Your thoughts on restringing your guitar

wrench
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Sun Oct 31, 2010 1:04 pm

I love Taylor's videos EXCEPT for the steel wool part. The tech in the video mentioned keeping the steel shards off the magnetic parts and out of the string windings. Both are valid points, but what he did not mention is the need to keep those shards out of the player's fingertips! This is why I use Scotchbrite and a vacuum cleaner instead of steel wool and a brush. This is even more important on rosewood fingerboards or any fingerboard made from a porous piece of wood. I also think it's a better idea to adjust peg tension before installing the strings so you you can feel the unloaded friction, but other than those two issues, these videos are fantastic. I commend Taylor for sharing that information with the public.


BigBear
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Sun Oct 31, 2010 3:54 pm

Gary- I absolutely subscribe to Taylor's way of restringing. BUT, like Dan mentioned be really careful of the metal shards frrom the steel wool. A good wipeoff with a soft cloth is all that is necessary.

The tool Marc showed is a good one and I have one in ever guitar case. But I found this at Guitar Center and it is really the trick:

guitarcenter.com/Ernie-Ball-Power-Peg-Battery-Powered-String-Winder-105297881-i1435852

This is a battery powered string winder from Ernie Ball and I can literally change a set of strings in 5-10 minutes. It is cheaply made but it really works. I will never go back to a manually winder after using this thing! Highly recommended.

Good luck and keep on playin'

Cheers! :cheer:


TGMatt
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Sun Oct 31, 2010 4:23 pm

I had been restraining myself on commenting but with all the links flying around I thought it time to mention, we are creating a Luthier section for the site..

We have an 18 video set already shot and edited for this particular topic from a superb Luthier..

We are about 2 weeks out from you all seeing this, maybe sooner..

Anyways..

Thx all


RicksPick
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Sun Oct 31, 2010 4:31 pm

Cool I love to watch these video's

RicksPick

P.S. I change all at once allways have done


AndyT
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Sun Oct 31, 2010 6:12 pm

The short amount of time they are off the guitar is not a problem.

The only time I don't do them all at once is if there is a saddle pickup installed. Then I do 3 at a time to make sure I don't accidentally move the pickup from its seat.


wiley
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Sun Oct 31, 2010 6:47 pm

I agree with the thought about the neck 'moving' in such a short time, never been a problem. As for 'piezo' pickups loosing their 'seat'. personally never had a problem. All but one of mine, the Gibson, has and has had piezo type pickups. The Gibby has transducers (K&K).

As for "Turtle Wax"?? No way am I going to put an automotive finish product on any guitar, too much chance of abrasives being in them. Maybe the particular Turtle Wax the guy is using has proven not too, but there are way too many 'proven' specialty guitar polishes, for as much if not cheaper than Turtle Wax! I've been using "Uncle Duck's" for a long time, at $9us for 8oz, the stuff last forever and I waste more than I apply. Same can be said for 'string lube', the spray on has a propellant in it. Uncle Duck's don't.

Same for the steel wool, no way. From what I know of wood finishing or lacquering any type of 'thing' that would require sanding between coats, steel wool can and will leave behind unwanted fibrous material and is uneven in it's 'pattern'. You getting that fingerboard THAT dirty you need to keep it inside or something! (Wash your hands!!) Same product and an old SOFT toothbrush, brush vigorously AGAINST the grain. Wipe 'clean' with a soft cotton or microfiber towel.


stratman3
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Sun Oct 31, 2010 6:57 pm

Thanks everyone for all the feedback and great advice.

I just always had this nagging question. what is the correct way. As a rule I have been restringing one string at a time for fear of what I wrote about on my original post. But this process does have its draw back in cleaning the frets.
I knew if I asked the question to the TG family I would get the answer. What a great community.
That rewinding tool looks like a must, I aways seem to have a hard time getting the pins out and I hated putting presure on the top of the guitar with my fat fingers. Time for a road trip to Guitar Center...any excuse to go there, and Wrench...WOW!!, what detail.

Thanks again everyone for sharing your thoughts and processes, Great Vids, Great in put.

Gary B)


BigBear
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Sun Oct 31, 2010 8:04 pm

stratman3 wrote:
Thanks everyone for all the feedback and great advice.

I just always had this nagging question. what is the correct way. As a rule I have been restringing one string at a time for fear of what I wrote about on my original post. But this process does have its draw back in cleaning the frets.
I knew if I asked the question to the TG family I would get the answer. What a great community.
That rewinding tool looks like a must, I aways seem to have a hard time getting the pins out and I hated putting presure on the top of the guitar with my fat fingers. Time for a road trip to Guitar Center...any excuse to go there, and Wrench...WOW!!, what detail.

Thanks again everyone for sharing your thoughts and processes, Great Vids, Great in put.

Gary B)

Gary- back to your original question of one at a time versus all six at once, the guitar neck is not under tension when unstrung and should not be moving much when either un-strung or re-strung. I used to replace them one at a time under this "tension theory" but I find that the Taylor method lets me clean the headstock, fretboard and guitar top much easier. And the tension isn't an issue at all.

The only thing I learned the hard way is the bridge on my Taylor is "floating" and the bridge and piezo underneath it will fall out if I turn the guitar upside down. This is normally not a problem but my repair tech has shimmed a couple of my piezos to balance the output and if the shims fall out I might screw up my setup.

Just a couple of thoughts!

Cheers buddy! :cheer:


michelew
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Mon Nov 01, 2010 12:14 am

I'm no expert, still learning really, but I've changed my approach from changing the strings one-by-one, to removing them all at once. The 'all at once' method definitely has the advantage of allowing you to clean the fret board and the top of the guitar very nicely. I mostly just use a little lemon oil if anything on the fret board and a very soft micro cloth. I use this method on my classical and my steel string guitars.

I loosen all the strings before starting to remove them. I unwind them from the head stock first on the classical, and remove the peg first on the steel string in the normal way.

If you cut the strings without loosening them I assume you could shock the neck ( and easily injure yourself), but I've also read that it's OK to remove them all at once.

I generally retune progressive. I tighten each string sequentially about 4-6 times until it's retuned. And then of course you keep retuning for a while (especially for nylon strings) until it settles.

Matt - I'm really looking forward to those videos from the TG Luthier! I'm always happy to learn more even if it's something that I'd want the guitar tech professional to do for me.


kenoakee
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Mon Nov 01, 2010 1:37 am

I'm realy hoping that the luthier section is free to everyone........I dont think the TG crew could live with themselves knowing that guitars may get hurt by people who may not be able to find the proper care information.
LOL ;)

As for the string issue,I just replaced mine about TWO days ago and did them all at once with no incident..except the "G" string broke while trying to strecth them out ....TWICE right at the saddle.....then had to wait untill today to pick-up more strings...i read that you may need to sand out string grooves in the saddle ....It seemed to work


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