How do you string your Floyd guitars?

[notjonahbutnoah]

With the ball ends at the tuning posts, like this:

 

 

Or, do you clip the ball end off and do it the other way?

 

Why?

 

I do it the first way because I think it's easier and a little more stable.

 

Is this wrong? What say you?

[Rand-O-Monium]

I cut off the ball-end & leave some of the reinforced wraps intact.

Gives a little more to grab for the saddle block to hunker down on...

[notjonahbutnoah]

 

I cut off the ball-end & leave some of the reinforced wraps intact. Gives a little more to grab for the saddle block to hunker down on...

 

 

Hmmm, a third option I was not aware of. Cool.

[poolshark]

I usually string with the ball ends through the tuners, but I leave the strings at full length* and snip the extra length/ball ends off from the tuners afterward.

 

*When referring to wound strings, I snip off the unwound portion before locking it in the bridge.

[Jerry_L]

 

I usually string with the ball ends through the tuners, but I leave the strings at full length* and snip the extra length/ball ends off from the tuners afterward. *When referring to wound strings, I snip off the unwound portion before locking it in the bridge.

 

 

Same here. Noah, you seem to like your balls wrapped tight.

[notjonahbutnoah]

 

I usually string with the ball ends through the tuners, but I leave the strings at full length* and snip the extra length/ball ends off from the tuners afterward. *When referring to wound strings, I snip off the unwound portion before locking it in the bridge.

 

 

Hmmm, and still a 4th way. Also very cool.

 

Is there anything wrong with leaving the ball ends? (I do trim my strings, not like I have 7 winds up there, usually it's 1.5 ish)

[notjonahbutnoah]

Same here. Noah, you seem to like your balls wrapped tight.

 

So tight.

[Jerry_L]

 

Is there anything wrong with leaving the ball ends? (I do trim my strings, not like I have 7 winds up there, usually it's 1.5 ish)

 

 

An advantage of your method is there's no exposed end to prick your fingers. I do hate having my fingers pricked.

[notjonahbutnoah]

 

An advantage of your method is there's no exposed end to prick your fingers. I do hate having my fingers pricked.

 

 

Yeah, there ya go. See, I started this thread because someone on ebay informed that they were gonna bid a lot on a guitar I've got up, but then they saw that I had the thing strung as such and then they told me I shoud do it the right way... I'm tryin to figure out what beef people might have against this.

 

I say it's easier, more stable, AND no finger pricks/torn clothing etc.

[RaVenCAD]

I trim the ball ends and the extra wrapped part. I have 4-5 wraps on the tuners, and then I bend the string back and forth to trim it. Doing it that way eliminates the sharp ends and keeps your hands safe.

[humbuckerstrat]

The way I do it is I put the plain end of the string thru the tuner and when I'm going to put them in the saddle, the only strings I cut are the wound strings, I cut the plain ends off of them and then put the wound end into the saddle, then tighten down. For the plain striings, I don't cut any of the string off and I just put the end of it in the saddle, then tighten down.

 

That leaves a lot of excess @ the headstock end, but i don't mind. And I have about 5 or 6 windings of the string on the post for the plain strings, and about 2 to 3 windings for the wound strings.

 

If I break a string @ the saddle (which is usually where it happens), I'll just unwind some string from the headstock end so I can reach the saddle again. I can keep a set of strings on my floyded guitars for a long time this way.

 

And I also like the fact that I don't have any sharp ends of strings to poke my fingers on

 

Pic

 

[WilmerTheWhite]

I have the same basic idea, but not exactly. I cut the balls and put the end in the saddles. Then I wind up a lot of string at the tuners very carefully, before I lock the nut. If a string break it is mostly at the saddle, and then I unlock, pull down some length of string, put the end in the saddle and then I tune up again, before I lock. It can sometimes be done two or three times, but a string does not last for ever anyway, so that

[RaVenCAD]

I used to do that trick way back in the day, but I haven't had to do it since I learned how to not break strings.

[notjonahbutnoah]

Hmmm, so still no argument against the way I do it? There's gotta be someone.

[67mike]

I cut off the ball-end & leave some of the reinforced wraps intact. Gives a little more to grab for the saddle block to hunker down on...

 

Dis what I do...it workz.

[cratz2]

I did it exactly like this all through the 80s and 90s until I got away from Floyded guitars. Never had an issue.

 

With the ball ends at the tuning posts, like this:

[RaVenCAD]

 

Hmmm, so still no argument against the way I do it? There's gotta be someone.

 

 

Your way is just as valid as any other. If it works and you don't mind the ballends, go for it. It certainly won't hurt anything. I don't think it helps much either, though.. The locking nut prevents tuner slippage. Now, if you didn't have the locking nut, as is the case on some Carvins with Floyds, then your method would be my preferred way.

[notjonahbutnoah]

 

Your way is just as valid as any other. If it works and you don't mind the ballends, go for it. It certainly won't hurt anything. I don't think it helps much either, though.. The locking nut prevents tuner slippage. Now, if you didn't have the locking nut, as is the case on some Carvins with Floyds, then your method would be my preferred way.

 

 

Word, thanks. Yeah, I mean, I know it's not the vastly superior way, but as long as it's not horribly wrong... yay! I like the ballends up there. Pretty colors!

[bish0p34]

I have the same basic idea, but not exactly. I cut the balls and put the end in the saddles. Then I wind up a lot of string at the tuners very carefully, before I lock the nut. If a string break it is mostly at the saddle, and then I unlock, pull down some length of string, put the end in the saddle and then I tune up again, before I lock. It can sometimes be done two or three times, but a string does not last for ever anyway, so that

[WilmerTheWhite]

Yes, that

[notjonahbutnoah]

 

This is how I do it. The only thing is if I break a string I only use the trick once. I feel that once a string breaks, the whole set should be replaced. I only use this trick to get through a gig without having to stretch strings.

 

 

Well the quick fix to not needing to do that trick is just to buy two of the same guitar!

 

*in my best Dr. Steve Brule voice"

 

Why didn't you think of that, dummy!

[gdsmithtx]

 

I do hate having my fingers pricked.

 

 

There's a joke in there, but I'm not gonna touch it .....

[notjonahbutnoah]

 

There's a joke in there, but I'm not gonna touch it .....

 

 

You can prick your finger, just don't finger your prick.

[Stricken]

I cut off the ball end of the string and clamp that down at the saddle. 3 or 4 winds around the peg for stability when I play with a blocked trem and unlocked nut. On the plain strings, I don't leave those little winds toward the ball on. Clip that off too. Too many times has a string slipped out of those winds and popped out of the saddle. Maybe I wasn't clamping down tight enough, or maybe it's just the way the Edge III is.

[bengerm77]

I do it like this.

 

 

I do it like this so that I don't have to change the strings if I break live. I can get a guitar back to playing in about 2 and a half minutes. I just loosen the string, open up the block and put in the remaining bit of the string that still works, then tune and tighten back up. I haven't had to do it live yet, but i know that I can from breaks during practice.