Why do folks cut strings?

[DavidJamesNHBass]

Crimping, vaccines, oil changes, brushing teeth, to-do lists, topping off before a trip, sound checks, etc.
"An ounce of prevention..."

Not a derogatory brand slam (because I still use some of their stuff to this day) but I used to be a non-crimper. One day I cut a DR Hi-Beam string while re-doing my MTV bass and actually felt the core sliding inside. Had no idea what I had felt. I asked a more seasoned bassist at the time, he told me about what had just happened 'inside the string'...huh?

Knowledge is good.
- Emil Faber, Founder of Faber College

 

[Jimmy Howe]

I'm with you, Dave. I ruined an E-string because I cut-to-size and didn't bend the end first. Lesson learned. Thankfully, Fender-style tuners afford the privilege of not having to cut at all except maybe the E-string. And because the Fender-style Hipshot de-tuners have plenty of barrel length to take the string without shortening, I don't even cut that one. Cutters are only used to remove the strings when I'm changing strings. Haven't had a dead string in decades.

 

[DavidJamesNHBass]

And that’s why the tuners have gulleys and edges, to add to an angle or help if you missed the cut.

 

[vvvmmm]

More wraps should make the string leave the post lower, closer to the headstock, giving you a more acute angle at the nut. It couldn't hurt.

Thanks for the encouragement, you and others!

I put on a new set of strings (first time I replaced a full set, ever, in some 20 years of playing, altho' I had a tech do a set, once) without cutting and I think it solved the problem of the E popping the nut (yep, I said that! ). At some point I think I'll need a new nut cut but I'll endure that pain later (I have too much fun! ).

 

[Geoff Wood]

And what exactly is this 'crimping' ? Seems to me that it seems to be simply putting a bend in the string just downstream of where intending to cut it. The veracity of the bend might be anything from an L to a U, depending on who you are listening to.

Experiment:
1 - Snip a string.
2 - Observe (use a micrometer if you wish) to see if there is *any* movement of the core wrt the windings.

Either way, the string is at least going to have an L-bend in it as soon as in the tuner, pinned there under stress !

 

[bass nitro]

Because I do not do fishing with my bass.Do not see a reasons to uncut them unless trying to catch UFO signals up or get light strikes.The bonus is I can use the string pieces for different applications.

 

[Ralf1e]

And what exactly is this 'crimping' ? Seems to me that it seems to be simply putting a bend in the string just downstream of where intending to cut it. The veracity of the bend might be anything from an L to a U, depending on who you are listening to.

Experiment:
1 - Snip a string.
2 - Observe (use a micrometer if you wish) to see if there is *any* movement of the core wrt the windings.

Either way, the string is at least going to have an L-bend in it as soon as in the tuner, pinned there under stress !

I have seen electrical wires sometimes crimped by manufacturing to prevent a bare wire crushing as an alternative to pre soldering when they are screwed down on. I have never seen crimped strings on a new bass. Has anyone ever bought a new bass with actual crimps on the strings?

 

[zontar]

I’m having a hard time understanding why people cut strings. I’ve literally never had a case where a string has had so much extra it wasn’t able to sit on the peg after wrapping it around. Strings for me usually wrap around 3-5 times then continue down to the nut. Never had any problem what so ever with slippage, tuning, etc. Why cut them, then when you go to re-sell your strings they’re a specific length for your specific bass. Why is this a thing, what am I missing?

I could maybe understand if it was a 2+2 at the headstock and the G and maybe D silk was over kill. But I see people selling standard strings saying “cut for a precision”…. That is where I am lost.

Well for one thing it depends on your headstock size & length, string length, scale length etc.
So maybe I missed some stuff, because I am not going to read the whole thread.
But some people also have preferences for that as well--based on those factors & how much they want winding around the egg--so that's fine--cut or not cut--go for it.
On my EB 3 Copy & my fretless I've had to do some cutting.

