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September 2004
Posts: 777
Location: East Wenatchee, WA | All these years I have been stringing my guitars and I stumble on a web-site that says I have been doing it wrong (which, since no one ever showed me, I may be).
Anyway, I usually just put the pointy end through the hole leaving enough slack to put 3 to 5 coils (depending on the string gauge) around the post, snip the end and done.
The site (showing a Martin being restrung, so maybe those "high strung" guitars are different) show the pointy end going through the hole, looping back inside and under the string, then down through the loop forming a knot which is pulled tight, then tightening the string.
I tried this on the low E and maybe if I had a set of channel-locks I could pull it tight enough to form a "knot", but otherwise, it just left this loose loop in the string. I undid it, and went back to the old way.
Makes me really appreciate the locking tuners on my Carvin, quick, always in tune.
Anyway, what is the right way to string an Ovation/Adamas. I know that fewer coils is better for staying in tune, but beyond that? |
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April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | "Looping" the strings like you mentioned allows you to get by with 1 to 1 1/2 loops on the post which will help stabilize the tuning.
It is sometimes tricky getting it right and takes a bit of practice to make the loop tighten up properly and lock without leaving a loose loop.
Try it on the smaller lighter strings until you get the hang of it and then gradually move to the heavier ones. |
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June 2005
Posts: 231
Location: N.J. | Jeffrey,
Looping back and then down thru the loop then forming a knot.. :eek: !!?? I have been playing for too many years and I guess I am also string ignorant! I have found that what works for me is to take the string and put it thru the peg and pull it up to the next tuner.Cut,then wrap around the peg keeping the string taut.This gives you about 2 1/2 wraps around each peg and I've never had a problem with a string slipping. |
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January 2005
Posts: 4903
Location: Phoenix AZ | If it ain't broke don't waste time trying to fix it. I do NOTHING on the wound strings. On the plain strings the only thing I do is do thru the hole, around 180 degrees and thru the hole again. Dave |
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February 2005
Posts: 349
Location: Snellville, GA | D\'addario Restringing Video |
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February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | This is how I do it. Minimal wraps = minimal slipping. No knots, though. The string is pinched under the wrap, locking it in place. I've got some wound strings with less than 1 full wrap on the post, hardly ever goes out of tune once they're done stretching.
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March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | I spent last night polishing and re-stringing all the guitars for tomorrow's trip . . .
Between my SlotHead and Bill's National's, it was three slotted headstocks in a row . . . oy!
Took about three hours and a six of MolsonGolden.
(Admittedly most of that time was spent polishing/scrutinizing/marvelling over the Nat'ls.)
I left the mando for Templeman t'do when he gets in t'nite (he's on the plane now, so it's now safe to say that out loud). |
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January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | I always put the wounds straight in and the plains get a loop back. There are some bluegrassers that want to loop everything but we already know about those bluegrassers, don't we?
The only thing I'll add is that on elixers I will loop them all since I've had them slip out. (Maybe I screwed up, I don't have much experience putting on strings!) |
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September 2004
Posts: 777
Location: East Wenatchee, WA | Great info guys....especially like Waskels technique as it looks like what I have tried to do all these years, get the string to tension on the loose end, but never seen it graphically before. Will watch the video too.
This was all prompted while getting the 1537 out and restringing, polishing and talking to myself ("WHAT ARE YOU THINKING MORON....TRADE AWAY THE 1537 FOR SOME UPPER CRUST PIECE OF PLASTIC ADAMAS, ARE YOU NUTS??????) Just needed to fondle it a bit to be reminded. Now on to fixing the finish crack. Looks pretty daunting, but it needs to be stabilized as it is starting to turn on both ends. |
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November 2005
Posts: 4832
Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | Originally posted by cwk2:
(Maybe I screwed up, I don't have much experience putting on strings!) Yeah, roadies spoil you for regular work don't they?
