to tell you how many times I’ve done that. Enough that I very specifically separate the two strings and put them on opposite sides of me, the same sides every time. String I’m stringing goes on the right, next string is on the left. I haven‘t done it since I started doing that!

 

[TSJMajesty]

I've flipped the guitar over to thread the string, but forgot it was now a mirror image. Fortunately I caught it in time.

When you mentioned those strings being wrapped in pairs, I thought you were about to say you kinked one while separating them.

The "logical" thing to do would be to put the E & G together, the A & B, and the D & E!! Shit, how do they package a set of 7 strings? That must short their circuits.

 

[la szum]

Thanks guys. Feel like less of an idiot than I probably am.

Haven't used D'Addario in years. EBs are individually wrapped.
Probably better to limit packaging the way D'Addario does it.

 

[DrewJD82]

Thanks guys. Feel like less of an idiot than I probably am.

Haven't used D'Addario in years. EBs are individually wrapped.
Probably better to limit packaging the way D'Addario does it.

 

[la szum]

I am on a roll with the string changes. I figure I might as well work my way through the
entire stable and treat/address any seasonal setup issues. A couple of my guitars haven't
had any love in a loooong time. I have a Strat-style Godin that is gonna get some freshies
today. I can remember what vintage wound, single-coils sound like with fresh wire so I am
looking forward to doing it.

 

[Jarick]

I'm just a home player and I tend to change the strings more out of boredom than anything. I don't break them often. Usually it's because I'm trying to adjust the feel of the guitar or fix buzzing or a different tuning or something.

For example I was using 9's across most guitars but tried out 10's on a few. Decided to go 9.5's to split the difference and changed strings on my favorites.

 

[-BOOGIEMAN-]

@la szum -

That’s good planning right there! I ordered some Epiphone Pro buckers along with their wiring and they arrived yesterday. I debated about gutting the guitar they are for and installing them or wait till today and it made me think of this thread lol. I did the install, put new strings and tested it to make sure everything works. Later this morning I will set the pick up heights, check the neck and set the action and really dive in and see what kind of sounds these can produce. I liked what I was hearing on videos but you never know in real life lol.

 

[la szum]

Nice @-BOOGIEMAN- .

Hope you get the tones you are aiming for.

I am on a roll here. I did my 4th guitar last night.
They all really need it, as I am running the heat A LOT
now and it is drying out the air inside here. So setups
are due along with the string changes.

Have to get the Humidifier cleaned and running today.
It's an essential gear accessory here in the Winter.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

Me: "change strings frequently because I'm terrified of breaking one during a show"

I hate changing strings, but there's nothing worse than breaking one in the middle of a show.

Hmmm - I think if that were my fear, I'd tend towards changing less often. My experience is that I'm more likely to stumble into a lemon string with the frequent changes than I am having a string that has been stable for a couple of weeks/months all of a sudden breaking on me.

 

[andergtr]

i rarely break them. usually they get changed because they can no longer hold intonation well.