 

[Geoff Wood]

I’m having a hard time understanding why people cut strings. I’ve literally never had a case where a string has had so much extra it wasn’t able to sit on the peg after wrapping it around. Strings for me usually wrap around 3-5 times then continue down to the nut. Never had any problem what so ever with slippage, tuning, etc. Why cut them, then when you go to re-sell your strings they’re a specific length for your specific bass. Why is this a thing, what am I missing?

I could maybe understand if it was a 2+2 at the headstock and the G and maybe D silk was over kill. But I see people selling standard strings saying “cut for a precision”…. That is where I am lost.

I've never restrung a (full-length) bass and not had at least a few inches excess flopping around after 2-3 wraps, or had a fat string that could possible wrap more than that. I've also never bought or sold used strings, or ever heard of anybody else I know doing that.

Maybe I should get around more ... !

 

[AEVAREX]

1st off apologies as I did not read this entire thread.

Why do folks cut strings?
I'll hazard a guess and say to make them shorter, at least that's why I cut mine

 

[badinage]

I've been doing it the same way since I was twelve, so "Cutting Strings" is enshrined tradition with me now:

This is a new standard nickel-round Boomer 45-105 set I just put on my FrankenJazz. The new G string went on (last) at full available length and that poker-outer will need to be clipped off or it'll put somebody's eye out. The rest are pulled past the post just the right amount, cut and wrapped except the A string which gets an extra half-of-a-right-amount so I can get more available angle over the nut because if I don't (sometimes) too-little angle will produce unwanted artifacts like a rattle because it just will. Sorry I wasn't ready for my closeup Mr. DeMille:

Here on the shipped-sight-unseen-from GC LB-100 Tribute that I've had for eight weeks now, I do the same thing with wraps/trim. As you can see, I don't use the "poke-the-end-down-in-the-hole" method, preferring to clip, lay the end horizontal through the slot and protruding 3/16" or so, first wrap goes OVER the clipped end, the rest of the wraps go UNDER the clipped end and down the post. Strings here are Fender 7250 Nickel Plated Steel Rounds 45-105 (because I had them, they're cheap and I'm not real picky) and 45-105 is what the bass shipped with. I may back off to 45-65-80-100 later, but they'll be a non-esoteric nickel-plated-round whatever they are (don't worry, I have a Sunburst genuine Fender Precision w/tort & flats covered). The Fender 7250 are a LOT better the OEM nickel-round somethings on this LB-100.

sidebar: Whatever OEM string is currently shipping on CV60s Squiers seem pretty good to me. These on the Tribute were not. I think some TBers say those two OEMs are shipping using the same/some version of DiAddario, but whatever 45-105 round was on this fresh-from-factory-packing LB-100 were a yawner on this bass. My blue-ribbon panel at the weekly Real Book jam agreed with many harrumphs.

Speaking of "what's-up-with-that": what's up with the Nut on this new Tribute? Crude . It looks like it was gnawed out of a piece of scrap plastic bump-edge from a pontoon boat. I'll have to replace that.

Other than that, this is a pretty good bass improved greatly by changing the strings (and trimming them too, but obviously G&L agrees with me here because amazingly, they shipped me the bass with the strings already cut/clipped. Having thought of everything, they even boldly stood forward on the controversial stuff... (which is not the reason I bought this Tribute, it was initially physical attraction). Shame, I know.

So... This current-production LB100 Tribute looks wonderful, action and intonation was pretty good out of the box, it feels very nice other than I wish it weighed a half-pound less (it's 9lb 6oz). The neck even feels good, measuring 1.685 at the nut with a depth of .843 measuring centered between the first and second fret using the slip-a-LR44 battery-between-the-strings-so-I-don't-have-to loosen-and-move-the-strings, then subtract .212 for the battery-method:

So trim your strings with abandon, gripe about my "too many huge pics", and buy a scale! (I recommend Fishfun p.n. DGL-B $22.99 at Amazon: Zero/Tare everytime you turn it on, will read lb+oz or lb+tenths or metric and stays scaled where you left it, and for extra convenience, the display and back-light stay on plenty long enough to get your phone out of your pocket. Some scales very frustratingly won't do all those things).

