G&L Club Part 7

[Holdsg]

I'm sorry but I've never experienced what you have stringing a G&L. With the string going thru the back of the bridge, there is a true anchor point. I just cut to length, push the end into the tuner hole, and start winding. Where are your challenges?

 

[RocketMusic]

Have you heard the saying that no question is stupid? Well, I'll disprove that. Is there a good method for changing strings on a USA G&L bass? I've been playing bass for 50+ years, and my tried and true method of winding strings onto a bass tuner just doesn't work with them. I've attempted a couple other methods, and I got the strings on the tuners, but it was about as much fun as solving a rubiks cube and just as complicated. Since I don't like to make a half-day procedure out of changing strings, I thought I'd ask for direction (something a guy is never supposed to do!)

I take it the issue is with the string having to go through the bridge before you start winding is the problem? I try to get 1-2 winds on the tuner with a little bit of slack left in the string so that I can untwist it (i.e. let the ball end spin just outside the bridge before I put the last few turns on the tuning key and get the ball end seated in the bridge.

I usually start by feeding the string through the bridge, then I pull the ball end in snug. I hold the string tight out by the tuners, then I cut the string where the string is 2 tuners past the tuner I'll be wrapping it on. So if I'm doing the E string, I cut the string at the D-string tuner. Then I put a little bend on the end of the string with a pair of needle nose pliers, slip the bent part into hole in the middle of the tuner, put one or two winds around the tuner while leaving that slack I talked about so that I can take out the twist that develops. Push the ball end back out of the bridge by running your fingers down the string from the tuners to the bridge making sure the ball end spins freely. Then tighten it up the last little bit.

I hope that helps! Let me know if it's something else that's bugging you.

 

[RocketMusic]

Oh, one other useful tip. If the old strings are being trashed, I usually cut them somewhere around the pickup so that I don't have to fight to get the bent part through the bridge. That tears up the chrome on the bridge. That's also why I make that cut down by the bridge area rather than out by the tuners. The less string that has to run across that chrome, the better.

 

[jglunt]

I apologize for not adequately explaining myself. My problem lies with the tuner post--that narrow-at-the-bottom-fat-at-the-top post defeats my usual method. I've always held the string down at the very bottom of the tuner post while pulling some tension on it near the head of the bass. As the string winds on, it forces the previous winding up so that the last winding is on the lowest part of the post. However, with that "V-shaped" post, there is no forcing the previous winding upward. That is where my problem lies.

 

[TDR1138]

I pretty much do what @RocketMusic said. Only real difference is that I bend the string at the point I want to cut it before actually cutting it, and then clip it to leave just a small bend at the end, maybe about 1-2mm. Somewhere I read that it would help prevent strings from unwinding, but I've never had an issue either way. Just habit at this point. I put the bent end into the tuner hole. That little bend at the end helps keep the string in the hole of the tuner. Then I put a sharp bend on the string where it exits the hole, pressing it down in the slot on the tuner, just using my thumb to push down. I'll start turning the tuning peg while holding the string down at the point of the bend. As it starts to wrap, I'll push the ball end back out and let any twists sort themselves out. Once it's up to pitch (and intonation is correct), I will push down on the string just in front of each saddle to give the string a witness point over the saddle.

 

[TDR1138]

I apologize for not adequately explaining myself. My problem lies with the tuner post--that narrow-at-the-bottom-fat-at-the-top post defeats my usual method. I've always held the string down at the very bottom of the tuner post while pulling some tension on it near the head of the bass. As the string winds on, it forces the previous winding up so that the last winding is on the lowest part of the post. However, with that "V-shaped" post, there is no forcing the previous winding upward. That is where my problem lies.

I just guide it with my thumb as I'm turning the tuner. Keep the string at the bottom of the wind and it usually works itself out with no issues.

 

[jglunt]

I pretty much do what @RocketMusic said. Only real difference is that I bend the string at the point I want to cut it before actually cutting it, and then clip it to leave just a small bend at the end, maybe about 1-2mm. Somewhere I read that it would help prevent strings from unwinding, but I've never had an issue either way. Just habit at this point. I put the bent end into the tuner hole. That little bend at the end helps keep the string in the hole of the tuner. Then I put a sharp bend on the string where it exits the hole, pressing it down in the slot on the tuner, just using my thumb to push down. I'll start turning the tuning peg while holding the string down at the point of the bend. As it starts to wrap, I'll push the ball end back out and let any twists sort themselves out. Once it's up to pitch (and intonation is correct), I will push down on the string just in front of each saddle to give the string a witness point over the saddle.

I'm told that if a string has a round core rather than a hex core, it is more likely to unwind if you don't bend it first, but I haven't ever experienced that. I think I just need to develop a different way to hold the string as it tightens. I'm used to holding it low on the post as close to the head as possible and pulling it tight. Since the shaft of these tuners does the work of forcing the windings downward, I probably need to move the point that I hold the string higher on the post and tug on it a little less hard. That way I'd allow the post to do the work for me. Doing it my old way, I've been continually backing of during the winding process to undo string overlaps on the post.

