Changing Strings Joy or Chore?

blobb · September 2023

Depends. I love the whole restring, little clean up bonding thing. But...I've just tried some stainless strings on one guitar and I don't like them. I want to ditch them but I resent having to do it. Out of spite, I'm enduring them until I can be bothered. I just know I'll be grumbling all the way through.

ToastHat · September 2023

Bass: zen-like joy

Guitar: fiddly chore

drofluf · September 2023

I do find an electric string winder helpful; although I mainly use to remove the old strings as sometimes it’s too fast to wind them as neatly as I like

Tannin · September 2023

ToastHat said:

Bass: zen-like joy
Guitar: fiddly chore

Over the course of their lives, most bass players get married more often than they change strings.

Tannin · September 2023

drofluf said:

I do find an electric string winder helpful; although I mainly use to remove the old strings as sometimes it’s too fast to wind them as neatly as I like

I have had a hand winder for some years. I find it useful, but only because it has a convenient bridge pin puller built into the handle (and it's made of nylon or some similar material, so it won't damage the finish). Holding the guitar still, and feeding the string the way I want it, and winding the winder is a three-hand job and I only have two hands.

I do sometimes toy with the idea of getting an electric one on the basis that it might be easier. But then I'm a shocker for buying gadgets and only ever using them twice, so I hold off. After all, doing it the manual way takes what? Two minutes? On a bad day it takes me longer to put my boots on than that.

(Note that - thanks @ICBM, good tip! - I now habitually push the pins out from inside with my finger. The puller is only for when they are tough to budge.)

ICBM · September 2023

Tannin said:

I now habitually push the pins out from inside with my finger. The puller is only for when they are tough to budge.

I wouldn’t even use a puller when they’re stuck - use a pick or a coin on the inside to push them out if a finger alone won’t shift it without too much pain. A puller - even a plastic one - can mark the bridge and/or snap off the head of the pin. They’re just a bad idea full stop.

I’ve long since lost count of the number of broken bridge pins I’ve had to replace for customers - the saddest is when they’ve spent ages trying to dig it out and thoroughly chewed up the bridge… and it takes a few seconds to push the remains out from the inside.

Tannin · September 2023

ICBM said:

Tannin said:

I now habitually push the pins out from inside with my finger. The puller is only for when they are tough to budge.

I wouldn’t even use a puller when they’re stuck - use a pick or a coin on the inside to push them out if a finger alone won’t shift it without too much pain.

Ahh ... I have a thimble in my string-change kit for that very reason.

But I find that the puller lets me even out the forces if the pin is stiff (not just pushing down as a lever-action puller does, nor only pushing up as the fingers-inside method does). I don't think I'm at the slightest rick of marking the bridge as it is quite soft and cushioned by a polishing cloth and I never exert more than just a little force. These days (thanks to your tip a couple of years ago) string changing has become a no-stress pastime.

rhinofeet · September 2023

I don't mind a Floyd as a I know I have to make time for it. I snapped a high e in a locking tuner this morning so either the string was a dud or I over tightened. Little things like that, although infrequent, make it a pain.

DefaultM · September 2023

Enjoyable until I stab myself with the end of one.

sev112 · September 2023

Don’t mind it at all, quite enjoy

problem is the combination of coated strings (I.e. long durations between changes) and 6 aside acoustic, 3 aside acoustics, same with electrics, one with locking tuners ,one with slotted, oh and a nylon string classical I can never remember which way to turn the tuning pegs, esp when going from D to G on 3 a side

RocknRollDave · September 2023

Used to enjoy it, now the novelty has certainly worn off.

ScreamingDave · September 2023

Tannin said:

I do sometimes toy with the idea of getting an electric one on the basis that it might be easier. But then I'm a shocker for buying gadgets and only ever using them twice, so I hold off. After all, doing it the manual way takes what? Two minutes? On a bad day it takes me longer to put my boots on than that.

Planet Waves do a manual winder where the socket that engages over the tuner buttons comes out and can be put in an electric drill/driver so you don’t have to have an expensive dedicated electric string winder.

tone1 · September 2023

Changing Strings Joy or Chore?

It’s been so long….I can’t remember….I bought a box of 12 sets from stringsdirect a few years back, and I reckon they’ll outlast me…..

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Changing Strings Joy or Chore?

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Changing Strings Joy or Chore?