Installing LTFs

[H Nighttrain]

I tried out some La Bella LTFs, liked them, ordered a set from Strings by Mail.

They arrive with a note:

"Notice about round core strings - Please be sure to tune strings to pitch before cutting off excess wire to prevent Strings from slipping or unravelling"

I've never done that, never heard of that, and nothing about it in a search and review of instructions and videos.

I'm putting these on Fender P. Typically I measure for about 3" past the post, bend string 90 degrees, cut, put the end into the post, and wind her up.

So if I leave off the cutting step... do I just shove the end in, wrap it in a couple layers around the post? That way most of the string, including the spot where it will be cut, with experience some time at full tension, right?

Or do I bend the string at the spot where it would have been (y'know, to 3 or 4 wraps) and deal with the hangover for a few minutes?

And then how long do I keep them at tension before cutting? Few minutes? Overnight?

 

[HaphAsSard]

I tried out some La Bella LTFs, liked them, ordered a set from Strings by Mail.

They arrive with a note:

"Notice about round core strings - Please be sure to tune strings to pitch before cutting off excess wire to prevent Strings from slipping or unravelling"

I've never done that, never heard of that, and nothing about it in a search and review of instructions and videos.

I'm putting these on Fender P. Typically I measure for about 3" past the post, bend string 90 degrees, cut, put the end into the post, and wind her up.

So if I leave off the cutting step... do I just shove the end in, wrap it in a couple layers around the post? That way most of the string, including the spot where it will be cut, with experience some time at full tension, right?

Or do I bend the string at the spot where it would have been (y'know, to 3 or 4 wraps) and deal with the hangover for a few minutes?

And then how long do I keep them at tension before cutting? Few minutes? Overnight?

Sigh, DR Strings seems to be better at these things than La Bella.

It's not that the string needs to experience some tension before cutting.
The important thing is that a round core doesn't have corners that dig into underwindings, securing them to itself. This means that, depending on installation, there is a risk that the windings separate from the core. How to prevent that? By exercising some general care during installation, without rushing it, and especially by crimping, as you already do. Bend the string where you want to cut it, then cut right past the bend (TWIMC: "past" meaning toward the end, not toward the bridge).
Why do they mention "tune to pitch before cutting"? Because, on 6-string guitars, whose tuning posts are of the tiny, hole-through-the-post type, winding and tuning achieves the required crimpage, after which the string can be cut without issue. However, if one installs a bass string on a bass tuning machine the way it's usually done (threading the end into the centre hole, not horizontally through and out of the slot), cutting usually happens prior to winding, as you've described. So, in our case, crimping and cutting is usually enough.

I suppose that, other than adopting the guitar-style, horizontal method, one could respect the instructions to the letter by crimping, not cutting the excess, then putting the V-end of the string into the centre hole, so that the crimping spot is at the bottom of the hole, and the excess goes back up, sticking out of the hole. You wind, tune to pitch, then you cut the excess flush with the post. As I said, it would be entirely unnecessary. But maybe fun, I guess, to do things by the leaflet?

 

[Yahboy]

Interesting.

I never found that notice when open the package. Only found EB cobalt flat has sheet paper of installation guide.