String change - one at a time or all at once?

Jon Irsik · From: Wichita, KS USA

Getting ready to change strings on my new-to-me Rains SD-10. What do y'all do?

Rich Upright · From: Florida, USA

Doesn't matter but it's a lot easier to do all at once then you can clean the pig head and fretboard
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A couple D-10s,some vintage guitars & amps, & lotsa junk in the gig bag.

Tom Quinn · Posted 28 Aug 2015 7:56 am

Never owned a Rains but most steels need three hands. One to crank the tuner, one to guide the string and one to hold the string ball on the little post thingie. I learned here that you can wedge something like a rubber paint brush in against the string ball to keep it from popping off.

I have always taken off all of the strings so I can do some house cleaning on the guitar.
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chris ivey · From: california (deceased)

i used to, but now i do one (or two or three) at a time cause it's easier to run it up to pitch in relation to the other strings.

Larry Moore · From: Hampton, Ga. USA

Jon I use a wooden close pin works great on my Derby & Emmons.
Larry

chris ivey · From: california (deceased)

that's cool. and the open end would be a good holder for a big fat blunt while your twisting the pegs!

Jon Irsik · From: Wichita, KS USA

Thanks for the help, everyone. I ran behind today so this will be at the top of the list tomorrow. That clothes pin idea is good, I'll have to try that.

Ronnie Boettcher · From: Brunswick Ohio, USA

I just cut a piece off of a wooden shim. Cut it about 3/8th inches wide, and cut the length so it wedged in to where it touched the fingers on my Sho~Bud. The ball never slips out, and as soon as you have a string wound so there is no slack, remove the wedge, and tighten to pitch. I change mine all at the same time, to clean the fret board, and nut.
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Rich Upright · From: Florida, USA

You're all over thinking this use your middle finger to hold the ball on the pin stretch your thumb up and hold the string tight above the changer your with your thumb and crank with your other hand. don't need any wedges or clothes pins. I did, however, once see John Hughey use a piece of foam rubber stuck in there.
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A couple D-10s,some vintage guitars & amps, & lotsa junk in the gig bag.

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

I do the following procedure:
Trim string to proper length
Insert ball on post or in wedge with left hand, tensioning with right hand. The left hand never leaves the string til tension is reached
Right hand feeds the string through the tuner, then starts taking it up, left hand keeping enough tension to keep the ball on the post/in the slot.
Maybe I'll show it when I string up the Perm.
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Craig Baker · From: Eatonton, Georgia, USA - R.I.P.

Re-stringing is one of the reason to love a Fender 800. Easiest guitar in the world to re-string. You could probably do it with one hand. String goes through changer then wraps around and comes back over the top of the changer and on to the tuning keys. The string can't slip off. Genius!

The genius continues: The tuning keys are captive which makes it even easier since the string can't slip off the end of the tuner's shaft either.

Thank you Leo, for making it SO easy.

Craig
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Daniel Policarpo · Posted 29 Aug 2015 2:33 pm

Craig, that is about as easy as it gets. And Leo and George's stuff looked good, too.Plus, I am one of those poor saps who loves the Fender pedal steel sound. That locking tuner idea seems like it would offer the benefits of the key-less steels for those who do not like the key-less look. Can you imagine a Fender Sho~Bud or a ZB without those keyheads?

Larry Moore, that is a great idea!

John Irsik, congratulations on your new Rains! Do you have a picture of it available? For strings, I usually do it one at a time. If I had all my strings off I'd have to look at my dirty board and feel compelled to clean it more often. I do like to keep the changer nut and keyhead nice and shiny, though. I only change strings about once a year and I give everything a good going over then. I use just a little teeny bit of teflon to lube the mechanisms underneath.

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