String thing again

ronico

rainyislandblues
So wet season is coming fast so thinking it's time to get tweaking, maintaining, modding mode. Seem to have accumulated a drawerful of strings and good intentions that need to be acted on. Am halfway through the acoustics and wondering if you're in the "Martin(?)" lock camp or the "Taylor(?)" just through the post and wind away?
 

snarf

making guitars wish they were still trees
Didn't realize there was a Martin vs Taylor debate when it came to how to string a guitar. I had to google it to see what you were talking about. After seeing the difference, I would have to say I'm a Martin lock guy. Been doing it that way as long as I can remember. First time I carried a guitar to a luthier to have it worked on (split bridge that had to be replaced), I got it back, noticed that was how he had put the strings on, and I just copied it. Been doing it that way ever since.
 

ronico

rainyislandblues
Thanks Snarf! Glad I wasn't imagining that one . Ahem:unsure:. Was going to wait and see before I declared but in the Martin camp myself just 'cuz. Wondering if it's just a feel good thing or an actual physics advantage. Same for electrics locking tuners excepted, of which I have two..
 

dvs

Green Mountain Blues
I do it the Taylor way. There's a little more to it than just winding away - you cut the string to length beforehand (thereby avoiding accidentally clipped G-strings ;) ). The hole in the tuning post should be aligned about 45 degrees to the neck as you insert the string, and you put a sharp bend in the string where it exits the hole before you start winding.
 
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PapaRaptor

Father Vyvian O'Blivion
Staff member
I learned this way many years ago. It's simple and has never failed me.
Clearly, there is more than one way to effectively string a guitar.
 

Elwood

Blues
Pretty much the Taylor way, on everything. I don't fuss over exactly how the peg holes are facing, like Doug says.
I even take an extra wrap on my locking tuners with the thin strings. (I know I'm the odd man out here, locking tuners have always seemed like a fix in search of a problem to me anyway, Yes, I do have them on two guitars - but no whammy bars either). If you ever want to loosen the string (esp the E or B) and retighten it, they break way less with a wrap around the post on there.
Measure twice, cut once. :D

Sometimes you do see some cool macramé looking tie offs on the strings, too complicated for me.:whistle:
 

Elwood

Blues
All of my guitars have locking tuners. Even my Epi acoustic.
Vive le difference!!! That's what keeps it interesting! I enjoy your posts RR and I realize you are extremely knowledgeable. I smile when I see how different out tastes are. I've seen before most of you here are huge fans of lockers, I'm not trying to stir that up, I just have different priorities. I don't do live work, don't have any whammy bars, don't hurry when I work on my guitars (I love them, we enjoy the process), and don't need the extra weight. That's just me.
Sorta like the 4 way switch thing, I know you love 'em. Mine causes me no trouble at all, it's in the parts box. I actually like the whole 3 way tele feel better, (I went from 4 to 3) When I got my elite tele I was gaga over the series sw, for a bit. Now I have my tele do tele stuff and my little Mira do the dbl coil stuff.

I figure at the end we are each trying to find what we each like and what works best for each of us individually. We share what works for us hoping to help others. Most folks will agree on most things. The others are just different, not wrong. I like different.
 
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PapaRaptor

Father Vyvian O'Blivion
Staff member
Mine causes my no trouble at all, it's in the parts box. I actually like the whole 3 way tele feel better, (I went from 4 to 3) When I got my elite tele I was gaga over the series sw, for a bit. Now I have my tele do tele stuff
I too, have one in my parts bin. Tried it on a build and found it just didn't do anything for me. I ended up taking it out while fooling around with something else on the guitar.

I am a fan of locking tuners, too. I don't have them on everything and probably wouldn't replace any existing tuners with lockers, but I did spring for lockers on my old American Standard Strat and Tele. I won't do a new build without them, having put them on my Bigsby Tele I built a few years ago and my FauXplorer. My Flying V has locking Grovers from the factory.
 
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jackderby52

Prehistoric blues knob (not newbie)
Well this may sound funny, I do the Taylor way on all my Martins! :).. Just like DVS stated above... But in addition to that, it gives me a chance to put my hand in the sound hole to ensure all the string balls are properly seated into the bridge plate... That's very important..

Locking tuners... Yuck!! That's a big no no when it comes to acoustics... BUT, whatever flips your switch I say...
 

snarf

making guitars wish they were still trees
There is no positive to the Martin method, only negatives, especially wasted time.
What wasted time? To string: String through post to measure it and back it up to appropriate length. Give it a wrap and bend it straight up to lock it. Tighten string around post. Clip string even with the top of the post to keep it from poking anything. To unstring: Loosen string slightly and clip it at the nut. Grab the part that is wrapped around the post and pull straight up while grabbing the straight up bit of string with string cutter and pull the string out of the post.

I would submit to you that, if you use that method more than a time or two the difference in time is nominal to non-existent. However, as with most things guitar-related, ymmv.

If I had to have the same kind of tuners on every guitar, my vote would be vintage Fender style. I like them best.
 

Elwood

Blues
it gives me a chance to put my hand in the sound hole to ensure all the string balls are properly seated into the bridge plate... That's very important..
I have found that if I put a shallow (<45 degree) bend in the string, just about where it breaks over the saddle, and then align the slot in the pin with the string and pull up gently while you push the pin in I can feel it click into position (most often). I start with the ball just below the end of the slot in the pin. I also index my pins and use the same pins in the same holes every time. I also like to index the balls so they all face the same way (or close).
Picky picky picky.
 

Al Holloway

Devizes UK
I use this method https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0Rcs1BK3Dg don't know if it is Taylor or what. I tend not to bother putting the holes straight before I start and probably have a little extra string so maybe 2 winds. That is on the non locking. Got locking tuners on most of my electrics. The 12 string acoustic doesn't.....hmmm that would be eisier to change strings if it did.....lucky I don't do it very often:whistle:

cheers

Al.
 

dvs

Green Mountain Blues
Any of these ways hold the strings in place just fine if you do it right, and any of them are quick and easy after you've done it enough times. For me the biggest asset of the Taylor way is there's no string end sticking out anywhere to poke my fingers with.
 

jackderby52

Prehistoric blues knob (not newbie)
I have found that if I put a shallow (<45 degree) bend in the string, just about where it breaks over the saddle, and then align the slot in the pin with the string and pull up gently while you push the pin in I can feel it click into position (most often). I start with the ball just below the end of the slot in the pin. I also index my pins and use the same pins in the same holes every time. I also like to index the balls so they all face the same way (or close).
Picky picky picky.

Yes!! But I have slotless pins.. But I'll give this another go next time!! Maybe I'm too wimpy when I pull up... I'm sure that's it!! :)
 
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