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October 2008
Posts: 639
Location: NW of Philadelphia | Its been a while...
Considering I want to oil (condition) the fretboard and give the guitar a thorough cleaning:
What is preferred, remove 2 stings at a time or all at once? |
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Joined:
November 2006
Posts: 3969
| Ovation 12's are the most stable 12-stringers on the planet. Assuming the guitar came with no prior damage (look especially at the base of the headstock for crazing or finish checks), you shouldn't have any problem at all taking all the strings off.
As a side note, I find string changes on a 12 to be such a PITA that I usually only do it a couple times a year, so I always take all the strings off to clean & condition the fretboard when I do a change. |
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Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Not that I avoid string changes...
But my Factory re-bowled 1115 still has the strings that they put on at the Mothership.
And it has been over a year!
Yeah, and you will have fun tuning that sucka, once, twice, one more time... Now re-tune. :D
[now that I am thinking about it... String recommendations?
I got EJ38, EJ36 and Adamas 1212?] |
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October 2007
Posts: 2711
Location: Vernon CT | Hey, Restringing a 12 isn't any more difficult that 2 6's, right? ;) |
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Joined:
September 2008
Posts: 58
Location: Just outside Dallas, TX | Check out www.webstrings.com (their Phosphor/Bronze are amazing for the $$)
I usually do the Normal strings 1st then Octaves... my 1st uitar was a Guild Knock off 12 so I've been changing on a 12 for 30+ years |
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Joined:
February 2004
Posts: 1634
Location: Warren,Pa. | I have a '79 1115...a slothead. I don't view string changes as a necessary evil; I see it as just part of the deal. I take my time. I have a cup of coffee at my side. I have a small drill/driver from Lowe's with a tuner-winding attachment on it. I clean and lemon oil the fretboard when I do string changes.
I do remove all the strings at once. It's an Ovation so...like a Mac...it doesn't have all the issues that the other brands have.
John <>{ |
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Joined:
February 2004
Posts: 1634
Location: Warren,Pa. | ...and like my other guitars, my 1115 has an OpPro with a tuner. 12 strings without tuners are a pain. |
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September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Uh... Doesn't that make it a 1615 (regardless of what the sticker sez :p )?
:cool: REAL Men tune by ear! :cool: |
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Joined:
June 2006
Posts: 7307
Location: South of most, North of few | OMA, try the Elixir Nano .010's. They sound great on a 12 fret 12 string, and they last a l o n g time.
Guess I'm going to have to think about this again with the new one on the way. |
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Joined:
December 2006
Posts: 6268
Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | Originally posted by Trader Jim:
Nano .010's. That's what I use and like!  |
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Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Originally posted by Trader Jim:
OMA, try the Elixir Nano .010's. They sound great on a 12 fret 12 string, and they last a l o n g time. I like the "l o n g time" idea... Since I haven't changed strings since Nov 6th, 2007!
(Never actually, but that is when I got it)
The reason I mentioned EJ38, EJ36 and Adamas 1212 is that's what I've got in my string drawer. |
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Joined:
April 2008
Posts: 2985
Location: Sydney, Australia | Originally posted by Old Man Arthur:
REAL Men tune by ear! :cool: Aw that's just great Art! Now in addition to being a poof (Silk & Steel strings) I'm not a real man. Any other shots you want to take while I'm down? ;) |
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Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | I do have a friend that tunes by ear... But only 'relative tuning'.
Me? I got little machines that do that.
And it is still a pain with my Pacemaker.
