Strings - Installing

[Localele]

That's the method I was shown Mark and it works great.Seems to be much quicker when you watch a full time guitar repairer do it.

[Hesh1956]

Have you guys ever been around when a skilled repair guy takes strings off?

Out comes the wire cutters, back goes the face and eyes and those puppies are on the floor in no time. It's a lot easier to get the pins out too when there are no strings transversing the sound hole.

Not that I am a skilled repair guy but I restring my client's guitars for free and they always look a bit concerned when I cut the strings off. I do slack them with the power drill first.

The free restringing is my opportunity to nag my clients too about things such as a dry guitar, dirty guitar, not using the light gauge strings that I usually build my guitars for, etc. I just picked up half a dozen of the planet Waves guitar humidifiers and with winter approaching here I am giving these away to my clients. And of course and because of my association with the very fine folks on the forum I always have beer on hand for my clients.

[Dennis Leahy]

If you're out and about, and forgot your handy dandy spoon, you can use a quarter (what's the AU/NZ equivalent of a US 25 cent coin?) Put the quarter over pin 1, and use pin 1 as a fulcrum to lift out pin 2, etc.

The only thing this does not take into account is that if you pop all the pins 2 through 6, pin 1 will still be stuck, so I leave pin 2 partially in and use it to get out pin 1, then 1 and 2 are still loose enough to grab them out.

Dennis

[Dave White]

Here is my teaspoon for bridge pin removal. A quick nick on the bench grinder gives you an end that gets better contact with the round pin. If you pinch an old one out of the kitchen she will probably never notice.

Cool,

Now all you need is the candle and the crack cocaine and it's really Rock and Roll

[Nick]

Cool,

Now all you need is the candle and the crack cocaine and it's really Rock and Roll

Shouldn't laugh about these things..................but

[Hesh1956]

[fingerpickengood]

When replacing strings I always ensure that the string is not sitting on the nut as I wind, this ensures that the string does not file away the nut.

Conversely when fitting a new saddle to my dobro strings make a great file for notching.

Michael

[Mark McLean]

Who would have thought that a picture of a teaspoon would suddenly have people thinking about drugs!! Doesn't anyone drink tea any more?

Micheal, that is a good point about strings wearing away the nut as you wind them through. It makes sense - but do we really see nuts wearing out from that cause?

Mark

[Lillian]

Every morning Mark. Either Tetley or Strong Irish Breakfast with cream. I get cranky if I have to skip my morning tea.

[Nick]

Either Tetley

Tetly's I remember Tetly's tea bags from my time in England, didn't realise they were available in the States also.

Now back to strings, spoons and Crack heads

[Lillian]

My grandmothers were island girls. One from Scotland the other, Ireland. I learned how to drink a proper cup of tea at an early age.

I like that modified spoon Mark. I think I will have to make one for myself.

[Kim]

Thanks Lil but that's Mark's modification, I had one like that once but it's long gone to someone who must have needed it more than me and i never got round to grinding me another cause they work OK as they are anyhow.

Cheers

Kim

[kiwigeo]

My grandmothers were island girls.

Really??!! North or South Island??

[Lillian]

My paternal grandmother was from Glasgow. My maternal grandmother's family was from southern Ireland.

[Lillian]

Thanks Lil but that's Mark's modification, I had one like that once but it's long gone to someone who must have needed it more than me and i never got round to grinding me another cause they work OK as they are anyhow.

Cheers

Kim

Man you are quick Kim. I fixed that two minutes after I posted it. Just got up to get my tea.

Sorry Mark.

[kiwigeo]

what's the AU/NZ equivalent of a US 25 cent coin

A toothless three legged old Ewe.