 

[TDR1138]

The easy solution is just to take your time and make sure it wraps right… and to use flats so you don't have to change the strings for another 10 years.

 

[Ricky Rioli]

When I returned to bass playing after a million years, and learnt that bass strings could be perhaps be changed, I taught myself using this nicely paced video. Fender style bridges, Yamaha through body bridges, G&Ls, flats, rounds, all have worked just plodding along following what this guy told me (except that I replace one string at time)

 

[jglunt]

Thanks, @Ricky Rioli. I'll give it a watch. Who knows, maybe I've been doing it wrong all these years. One can always learn, can't one? And one SHOULD always be willing to learn (though I hate that word "should.")

 

[TDR1138]

Actually, now that I think about, the easiest way to change strings would be to call @RocketMusic and just have him send you a new set already installed on a new bass…

 

[jglunt]

Actually, now that I think about, the easiest way to change strings would be to call @RocketMusic and just have him send you a new set already installed on a new bass…

Yeah!! Buy a $35 set of strings and get a free bass!!! That would clear out the inventory...of both strings and basses.

 

[Lucky Chuck]

When I returned to bass playing after a million years, and learnt that bass strings could be perhaps be changed, I taught myself using this nicely paced video. Fender style bridges, Yamaha through body bridges, G&Ls, flats, rounds, all have worked just plodding along following what this guy told me (except that I replace one string at time)

Good stuff. I was taught that there should be 3 winds around the post and this method looks to get only 2 winds, so I would probably cut the string at 3-tuners long. But otherwise, yeah, that's it.

And I do them one at a time, too... (And don't cut them.)

Good post.

 

[RocketMusic]

Actually, now that I think about, the easiest way to change strings would be to call @RocketMusic and just have him send you a new set already installed on a new bass…

I LOVE this idea!

Yeah!! Buy a $35 set of strings and get a free bass!!! That would clear out the inventory...of both strings and basses.

Not so fond of this one. Hahaha!

 

[Iridescentone]

I apologize for not adequately explaining myself. My problem lies with the tuner post--that narrow-at-the-bottom-fat-at-the-top post defeats my usual method. I've always held the string down at the very bottom of the tuner post while pulling some tension on it near the head of the bass. As the string winds on, it forces the previous winding up so that the last winding is on the lowest part of the post. However, with that "V-shaped" post, there is no forcing the previous winding upward. That is where my problem lies.

I'm sure you're talking about the tapered posts, and how they force the wraps close together on their way down to the bottom of the post...before you want them there? With that, you're fighting to keep each wrap underneath the previous one (which is the right way). But the tapered posts can make that difficult because there isn't enough room left at the bottom for the last wraps, which is annoying on strings where there are no retainers.

I'll take straight posts every time, please. They're faster and easier to keep the wraps all the way down on the posts, IMO. Just push all the wraps down on the post with thumbs before the final tightening. No tapered posts interfering with the process.

Dunno if tapered posts were a Leo idea, but to me they're just another 'solution' to a problem that's never existed in the first place. YMMV

 

[jglunt]

I'm sure you're talking about the tapered posts, and how they force the wraps close together on their way down to the bottom of the post...before you want them there? With that, you're fighting to keep each wrap underneath the previous one (which is the right way). But the tapered posts can make that difficult because there isn't enough room left at the bottom for the last wraps, which is annoying on strings where there are no retainers.

I'll take straight posts every time, please. They're faster and easier to keep the wraps all the way down on the posts, IMO. Just push all the wraps down on the post with thumbs before the final tightening. No tapered posts interfering with the process.

Dunno if tapered posts were a Leo idea, but to me they're just another 'solution' to a problem that's never existed in the first place. YMMV

100% agree. That's it exactly.

 

[Lucky Chuck]

Dunno if tapered posts were a Leo idea

I had an early L-2000 series E (with pre-lawsuit headstock) and I don't recall it having tapered posts...

 

[jglunt]

My oldest G&L is a 2007 USA SB-2, and it has the tapered posts. I've had that bass for about 3 1/2 years, plus a 2018 USA Kiloton for nearly that long, obviously with the same. In addition, I had a set of those laying around where I had "repaired" the loose paddles, so I put them on a Tribute L2500 that I just picked up used. After all this time, I'm still experimenting to find a way to overcome those tuners "helping" me by sliding the string to the bottom as I wind it onto the post. No matter what I try, I always have strings doubling over other strings at the bottom of those posts. I've never had issues stringing onto straight posts.

 

[TomB]

I had an early L-2000 series E (with pre-lawsuit headstock) and I don't recall it having tapered posts...

Very early L series used Schaller tuners with straight posts. I'm not sure when the G&L tapered posts arrived, but someone here does. …around 2000, I'd guess.

 

[jglunt]

Very early L series used Schaller tuners with straight posts. I'm not sure when the G&L tapered posts arrived, but someone here does. …around 2000, I'd guess.

I was led to understand that the tapered-post tuners on my '07 were Schallers, but maybe not. Many years ago in a galaxy far, far away, I heard the year that G&L switched and who they switched to, but I don't remember either. My memory just isn't the same since my head was hit by that light saber.