Help. Everyone says its so easy, I must be the worst strings changer...

[MynameisMe]

You just need to be shown how to do it in person one time and you'll have it. I bought a set of LaBella low-tension flats one time and put them on when I got home from work when I was really tired and cut all the strings too short and had a heck of a time just getting him to stay in the tuning keys. Once you get a little guidance you won't have any issues it's not that hard.
if you can't do it the music shop will always change them out for you one of my friends has new strings put on by others all the time because he doesn't do it himself and I'm really surprised about that. his are thin guitar strings and they certainly more easy than bass strings to put on.

 

[bassinflorida]

1. Cut the string to the right length (goal is the wraps around the post).
2. Put the string through the bridge and the end into the hole on the post.
3. Use your right hand index finger to bend the string down at the post. Use your right hand middle or ring finger to keep the string in the nut groove. Tighten the string with your left hand. When the string starts to tighten up, you can adjust the height of the wraps if necessary.

Done.

In this picture it appears the E string tuning post and the G string tuning posts are actually leaning (bent) towards the nut. As previously noted the G string appears it has no break angle at all. Are the posts bent or is this a visual allusion?

 

[India_Sierra]

The more you try this the better you'll get at it and you'll probably build some hand strength along the way. Keeping the thicker strings under tension as you make the first few winds requires a little hand strength and dexterity but you will get there.

 

[mrcbass]

This really shouldn't be a strength issue. Rather than focusing on having the string in the nut slot for the first turn, just make sure the first wrap goes down by guiding it. You have a full turn and half before the tension will start to fight the string location. While keeping your hand on the string to hold it below the first wrap, slide back and guide the string into the nut slot and then just keep guiding the string downward. Unless the pegs are bent as suggested above (different problem), after the first wrap, physics will want to push the string down, so it should just be guidance as opposed to strength.

 

[Stevorebob]

Looks to me like those tuning machine posts are double tapered — designed to center the windings. You’ll never get the wraps to stay low on the posts.

Excepting the overwrap on the E-string, what you’ve done is perfectly workable.

 

[ctmullins]

Guys guys guys - time out.

The advice for a non-angled, Fender-style headstock is not the same as for an angled, tilt-back headstock.

Back to basics. The goal here is to have some downward force on the nut, to keep the strings firmly seated in the nut slots.

Before Fender came along, all instruments had headstocks that tilted back. This tilt provided the necessary angle to keep the strings pressing down into their slots.

When Leo came along, he made some changes - I call them compromises - to make mass manufacturing easier for him and his new company. One of these changes was eliminating the tilt-back on the headstock, allowing him to quickly and easily manufacture a neck from a straight blank. The compromise was that this method required some other way to put downforce on the strings passing over the nut. The string tree does this for the G and D strings, but there is no string tree on the A and E strings - they rely on having enough wraps around the post to keep the strings low and close to the face of the headstock.

None of this matters on a tilt-back headstock, which is what the OP has.

@THany , what you have shown in your photos is perfectly fine. Your tuners use “waisted posts”, meaning that they’re thinner in the middle than at the top and bottom. This is intentional, as it keeps the string windings centered on the posts. You will not be able to force your windings down towards the face of your headstock without putting more winds than necessary on those posts, and there’s no need for this anyway.

It does look like you need to set your witness points across your nut though.

 

[THany]

Ok
First of all thank you all so much. I have read every comment and thank each one of you.
The guy that said two of the ..... were linning toward was right, Im afraid it wasnt like that until I used so much force on that poor thing I caused some damag. But I was a little creative, and remembering a post about wrap buttons rhat came out of the wood .. I pushed some wood tooth picks to keep them in place. I dont know if its right but its what I can do for now.
Its a little better now.
And about the way this bass is builed, the old strings were wraped around the knobs like million times, I didnt understand why the guy didnt cut it but now I do.
Its a little better now. I think.
Again
Thankyou all so much. Really nice to have so many people trying to help.

 

[Mantis Tobaggan]

The Ernie Ball power peg pro works awesome on bass. I think it’s about 20 bucks but worth it.

