Turning Ball end strings into loop end

[pete1951]

Getting ball-end strings in just about any gauge is fairly straight forward these days, but very few ( none in my area) music shops stock single loop, so you may have to buy a whole set. I have seen advice on the interweb recommending the use of pliers, to crush and brake the ball end. This does work, but there is a danger you will crush the loop when the ball-end snaps and put a kink in the end of the string, which can weaken it. My advice is to add a vice.

This give you control over the pressure and you will see the ball-end crack, you can then carefully squeeze the ball end at right angles to the crack and it should fall out
Pete




This was a Rotosound string, the brass ball end was painted white

[Michael Messer]

Pete, looks great, but not all of us have "proper" tools like vices. I have vices, but not that type.

I have done this many times when fitting strings on my Mohan veena. I just hold the string with pliers and untwist the ball end a couple of turns. I have never had a string break and the MV is pretty high tension.



Shine On
Michael

[pete1951]

I have used that method too, My sitar ( which by the way is up for grabs on Tin Can Ally at the moment) has 7-8mm posts for the strings and the loop end left by the ‘vice’ method is much too small. That said , I still prefer the ‘vice’ as it doesn’t disturb any of the original winding which could reduce the strength of the string close to the ball end.
I am probably being too cautious,
Pete