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Post by creolian on Sept 15, 2017 14:20:52 GMT
Hello Michael, all,
playing mostly dead sounding flat wounds until I got the reso bug last year, I don't know if it's me just playing more hours or does going from standard to open turnings deaden strings? It seems like changing turnings a few times makes a noticible difference. Thoughts ?
thanks, all best,
Jeff
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Post by Stevie on Sept 15, 2017 16:10:50 GMT
I wrench 'em up and down all the time Jeff and I haven't noticed this. Perhaps my hearing is degraded through 40 years of factory work?
e&oe...
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Post by creolian on Sept 15, 2017 22:59:05 GMT
I wrench 'em up and down all the time Jeff and I haven't noticed this. Perhaps my hearing is degraded through 40 years of factory work? e&oe... I'm 60 and I know I've lost some hearing. Tests confirmed what started out as panning headphones right... About 30% down in the gun side ear. From what I've read, Caucasian males can expect hearing to start to degrade at 35yo. Right in the frequency range that give vocals intelligibility... Might explain a few divorces. Considering we have grown up in an age of amplified sound and plenty of mechanical noise in many cases, it's a wonder we're not all deaf. Im trying to make up for a loss in hearing by working on listening better but I dont trust my ears anymore as I can hear cell phones and other ringing 247. I appreciate the feedback, I can't afford to be changing strings every week j
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Post by slide496 on Sept 15, 2017 23:09:09 GMT
You might try wiping the strings down with a piece of real chamois - seems to revitalize them temporarily for me at least. I play in dedicated tunings for the most part though per machine. You probably know this but some strings you can buy bulk. h
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Post by Stevie on Sept 16, 2017 7:33:21 GMT
When I was about 20 and at college (Wandsworth Tech) we tested ourselves in the anechoic chamber with a signal generator and I could hear up to just a fraction under 20 KHz. I struggle at 4 or 5 now. Age is a factor and sooner than most realise, but working in a sheet metal shop and for the last 30 years with constantly leaking airlines cannot have helped. Best beloved ought to have much better hearing than me, but I always hear what she calls out from other rooms and her cell 'phone alerts too. She seldom hears anything I say. Probably selective deafness! Or wax... My hearing is quite good at around 700 Hz because it is attuned to a morse code beat note of that frequency. It is necessary to filter the signal out from interfering signals with close beat notes and general backgroud airwaves interference and noise. I mention all that because of what you said about training your hearing. There must be something in it. FWIW, I reached 60 this year too. We (only) just beat Sputnik! It was OUR generation Jeff!
e&oe...
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Post by bryanbradfield on Sept 16, 2017 16:12:25 GMT
From what I recall of my changing tunings in the 1960s and 1970s is that I would more frequently break strings. I suspect that I always had dead strings on my instruments, being extremely thrifty.
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Post by Michael Messer on Sept 17, 2017 9:28:08 GMT
Hi Creolian,
Changing tunings does not really put any extra wear and tear on strings, unless you are changing from very low to very high tunings. But going from EADGBE to DGDGBD and DADF#AD, you can do that all day, I often do!
If they are good strings, they should take lots of tuning changes and not break. I change tunings on every gig and every time I play.
Shine On Michael
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Post by pete1951 on Sept 17, 2017 11:32:52 GMT
Michael is possible correct when talking about newish ,heavy , well fitted strings. Strings that have only 1/2 a wrap around the m/head post will most likely snap there if tuned up and down a few times. When I started to play I did seem to break strings when changing tunings, so I have stayed in G for the last 50years!
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Post by Michael Messer on Sept 17, 2017 11:48:02 GMT
I use 15 17 26 36 46 56 strings and always wrap lots around the tuner post. Shine On Michael
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Post by Malc on Sept 17, 2017 17:40:05 GMT
If I'm going to break a string it always seems to be G in standard tuning. Especially if tuning to open A.
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Post by blueshome on Sept 18, 2017 9:34:15 GMT
Change tunings all the time with no problems. I try never to have more than one wrap one side and two the other of the string end.
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Post by beefheart on Sept 18, 2017 14:54:29 GMT
I use 15 17 26 36 46 56 strings and always wrap lots around the tuner post. Shine On Michael How do you do that so neatly? Is there a proper way to do this. I have great difficulty getting the string to go to the correct side of the wind so the angles from nut to peg are irregular. If there's an easy tip please share. I would change my strings a bit more if it was easier. Cheers, Peter
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Post by creolian on Sept 18, 2017 18:05:02 GMT
"]How do you do that so neatly? Is there a proper way to do this. I have great difficulty getting the string to go to the correct side of the wind so the angles from nut to peg are irregular. If there's an easy tip please share. I would change my strings a bit more if it was easier" Cheers, Peter" Not intending snark but its one of those things that gets easier the more you do it. I usually procrastinate but when I finally change strings it's a bit like having a new guitar. A slotted headstock is new for me and takes me some patience... but with all guitars I keep a few pieces of scrap wood to use as nudgers to push strings into position and am using an old bridge pin to keep the string ends from coming out of the tailpiece on the resos. Broken clothespins work well for me as they are soft wood and wedge shaped. I think my issue was with one set of DR sunbeam .13s. the low E string seemed to have become deadened after one change of tuning. Put a new set on a couple days ago, have tuned from standard to open D a few times and it seems like nothing has changed. As mentioned, I don't trust my ear 100% anymore.. Thanks to all for the input. And yes, I too, am envious of Michaels super clean winds All best, Jeff
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Post by Stevie on Sept 18, 2017 20:32:07 GMT
Great tip about using old pegs to trap the ball-ends. So obvious when someone points it out. After much grief, I have started using blue-tack to secure loop-ends temporarily until some purchase is gained by the machine heads. I have some difficulty in physically gripping and manoeuvring the unwound strings and indeed even focussing upon them, although bright illumination is a big help with that. I find slot-heads difficult too, but I put it down to the lack of frequency with which I change the strings. Infrequent string changes always brings on a big smile when I finally get around to it though.
e&oe...
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Post by blinddrunk on Sept 18, 2017 22:18:30 GMT
...Infrequent string changes always brings on a big smile when I finally get around to it though. e&oe... I lent my daughter a guitar about eight years ago. I asked her to bring it with her when she visited last week because I wanted to take a "team photograph" of all my guitars. When I attempted to play my long lost friend it sounded awful. I asked her when she last changed the strings. "Never," she replied. Eight years without a string change! After fitting new strings, it certainly brought a big smile to both of us - it sang again!
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