 

[Kmonk]

Wrap the string once around the peg. With your right hand keep tension on the string by pulling it toward the bridge and guide the string into the nut while turning the tuning peg. It really isn't that difficult.

 

[ctmullins]

Ok
First of all thank you all so much. I have read every comment and thank each one of you.
The guy that said two of the ..... were linning toward was right, Im afraid it wasnt like that until I used so much force on that poor thing I caused some damag. But I was a little creative, and remembering a post about wrap buttons rhat came out of the wood .. I pushed some wood tooth picks to keep them in place. I dont know if its right but its what I can do for now.
Its a little better now.
And about the way this bass is builed, the old strings were wraped around the knobs like million times, I didnt understand why the guy didnt cut it but now I do.
Its a little better now. I think.
Again
Thankyou all so much. Really nice to have so many people trying to help.
View attachment 3522160

That looks perfect!

Now go set your witness points, nut and bridge.

 

[bolophonic]

Changing strings becomes simple, but until you get your workflow down, it is pretty awkward. It is still one of my least favorite part of being a bassist.

 

[burgerdj]

I like to bend and cut the strings with about 4” worth of winding length. Before loading into the bridge, I set the winding pattern (without overlaps) on the post from the top-down to ensure the break angle. Once I get enough winding on the post to have a bit of tension, I load the string into the bridge and tune it to pitch. Perfect install every time - one reason I love top loading bridges on my Warwicks!

 

[THany]

That looks perfect!

Now go set your witness points, nut and bridge.

Im a new bass bird, Can you explain what that is

 

[THany]

Changing strings becomes simple, but until you get your workflow down, it is pretty awkward. It is still one of my least favorite part of being a bassist.

Im sorry. Didnt understand. English isnt mynative language..

 

[bolophonic]

Im sorry. Didnt understand. English isnt mynative language..

It will be easier next time!

 

[ctmullins]

Im a new bass bird, Can you explain what that is

Great explanation here: Witness Points: The Pictorial

 

[BooDoggie]

I know this is a little late, but this is how I wind strings onto the post. I start by wrapping the string around the post a couple of times while letting the bridge end rotate in the slot or hole then switch to holding the string taught with one hand keeping my finger near the post holding it down while winding with the other. (Ibanez SR-400)

(This could be more difficult with small hands.) Having the bass in a stand or lying flat on a counter with a soft cloth or towel underneath can really help a lot. You can also roll up a towel and place it under the neck near the nut to keep the head stock elevated. Once you have enough tension on the string you can switch your hold position slightly so that you can take up the remaining slack with the string resting in the nut.

 

[THany]

I know this is a little late, but this is how I wind strings onto the post. I start by wrapping the string around the post a couple of times while letting the bridge end rotate in the slot or hole then switch to holding the string taught with one hand keeping my finger near the post holding it down while winding with the other. (Ibanez SR-400)
View attachment 3522233
(This could be more difficult with small hands.) Having the bass in a stand or lying flat on a counter with a soft cloth or towel underneath can really help a lot. You can also roll up a towel and place it under the neck near the nut to keep the head stock elevated. Once you have enough tension on the string you can switch your hold position slightly so that you can take up the remaining slack with the string resting in the nut.
View attachment 3522234

OMG
No woner I couldnt do it. I wasnt trying to push down only the string, holding it down from a distance, I was trying to keep dow the whol 2/3 wraps just around the knobs, thats why I parcialy broke two of them and have hardly any two nails left. I d k why, but there are things Im really really bad at, and sencless, like math, reading music, finding my way around places, and now... changing strings.

 

[THany]

And again. A huge thank to everyone. I have read all comments. I dont wanna spam the thread by thanking everyone of you personaly, but I do. Really.
Blessing, all

 

[mrcbass]

OMG
No woner I couldnt do it. I wasnt trying to push down only the string, holding it down from a distance, I was trying to keep dow the whol 2/3 wraps just around the knobs, thats why I parcialy broke two of them and have hardly any two nails left. I d k why, but there are things Im really really bad at, and sencless, like math, reading music, finding my way around places, and now... changing strings.

And next time you'll do better - at changing strings anyway!