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Changing strings for the first time

OH man! Measuring! I never thought of that! Whenever I change strings (almost never lol), I just cut them to the same length that the old ones were at. Which guarantees three wraps on each post. Don't ask me how I managed to get it there, but now that I've got it I can stick with it.
 
In regards to any tips I can offer:

*Changing strings is an excellent opportunity to clean your fretboard or wax your bass.

*Make sure you wind them so the string comes down on the inside of the post.

*Wind from top to bottom.

*Make sure that the grommet (not sure what it's called... the little metal bit at the end of the string) is fully in the bridge slot before you finish tightening.

*In terms of clipping them off... I find that leaving too much length is better than too little. In one case you have more string on the post than you want, in the other case you have a string that you can't use.

* Use a pencil to mark the inside of the nut to help the strings glide over that area a little more.

* You will need to re-tune your bass tomorrow and probably the next day as the new strings stretch.


That's all for now. :bassist:
 
Hmmmm... I can only think bending them back and forth will work... scissors won't. If you have pliers grip the string at the point you want it to break off and bend it back and forth against the edge of the pliers. It may take a while. :p