How do YOU restring your guitar?

Philtre

Voxman said:

My roadie restrings all my guitars...I assume  everyone here has their roadie to do all theirs too. 

Now that we cannot gig due to Covid-19 I have to get the butler to do it (socially distanced of course).

Philtre

JayGee said:

I’m actually a big fan of the Fender vintage slotted tuners with the hole down the post - they get three fingers past the tuner post, the end of the string poked as far down the hole as it goes and then just wind the slack on down the post and tune to pitch - it’s almost as quick, easy, and foolproof as the locking tuners on my PRS...

I agree. I'm actually re-stringing an old Jap Strat at this very moment. I use the 4 posts length method.

Blueingreen

I was a Martin method guy but recently I put locking tuners on all the guitars I owned that didn't already have them.  Happy with that arrangement.

Roland

II took locking tuners off because they were unnecessary weight.

Logie

Martin for me. Quick and easy.

grungebob

Hmm. I can’t say I’ve ever had tuning issues with the guitars I’ve kept. I always one wrap over then The rest under to pinch lock the string in place

Sassafras

Usually with guitar strings.
I once tried it with violin strings but they weren't long enough and there weren't enough of them.

wellsyboy

Roland said:

New Martin video. Locking the string into the machine head starts at 9:00.

https://youtu.be/BwgrukU7jPU

Just looks really messy doing it like this - 

eoinzy

-

Roland

wellsyboy said:

Just looks really messy doing it like this - 

Yes. I prefer Martin’s original method, the one they promoted until a few years ago. String through the hole, kink and backward half a turn, under the string, then kink and pull forwards, and turn the machine head to tighten by half a turn. It’s always held safe for me.

LastMantra

I can't remember, haven't changed strings for years. 

Fuengi

Tried the Martin Method for the first time last night on my Gretsch, I think it's the only time I've come back to a guitar the following morning and it has still been in tune. 

Much easier to do on the first three strings than the previous method I used. 

guitarjack66

I have copied,successfully,Mr intheblues(Shane's) method from about 5 years ago. Until I saw that youtube video I had no clue but have now successfully replaced several sets of strings that way on my acoustics

drofluf

I put new strings onto a 12 string slothead yesterday. I no longer fear string changes Although the electric winder made a huge difference

Tannin

I owned a 12-string slothead for many years. Never again.

I don't get electric winders. I don't even get manual winders. They don't seem to actually make anything any faster or easier. But then I'd rather wash a few plates and spoons than figure out how to get the bloody dishwasher going, let along have to stack and unstack the damn thing. 

I do treasure my cheap plastic D'Addario string winder though: turn it around backwards and the handle has a nifty non-scratch bridge pin remover. 

I don't hold with the various published methods. Simply pop the string into the hole and insert the bridge pin, lead it through the tuning peg leaving only a little slack (about 1.5 turns worth) and use one hand to keep constant tension on the string while you wind it up with the other hand. Easy. Fast. Very stable tuning. The secret is to wind it on under tension. String winders just make that more difficult, and little if any faster.

Slash'N'burn

Pretty much the bog standard self taught way, just making sure the final wraps were pushed to the bottom of the post. Prob used too many wraps but seems to of done no harm over the years.
last time I used the 2 > 1 fret measuring method for gauging how much to excess to wind around the posts, did take the guesswork out of it.

Jalapeno

Roland said:

I've always done it the Martin way on both acoustics and electrics: pass the end through the post hole, half a turn backwards, hook it under the string, tune up to lock in place and cut off the excess.

This way, and one string at a time