;) |
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July 2002
Posts: 1900
| "Those bluegrassers"...I resemble that remark :) And I still string my guitars by the original method given in the first Ovation manual I ever read, both steel string and classical...it's worked for 35 years, why change it.. |
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December 2004
Posts: 4394
Location: East Tennessee | Originally posted by JeffreyD:
All these years I have been stringing my guitars and I stumble on a web-site Jeff
Can you post a link? Maybe I'm not doing it right either. :confused: |
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November 2005
Posts: 4832
Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | Funny, silver solder has always worked for me.
Never goes out of tune, but if you break a string that's it for the night! |
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August 2005
Posts: 616
Location: cincinnati, ohio | Waskel's method looks interesting, and the diagram is very clear and clean. I think I'm going to give it a try. Like Steve, I've been using the method shown in my little brown pocket-sized owner's manual that came with my Balladeer in 1971. I've never been really happy with the "B" string, though. I can't keep that in tune to save my life. I have to tweak it every couple of songs when I'm playing out. Doesn't matter if it's the Balladeer, the Pacemaker (which is TWICE as ugly!), or the Ibanez AEF18. The "belligerent B," as Gordon Lightfoot calls it, gives me fits. Sometimes the high "E" is a little snarly right after I change strings, but that usually settles in. I may try this method and see what happens. |
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September 2004
Posts: 777
Location: East Wenatchee, WA | Originally posted by Gospel Guitar Guy:
Originally posted by JeffreyD:
All these years I have been stringing my guitars and I stumble on a web-site Jeff
Can you post a link? Maybe I'm not doing it right either. :confused: |
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December 2004
Posts: 1116
Location: Keller, TX | I do mine a little different. Just make sure the first loop goes over (on top of) the string as it comes out of the hole (end that will get snipped). Then go under the string (on its way to the nut) on the second pass. This creates a crossed loop that helps hold the string in place. Easier than the locking loop described above.
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February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | Tommy, the way I do it is easier than it looks. I'll show you tomorrow night! |
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April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Jeff, I guess I misunderstood what you meant by the description you gave (the knot).
I use the same technique that Waskel showed and it has worked great for many years. Never more than a loop and a half with no slippage. |
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February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | I was just looking at the low E on my 1777LX. The string doesn't even touch the post on it's way to the nut. Just passes over the locked end enough to pinch it. |
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June 2004
Posts: 580
Location: NW NJ | I'm a graduate of the ttenn school pictured above. Works great and it is second nature now. Don't confuse me with better ways. :D |
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September 2004
Posts: 777
Location: East Wenatchee, WA | I like the idea's here much better than the one I saw online. (I can't even find the web site now) because getting these strings into a knot is ridiculously difficult and I gotta believe it will weaken the string too.
I am going with one of the recommendations here and just try them to see what I like. |
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March 2005
Posts: 12759
Location: Boise, Idaho | I've done the ttenn method for years, too, but didn't play much for about 20 years, so didn't do too much restringing. |
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December 2004
Posts: 2150
Location: Orlando, FL | I've been using the method in Waskel's diagram since the 70's. Works great. Much easier to take off the old strings too! |
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July 2002
Posts: 1900
| Now that I think about it, I use a variation of the original stringing instructions. I still cut the string a post and half long, but after running the end of the string through the eye, I bend it down and run every successive wrap over it. I have enough slack to fine-tune, and the string can't slip on the post. Just have to be sure not to bend the end of the string too long or it will scratch a circle in the face of the headstock when the post turns. |
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November 2004
Posts: 110
Location: Peoria, Illinois | Waskel has a great diagram. I use that technique for the B and high E every time. For the wound strings, generally just place the string through the hole and try to end up with about 1 1/2 turns. Have had an Elixir slip only once.
Here is a link to frets.com with some additional photos. Great site:
http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Musician/Guitar/Setup/SteelStrings/...
One thing I learned, is the less winds around the post, the better. Seems counter-intuitive to me, but I do not argue with the experts. |
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Stringing techniques
