Your thoughts on restringing your guitar

stratman3
Posts: 0
Joined: Sat Mar 21, 2009 4:52 am
Status: Offline

Sun Oct 31, 2010 8:00 am

I am about to restring my guitar and I was just wondering, is there a correct or best way of doing this process or I guess my question is how does everyone else restring their instrument?
. I have been playing for a long time now, but I know there are a few different schools of thought regarding this procedure.
The first procedure or school of thought is, take all the strings off, that way you can clean all the frets and than put your new strings on. The reason why I question about this process is, I have heard by taking all the string off at the same time you take all the tension off the neck and that's not a good thing, because it takes the flex out of the neck and can cause damage to the neck.

The second school of thought is, take one string off at a time and restring and than move on to the next string.

So please your thoughts

Gary B)


User avatar
neverfoundthetime
Posts: 48
Joined: Sat Aug 01, 2009 2:14 pm
Status: Offline

Sun Oct 31, 2010 8:13 am

There was a good video up earlier... maybe from Taylor but these two may help....





willem
Posts: 5
Joined: Fri Mar 20, 2009 7:53 am
Status: Offline

Sun Oct 31, 2010 8:14 am

My EXPERIENCE,,one by one,,for cleaning the rest(fret and neck)you can go under your strings with some handy tool,,when you go one by one your also much quicker on tune again..so thats saying a lot about taking the tension of the neck.

I get off the string(not cutting) and use that as a measer to cut the new string.


Lavallee
Posts: 0
Joined: Sat Mar 21, 2009 9:48 am
Status: Offline

Sun Oct 31, 2010 8:28 am

Hi Gary, I use this little tool which is fairly inexpensive. You have a manual crank to turn the keys quickly for the string to rotate on the peg. You also have a slot in the front to quickly remove the peg on the bridge when the string is loose. At the other end you have a cutter to cut the excess of string when the string is tight and tuned. When removing the string you can also use the cutter to cut the string in the middle when there is no more tension (different method than Willem) to remove the string without having to turn the key until the string is fully removed

Marc Image


User avatar
neverfoundthetime
Posts: 48
Joined: Sat Aug 01, 2009 2:14 pm
Status: Offline

Sun Oct 31, 2010 8:36 am

...and I always take off all the strings, clean the guitar, replace the battery if needed on the electronics before restringing. Big job on the 12 string!


wrench
Posts: 0
Joined: Sat Mar 21, 2009 3:12 pm
Status: Offline

Sun Oct 31, 2010 8:48 am

Everyone has their own way. Here's mine. YMMV.

Tools and Materials:
1 vacuum cleaner
2 peg winder
3 wire cutter
4 10 mm nut driver
5 philips screwdriver #1
6 bridge pin puller
7 truss rod wrench
8 scale
9 neck support
10 sandpaper 220 grit
11 scotchbrite
12 lint free paper shop towels
13 cotton towels (2)
14 microfiber towel
15 new strings

Task List:

1 check neck and straighten if necessary
2 tune to pitch
3 fret at 1 and 14 then check neck relief for .001 to .005 (light strumming, arpeggio, and fingerstyle) or .004 to .008 (heavy strum and low alternate tunings)
4 adjust truss rod if necessary then wait 15 minutes and repeat relief check

5 check action height at 12th fret
6 determine if action height needs to change
7 use 6/64 to 7/64 for general use
8 use 7/64 to 8/64 for heavy strum and low alternate tunings
9 use 4/64 to 5/64 for light strumming, arpeggio, and fingerstyle
10 subtract 1/64 at e for low action and 2/64 for higher action
11 adjust saddle delta x2

12 check action height at the nut
13 use .010 at E and .006 at e fretted on top of 2
14 for lower action, use .002 at E and .001 at e
15 adjust delta x2 at nut

16 remove tension from all 6 strings
17 pull all 6 bridge pins
18 gang the strings and unwind from the headstock
19 sand string grooves from saddle if necessary


20 scotchbrite the fretboard and frets
21 vacuum the fretboard
22 inspect frets visually for severe flats
23 inspect frets for burrs
24 check fret leveling with scale
25 oil fretboard and bridge lightly with lemon oil on lint free paper shop towel
26 wipe fretboard and bridge with clean paper shop towel

27 torque tuner mounting nuts with 10 mm nut driver to 10 in/lbs – DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN!
28 tighten peg screws with philips screwdriver until pegs have slight drag

29 wipe body with Dawn/warm water solution on a cotton towel
30 rinse-wipe with clean warm water on a cotton towel
31 dry with microfiber towel
32 repeat this process twice for the neck, leaving the Dawn to work for 15 seconds each

33 install strings with Taylor method (constant coiling - no overlap of string surfaces)
34 tune to concert pitch, check action heights, and enjoy


String tail lengths:

pull each string tight over the saddle and measure the following from the head side of the tuning peg with the hand-tight string in its corresponding nut slot. cut the string at the lengths shown below (for .012-.053)

E 1.75"
A 2"
D 2.5"
G 3"
B 4"
e 5"


Lavallee
Posts: 0
Joined: Sat Mar 21, 2009 9:48 am
Status: Offline

Sun Oct 31, 2010 9:11 am

neverfoundthetime wrote:
...and I always take off all the strings, clean the guitar, replace the battery if needed on the electronics before restringing. Big job on the 12 string!
Chris, I have never dared removing all the strings. But since you are doing it on a regular basis, I guess it does not affect the neck, I will try that next time.

Marc


wrench
Posts: 0
Joined: Sat Mar 21, 2009 3:12 pm
Status: Offline

Sun Oct 31, 2010 9:29 am

Lavallee wrote:
neverfoundthetime wrote:
...and I always take off all the strings, clean the guitar, replace the battery if needed on the electronics before restringing. Big job on the 12 string!
Chris, I have never dared removing all the strings. But since you are doing it on a regular basis, I guess it does not affect the neck, I will try that next time.

Marc
Every opinion I read on this refers to the neck, but I don't think the neck of a healthy guitar is in danger here. It may move when all the tension is relieved, but it will return to its original position without damage when re-loaded.

I've never heard anyone say this, but what I would look at carefully is the top. If the bridge is rolled down and there is a hump behind it, I would not remove all the strings at once because that top has moved such that the glue joints of the top and bridge (and maybe even the neck heel/joint) are stressed. These joints can tolerate a limited number of cycles, so I would remove the strings of such a guitar one at a time. But if the top is still flat, I think there is no danger to removing all the strings at once.


Lavallee
Posts: 0
Joined: Sat Mar 21, 2009 9:48 am
Status: Offline

Sun Oct 31, 2010 9:40 am

Thanks Dan, I was concerned about the neck big change in tension but you are bringing a good point .

By the way I am impress by your step by step approach. You are quite meticulous.

Marc


MarkM
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat Mar 21, 2009 8:26 am
Status: Offline

Sun Oct 31, 2010 11:11 am

Gary,

I used to do just one string at a time but it just got too tedious. I have been taking them all off now for a few years and I never have had a problem. Knock on wood. Here are some videos that may help.


MarkM






Post Reply Previous topicNext topic