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Kubicki club, part 2

Right, best to cut to the last set of strings. Taking the string off the saddle for that last bit of ratcheting is good advice.

I know we all love Kubickis but I truly despise string change time. It's frustrating, painful on the thumbs and rarely goes right the first time. And don't get me started on intonation.... ugh. Price we pay.

I have no idea what a S crimp would do, maybe that's the secret.
 
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I guess part of it is that I do the S crimp, but I have no idea why I’m doing that and what the internals of the tuning wheel look like that an S crimp would make any difference, if that makes any sense. How do the internals of the tuner clamp down on the string, if it does at all?

It's sort of a design flaw, or at least it requires more finesse that winding an average tuner. I had the same issue with all the Ex-Factors I owned and still own. At one point I had Phil replace one on my '86 because of slipping. It's a ratchet system and it can wear-out over many years of ratcheting it.
 
Right, best to cut to the last set of strings. Taking the string off the saddle for that last bit of ratcheting is good advice.

I know we all love Kubickis but I truly despise string change time. It's frustrating, painful on the thumbs and rarely goes right the first time. And don't get me started on intonation.... ugh. Price we pay.

I have no idea what a S crimp would do, maybe that's the secret.

I wondered about that - E intoned, drop D - not... no way to adjust between the two like a Hipshot D-tuner.
 
@zuma There s video lurkin on Youtube that explains perfectly how to replace kubicki strings
The key is get the length of string down and when you replace the strings, measure the old to the new; perfect length always.
Take your new string and make an S shape (double crimp), inserting into hole on tuning wheel. Ratchet till you can't go anymore without hurting yourself. Than take the string off the saddle (to the right or left) and do a couple more. Pull said string back on saddle and tune.
I do a max 2-3 wraps on the wheel. If you have too much, undo it and cut it shorter. "waste" one set of strings getting the perfect length and from there all your subsequent strings are mint.

Ha ha. I wasn't the one who started this, but I'm also happy to help @ThomasTronics ! Is this the vid you are thinking of?



I like his capo idea! I'll have to try that next time.
 
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@RichSnyder I think the S bend may be so that the string doesn't back out of the hole as you turn the wheel and also to form the crimp that locks the wrap to the round core, though the sharp bend the string takes at the hole's exit should provide that crimp I would think. I like the idea of using the capo like in the video. I hadn't seen that before.
Maybe with one of these you'd gain some crazy Kubicki string changing super power from it....
Heather Sapphire Blue2.jpg
 
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Ha ha. I wasn't the one who started this, but I'm also happy to help @ThomasTronics ! Is this the vid you are thinking of?



I like his capo idea! I'll have to try that next time.


Well presented tutorial - even down to how long to cut the strings. I would just go by what came off, which was probably in that ballpark.
 
@RichSnyder I think the S bend may be so that the string doesn't back out of the hole as you turn the wheel and also to form the crimp that locks the wrap to the round core, though the sharp bend the string takes at the hole's exit should provide that crimp I would think. I like the idea of using the capo like in the video. I hadn't seen that before.
Maybe with one of these you'd gain some crazy Kubicki string changing super power from it....
View attachment 5091637

Nice color. :) I don't see that one available at the Kubicki web shop.
 
Hey @zuma , you have East LA in your profile. Have you ever dealt with the guy in Alhambra that has the occasional ExFactor basket case to part out? He hasn't posted anything on Reverb in a couple of years so just wondering. I grew up in that area but it was a looooong time ago.
 
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Hey @zuma , you have East LA in your profile. Have you ever dealt with the guy in Alhambra that has the occasional ExFactor basket case to part out? He hasn't posted anything on Reverb in a couple of years so just wondering. I grew up in that area but it was a looooong time ago.

I'm a hop, skip and a jump from Alhambra! I've never heard of this chap. We should be friends, perhaps? Or maybe, making Factor-friends is exactly how he gets his parts basses?! :eek:
 

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