Restringing a resonator guitar for the first time...

[lonelyjelly]

Hey.

I want to restring my MM Lightning for the first time and I am wondering if any of you can offer advice.

I've been told before to do one string at a time starting with the 4th, then 3rd, then 5th, then 2nd, 6th and finally 1st in order to distribute the weight equally onto the bridge. As it's my first attempt I thought it best to quickly search for a tutorial on YouTube and came across this:



I'm not going to strip all the strings like this chap did with his National, but what I am curious about is how he threads and winds the 6th and 1st strings to avoid them touching the headstock? This seems like a good idea however neither of my slotted headstock guitars have been strung this way so...can anyone give me their two cents as to whether it is necessary...?

Any and all advice will be very much appreciated :-)

Cheers

Lew

[Michael Messer]

Don't take them all off! Just restring it one at a time, tuning each one to pitch as you go. Start at 6th (low E) and work around the headstock...5, 4, 3, 2, 1.....

Wind the string around the peg on the outside of the hole in the peg. Keep the tension on the string as you wind it in, otherwise it will pop out of the tailpiece.

I have done this thousands of times. Perhaps I should make a little Youtube video?

Shine On
Michael

[Stevie]

If you follow the sensible advice to change one string at a time, then it doesn't matter in which order you do change them. The sequence you mentioned is for when you are taking off or putting on all the strings at once. It's a bit like torque-ing up the head bolts on an internal combustion engine.

e&oe...

[purpleorange]

I wind the 1st and 6th strings towards the middle of the headstock to stop them from touching the headstock, I don't know it it is necessary but it seems to be the way the NRP do it judging by the photos on their website. If you are only changing one string at a time the order shouldn't really matter so it is probably easier to just to work from top to bottom.

I didn't watch all the video, but I did see Lenny cut the strings before he wound them on, that might cause problems with some strings.

[Deleted]

My personal view - new strings all at once are a bit vulgar. Maybe change a couple one week, a couple the next week etc. Continue 'til you get to 6...
TT

[Michael Messer]

The reason I change strings in this order... 6 5 4 3 2 1 has nothing to do with tension, it is about access to the peg and which strings get touched in the process. Just my way....

The video demonstration is really not great. There is no need to use masking tape. When he's changed as many sets of strings on Nationals as I have over the past four decades (and in some pretty awkward places...hotel rooms, dressing rooms, festival tent floors, stages, airports, railway stations, ships, trains, cars, etc etc...), he won't need tape to hold his strings in place!

Shine On
Michael

[lonelyjelly]

Cheers guys :-)

6 through to 1 does seem much easier. I will copy the photo of the new MM Blues as in wind in from the outside on 6 and 1, and for 5 4 3 2 just wind inside as the guitar is now. If that makes sense!?! What MM said re winding the string. Ha

Michael, a video is a very good idea!!

I'm defo not adding tape

Thanks

Lew

[Dessery]

I've changed my strings dozens of times but I never do it neatly, id love to see how a pro does it if you get a chance to do a video Michael

All the best
David

[oldpicker]

If you're using Newtone strings do not cut the excess off until the string is up to tension or it may unwind!

[lonelyjelly]

Mar 26, 2016 8:41:56 GMT oldpicker said:

If you're using Newtone strings do not cut the excess off until the string is up to tension or it may unwind!

I was going to ask about this as I had been warned not to clip the strings in case they unwind depending on the brand. The guitar came with some MM National 16's and I bought a spare set of D'Addario phospor bronze 16's. Do you know if I'm alright to clip with these, or would you wait until tension is met?

Cheers guys

Lew

[Deleted]

A capo is handy to hold string in place while installing.

[gaucho]

You can clip the D'Addarios. Measure the correct length by pulling it past the tuning peg you are stringing, to the next one up and clip it there. On the top pegs, go to the top of the headstock. This probably goes without saying, but on the Newtons, you can clip the 2 treble (unwound) strings without worry.

Mar 26, 2016 10:06:25 GMT lonelyjelly said:

Mar 26, 2016 8:41:56 GMT oldpicker said:

If you're using Newtone strings do not cut the excess off until the string is up to tension or it may unwind!

I w,as going to ask about this as I had been warned not to clip the strings in case they unwind depending on the brand. The guitar came with some MM National 16's and I bought a spare set of D'Addario phospor bronze 16's. Do you know if I'm alright to clip with these, or would you wait until tension is met?

Cheers guys

Lew

[slide496]

Mar 26, 2016 12:26:23 GMT @fredcapo said:

A capo is handy to hold string in place while installing.

I sometimes use a capo to hold a string in place while tuning until it gets somewhat taut on my res and almost always on my flat tops with floating bridges - as the bridge can move.

[lonelyjelly]

Restrung guitar...pic to come but my 6th string sounds whack...really dead. 5-1 sound grand although the 3rd just snapped so I'm guessing I didn't let it sit enough before changing between standard, D and G. I then replaced that with a D'Addario, which snapped as I was tuning up to pitch. Burn.

I have no 3rd strings left so should I nip into town and get a replacement straight away? or will it not affect the balance and tension on the biscuit if I leave it over night with one string missing? Apologies if this sounds naïve, first time reso restring! Not fun ha ha.

And does anyone have any thoughts as to why the 6th string sounds so dead? I put on a pack of MM National 56-15's.

Thanks chaps

L

[lonelyjelly]

Pics as promised.

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