DR strings. Where do you cut after you crimp. I'm having problems with the .110

[triggervision]

After you crimp, do you cut on the bend or right before the bend? I have always cut right before the bend and slid it into the hole of my warwick thumb tuning peg and it's worked great. Until I started using the .110 for my E string. Now I have had two of the .110 gauge strings to be dead when I put them on (only one has worked right). The one that worked right had 3 complete wraps around the peg and the recent one that didn't only had a little over 2. Does that affect it? The string has a hard time going in the hole when I cut right before the bend. I have had to use needle nose pliers to "squish" the string or bend it to get it to slide into the hole. I've had no problem with the other strings, just the .110. Help please? This is getting expensive

[Nick Kay]

I'm confused. I thought it was standard procedure to cut the string to length, insert it into the post and THEN bend it. Why would you bend the string before it's cut?

[4StringTheorist]

Originally Posted by Nick Kay

Why would you bend the string before it's cut?

Some people have a concern about the outer wrapping coming undone if the string is cut without a bend first. I guess that the bend would restrict the catastrophic outer winding failure to only that part of the string.

Personally, I bend then cut, but I've not yet seen a string's outer windings start to come spiraling off after I cut it.

[fourstringdrums]

You have to cut off a little bit before the bend so you have something to stick in the hole. If you cut on the bend I don't see how you would secure the string to the tuner, unless I'm not understanding you.

Some tuner holes are a bit smaller than others and thicker strings, especially if there is a "yarn" wrap on the string will have a harder time fitting. Just do what you've been doing to compress the end of the string so it fits. I've had to do this before myself. It's not going to make any difference in the sustain of the string.

Likewise, the number of times the string goes around only affects how the string breaks over the nut, which I believe can affect the sustain a bit, but not enough where the string would sound dead. Besides, 2 wraps is more than enough. You want at least that. It MAY have been the fact that the string went around only twice and it wasn't breaking over the nut enough that caused it to sound dead, or it may have just been a bad string.

I would try it again and make sure you cut long enough. If you get another dead string, contact DR.

[alexgeddy]

Hi,

I think most string mfg say bend the string first ...then cut it after the bend, to stop unravelling of the whole string. Every string mfg i have used recomends this. If you want to see how to install strings you can check out fenders website...they have a good downloadable way to install strings. FWIW..... I pull my strings about 3 inches past the peg, bend em and cut about a half inch below the bend...this works good for fenders but not necessarily for all basses.....


good luck
Bill

[Parabolic Box]

Originally Posted by 4StringTheorist

Some people have a concern about the outer wrapping coming undone if the string is cut without a bend first. I guess that the bend would restrict the catastrophic outer winding failure to only that part of the string.

Personally, I bend then cut, but I've not yet seen a string's outer windings start to come spiraling off after I cut it.

Though if you read the actual instructions, it says to bend it only if you're cutting to a shorter scale length because the full scale length has an anchor crimped into it at the end to prevent unraveling.

[triggervision]

I think I see my problem. I have been cutting close to the crimp as possible, and I should not cut so close to the crimp. I should cut far enough away from the crimp to for the string to go into the tuning peg and there be no further bending of the string. Just wrapping it around the peg. right?

[alexofc69]

Originally Posted by Nick Kay

I'm confused. I thought it was standard procedure to cut the string to length, insert it into the post and THEN bend it. Why would you bend the string before it's cut?

DR recommends you do this to their Round Core stings like the Hi-Beams. It prevents the outer wrap from unwinding from the core. Hex core strings do not have this issue.

I cut about 1/4 in before the crimp.

[DavidRavenMoon]

I pull my string past the post it's going to wind on, and use two more machine heads as a guide.. so about 3" past the post that string is going to wind on. Then I cut it, and stick the end in the hole in the middle of the tuner post and start wrapping.

You don't want to just wind it on without any wraps because it might fracture... especially the heavy strings. You also don't want too many wraps. They shouldn't overlap. That will cause tuning problems.

Wind from the top down to press the string against the bottom of the tuner's post.