Stringing with the "ball" left.

[DracWell]

I've seen this on a lot guitars by now, Mine was stringed like that when I got it, but dumb as I was I didn't look HOW it was done before I removed them.

How do you do that? I've noticed that on some string-brands the coil ends before the core ends, and on other they end at the same time. That would be easier to fit in a floyd rose.

And also, most of these strings I see have their "balls" in different colors, what brand could this be?

Cheers!
-Mattias

[yurich]

D'Addarios have different coloured ball ends

[gtrcollectr]

Just run the string through the tuner first and then snip the end off on the wound strings to loose the non-wound end and clamp and tune. Pretty strait forward.

Todd

[Champagne Mist]

Yeah i do this too. The advantage is that you don't have to worry about making sure the string doesn't pull through the post, because the ball butts right up against it.

[gkelm]

I do this sometimes too...it's nice not to have those little sharp string ends that snag stuff.
Greg

[Drew]

Originally Posted by Champagne Mist

Yeah i do this too. The advantage is that you don't have to worry about making sure the string doesn't pull through the post, because the ball butts right up against it.

Thats's actually a good reason to do that. I'm officially a convert.

-Drew

[CrossingStar]

But do you run it taught from the ball/tuner to the bridge? Or do you leave slack so it winds around the post a few times? Because I would miss the extra string when I pop at the bridge. I just unwind a little and put it back in.

[MicJustMic]

I do it the way Rich does it.

Turn the tuner so that the opening is perpendicular to the nut (in other words, so the string slot is pointing towards the bridge).

Pull the string through the tuner towards the "top" of the headstock, AWAY from the bridge.

Now loop it around clockwise (counter clockwise on reverse/left handed or if you have three on a side, on the bottom three) pull fairly taught and clip the string about an inch past the saddle block.

Now clamp and tighten.

Works great. You end up with one to two winds around the post making for easy initial tuning and you have the "purrdy" colored balls (with Dimarzios anyway) at the headstock.

I usually use old torn up t-shirts as guitar rags, when I clipped the balls off and had the little bits of sharp strings at the headstock I'd often stab myself while cleaning the thing, and the cloth would get caught and be torn up on the tuners.

I've started doing this on all my guitars; I'll do it even with the new Edge Pro bridges, if I ever get a new guitar.

Mic

[ScottB]

I usually stretch the string out and cut it off just behind the fine tuner. This leaves about 2 inches of string that you can wind around the peg.

Be sure to keep tension on the string when you wind it down, otherwise the string may tend to overlap itself on the peg.

[Axefretters]

IMO I find this very tacky looking. You can cut the string at the post without any difficulty or sharp pokies or whatever you call them. I have had many compliments on how professional it looks too...

[MicJustMic]

Originally Posted by Axefretters

IMO I find this very tacky looking. You can cut the string at the post without any difficulty or sharp pokies or whatever you call them. I have had many compliments on how professional it looks too...

To each his own . . .

I like to keep my guitars as spotless as I can, and doing it this way makes it easier for me to clean the headstock.

Besides, as often as I change strings now (I'm playing a LOT) it's a little faster to clip once, using the bridge to measure where, instead of twice, "eyeballing" it at the headstock to get a good amount to wind on the peg.

Again, to each his own. Unless you're right on top of the thing you can't see the balls anyway.

Mic

[Champagne Mist]

Originally Posted by RG-Metal

But do you run it taught from the ball/tuner to the bridge? Or do you leave slack so it winds around the post a few times? Because I would miss the extra string when I pop at the bridge. I just unwind a little and put it back in.

Yep. I leave enough slack so i can wind it around the post about 3 times. Works like a charm.

[dcord]

I actually started winding strings backwards on my guitars because I kept breaking strings at the bridge. It makes it a ton easier to unwind the string a little and reattach it when the string is wound with the ball at the headstock...

I've never had a complaint about "unprofessionalism" in my setups.

~d~

[sniperfrommars1]

Originally Posted by Axefretters

IMO I find this very tacky looking. You can cut the string at the post without any difficulty or sharp pokies or whatever you call them. I have had many compliments on how professional it looks too...

I dont care how small you cut em. I still get poked on em everytime Im not looking. THe look is purely taste. The ball is purely functional though