But now that the strings are old, they don't wander very much. |
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Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 12759
Location: Boise, Idaho | Arthur, loan your guitars to Waskel with an extra set of strings in the case. They come back changed. Worked for me. |
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February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | I charge double for 12's. |
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Joined:
December 2006
Posts: 6268
Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | Originally posted by Old Man Arthur:
are old, they don't wander very much. ... I can't blame 'em! 
 |
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Joined:
April 2008
Posts: 2985
Location: Sydney, Australia | Oh, one practical suggestion. If you take all the strings off, don't put them on from one side to the other or the nut might start wandering away from it's normal position, work from the outside in or inside out. |
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Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Okay! At long last, I finally changed the strings on my 1115-HB! :D It Took Me Three Hours! :mad:
(But I did keep getting distracted by SNL)
Things that I discovered inside my Re-Bowled Pacemaker...
The Bracing is Scalloped "X".
There is a clip inside there for the wires for a pre-amp (which I do not have).
There was also a bunch of powdered plastic in there, plus light-colored hand-prints. (gone now)
There is some tape on the backside of the top, which I thought about taking out just to see if it had something written on it... I left it in there, cuz it might have been there for a reason. And I don't have a little mirror to look-see.
I believe that it had EXP's on there, cuz the strings still sounded alright after eighteen months.
But I figured that they were due for a change.
Now it has EJ38's on there which are nowhere near as 'bright'... Which is a Good Thing. :cool:
Now we'll see how long these last... But the next time I change them it will be EXP's or Elixirs. |
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Joined:
February 2004
Posts: 2487
| In a time pinch just changing the wound strings helps. |
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Joined:
November 2006
Posts: 2241
Location: Simpsonville, SC | OMA, I put EXPs on the 1685 last night. I don't play it near often enough but it had been through a few sweaty summer nights playing since I last changed them.
WOW, huge difference. They outta last at least a year, don't ya think?! |
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Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | I guess that I am not the only one who never plays their 12-String?
I've got two, I have had three at one time. Don't play them nearly often enough.
But I will have the Pacemaker in the stand for a few days.
But yeah, my strings came from the factory, and have colored ball-ends, so I'm thinking EXP's.
So I guess that EXP's could last a year depending on how often you play them, and if you clean them when you are done, and if you wash your hands! :p |
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March 2005
Posts: 5567
Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | I think I hold the unofficial record on changing string sets on a Pacemaker 12: 18 minutes from taking off the old strings to restringing and tuning the new set...between sets at a gig years ago...and I've probably owned at least 30 12 string guitars in my life: 7 right now...
Here's a tip: just because you're not playing the guitar a lot, the strings will still age and lose their tone over time...if you don't play often, twice a year is cool...I'd recomend at least every three months if you play an average amount of time and more frequently if played more.
Twelves are just like six strings in that they sound their best with new strings...It's worth the effort! |
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Joined:
March 2008
Posts: 355
Location: Wichita, KS | I think I hold the unofficial record on changing string sets on a Pacemaker 12: 18 minutes from taking off the old strings to restringing and tuning the new set Whoa, Mike! Remind me to stand out of your way when you're stringing. I changed out the strings on my Pacemaker when I bought it last month. My first time stringing a slothead. It took me over two hours and I'm not all that satisfied with the first six strings. Started getting the hang of it after that, though... |
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Joined:
April 2006
Posts: 2491
Location: Copenhagen Denmark | I start by taking low E pair off , oil fretboard-part with Rosewood Ethereal oil , purchased in healtstore (fretboard is rosewood ).
Put on new strings , then continue in pairs , A , D etc.
Using a Tuner re-tuning is a breeze .( and the next day , and the day after that ).
I change strings when they get out of tune fast.
TIP :
Bright sounding strings last long , I use C F Martin M170 80/20 Bronze , gauge 0.10 - 0.47 . :)
Vic |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15670
Location: SoCal | I pull 'em all off, clean up the guitar, oil the fretboard, then restring. I tend to use Elixirs as they last a good long time on 12's..... |
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Joined:
March 2007
Posts: 698
Location: Cork, Ireland | Originally posted by bauerhillboy:
..... I have a small drill/driver from Lowe's with a tuner-winding attachment on it..... Can you buy a tuner-winding attachment for a drill or do you one make your own? |
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Re-stringing a 12-string