changing strings!

[wonderman]

hi all, i have a set of erie ball strings, the "super slinky" which have 009-011-016-024-032-042 (iīve read in the manual this is the standard measures for edge pro ibanez guitarsīstrings).

ok, strings arenīt broken and have a good sound, but for 2 months i believe itīs maybe too time (playing at least 2 hours straight at studio, per week, and some hours distributed for the week) so, is it time to change?

by the way, how do you make the first turns of the string? by hand? like, roll 3 turns and then start to wrap by the tuners of guitar? and do you change 1 by one? i donīt want to mess with tremolo bridge...

[JJEMMER777]

Yes - most Edge's dialed in for 009's. I never go more than 3 weeks - 4 max (and that's pushin it) on a set of strings. But I generally put in a lot more than two or so hours a week. Many diffrent techniques for changing strings. Play around and find the one that best suits you. I NEVER take off more than two strings at once on a full floating trem. You can maybe do three, but the springs will pull the trem down into the cavity and can mess up your intonation. I usually change them two at a time.

[Flobanez]

I change mine one at a time. Works good for me.

[Eddie88]

Originally Posted by Flobanez

I change mine one at a time. Works good for me.

I change mine ALL at a time. Works good for ME

[Ozzdoc]

I change them all at the same time as well

[Gex]

The one at a time method works good.

And,
You can also put bottle caps ( PLASTIC Soda bottle caps, not metal beer/root beer bottle caps) under the tremolo in the recess cavity, which will prop up the tremolo higher than normal "neutral" position. Then take off all the strings, and load up all the new strings at once.

I like that method alot too, I use it frequently.


The LAST thing you want to do is to take off all the springs and leave the tremolo unsupported, so it lays back against the body. Takes forever and a day to get that thing back to a stable tune.

[wonderman]

ok, iīve done it... changed 1 at time, and it was very easy, because of the same tension of the strings, it was simple. It was my first time changing strings in a kind of bridge like this, so i am not shure about the pressure on the locking system, but i believe iīve made the correct pressure (very tight, but not like PUSHING VEEERY HARD).

right now itīs completly done, iīve tightened also the locking nut (i think itīs not necessary to be out at the beginning right?) and tried to play a little, i can see that playing with themolo arm, it changes veeeeery little the tune of one or other strings, but i believe itīs normal and u canīt actually hear it...

i also have cutted the strings at the top (i donīt like the strings rolled itself), and noticed that intonation is PERFECT, only the E string (the 042 one) is a liiiitle down in intonation, but itīs like that, itīs so little u canīt hear it...

[JJEMMER777]

Originally Posted by Eddie88

I change mine ALL at a time. Works good for ME

You DO use a trem block of some sort......right????

[buddroyce]

I actually change all mine and most Floyd's without a trem block of any sort. What I do is actually just put all the strings on, push down on the trem bar till the floyd is generally where it sits when properly in tune and then tune the guitar while my right hand holds down the trem. Takes a while to get used to, but it's a lot easier for me to find a whammy bar than it is for me to find a wedge for the trem.

[Bezial]

i do all at once and stuff a duster in the trem to hold it at the rightish height, works well and dont take to long once you are used to it

[Eddie88]

Originally Posted by JJEMMER777

You DO use a trem block of some sort......right????

Of course! I just put a little protecting thing (looks like a little piece just like the inside of my case) in the cavity. Doesn't really matter what I use. I just block it, remove the strings, do whatever I want to do with the neck (oil etc.), then put on one string after another. Then I tune a while, and it's perfect

[JJEMMER777]

Originally Posted by Eddie88

Of course! I just put a little protecting thing (looks like a little piece just like the inside of my case) in the cavity. Doesn't really matter what I use. I just block it, remove the strings, do whatever I want to do with the neck (oil etc.), then put on one string after another. Then I tune a while, and it's perfect

buddroyce has found a way to do it w/o a block. Seems like a real pain, lol. IF I'm doing a serious cleaning / polish - then I use a block and remove all the strings. But if I'm just changing strings to heck with it. I'll just do it two at a time