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©1992 - 2008 Richie Dotson. All photographs, graphics and text owned by Richie Dotson. All rights reserved Website designed, written, photographed and maintained by Richie Dotson You are visitor Number:
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Changing your strings, page 1 When it's time to change strings on whatever stringed instrument you play, use this locking method to help keep your instrument in tune. This method is widely used by those who work on stringed instruments for a living (Luthiers) and this technique helps eliminate string slippage by keeping those winds on the machine heads (tuner) shaft down to a minimum. You only need one or two winds on the shaft to secure the string. Anything after that is adding to the problem. I know I own and run a banjo web site but guitar strings are easier to see in digital format. I hope this series is most helpful to you. Start by removing your strings. I recommend you
change yours one string at a time. For demonstration purposes I will
be removing all the strings for this photo shoot. Some people like
these string winders and I also think they are great. This method
of stringing your instrument will reduce the need for them, however.
After the string you are changing is off the instrument you can start
stringing in the following manner: **NOTE** The strings on the treble
side of the peghead are installed in a different way than the ones on the
bass side. Please start with the treble (small strings) first at
least the fist time you follow this method.
Start the process by lining up your machine head holes with their respective nut slots as in the following photograph.
Now, load the string into the tailpiece, over the correct nut slot and thread it through the correct machine head post hole. Pretty simple so far, huh? The next step is to hold the string the correct distance above the fingerboard. This assures you aren't getting too much string wound onto the post once you have it secured. Look at the next photograph to see how I do this and execute the "locking bend" at the same time.
Note that there is only about one inch of string above the fingerboard and my index finger is holding the string in it's slot at the same time. |