 

[Schlyder]

Trim your strings you heathens.

 

[isaac42]

1st off apologies as I did not read this entire thread.

Why do folks cut strings?
I'll hazard a guess and say to make them shorter, at least that's why I cut mine View attachment 4764067

Maybe not cut them quite that short!

 

[Geoff Wood]

I've been doing it the same way since I was twelve, so "Cutting Strings" is enshrined tradition with me now:
As you can see, I don't use the "poke-the-end-down-in-the-hole" method, preferring to clip, lay the end horizontal through the slot and protruding 3/16" or so, first wrap goes OVER the clipped end, the rest of the wraps go UNDER the clipped end and down the post. Strings here are Fender 7250 Nickel Plated Steel Rounds 45-105 (because I had them, they're cheap and I'm not real picky) and 45-105 is what the bass shipped with. I may back off to 45-65-80-100 later, but they'll be a non-esoteric nickel-plated-round whatever they are (don't worry, I have a Sunburst genuine Fender Precision w/tort & flats covered). The Fender 7250 are a LOT better the OEM nickel-round somethings on this LB-100.

sidebar: Whatever OEM string is currently shipping on CV60s Squiers seem pretty good to me. These on the Tribute were not. I think some TBers say those two OEMs are shipping using the same/some version of DiAddario, but whatever 45-105 round was on this fresh-from-factory-packing LB-100 were a yawner on this bass. My blue-ribbon panel at the weekly Real Book jam agreed with many harrumphs.

View attachment 4764111

Speaking of "what's-up-with-that": what's up with the Nut on this new Tribute? Crude . It looks like it was gnawed out of a piece of scrap plastic bump-edge from a pontoon boat. I'll have to replace that.

View attachment 4764122

Other than that, this is a pretty good bass improved greatly by changing the strings (and trimming them too, but obviously G&L agrees with me here because amazingly, they shipped me the bass with the strings already cut/clipped. Having thought of everything, they even boldly stood forward on the controversial stuff... (which is not the reason I bought this Tribute, it was initially physical attraction). Shame, I know.

So... This current-production LB100 Tribute looks wonderful, action and intonation was pretty good out of the box, it feels very nice other than I wish it weighed a half-pound less (it's 9lb 6oz). The neck even feels good, measuring 1.685 at the nut with a depth of .843 measuring centered between the first and second fret using the slip-a-LR44 battery-between-the-strings-so-I-don't-have-to loosen-and-move-the-strings, then subtract .212 for the battery-method:

View attachment 4764324


So trim your strings with abandon, gripe about my "too many huge pics", and buy a scale! (I recommend Fishfun p.n. DGL-B $22.99 at Amazon: Zero/Tare everytime you turn it on, will read lb+oz or lb+tenths or metric and stays scaled where you left it, and for extra convenience, the display and back-light stay on plenty long enough to get your phone out of your pocket. Some scales very frustratingly won't do all those things).

View attachment 4764342

 

[Geoff Wood]

I have used the 'first wrap over the top' (locking the lower wraps downwards) method for both bass and guitar forever.
And surely the first string sharp bending around the edge of the tuning peg slot is at least equivalent to any 'crimp' done by any other method.

 

[isaac42]

My understanding about the crimp is that it's just a bend in the string, typically 90 degrees. The idea is that, if you cut the string before bending it, it's possible for the windings to come loose and not be tight on the core. Bending it first is supposed to prevent that. So it's not so much what you do, but in what order.

 

[AEVAREX]

Maybe not cut them quite that short!

I have no need for any wraps as I'm using sperzel locking tuners and the head is angled back giving a break angle of 8° or so if I remember correctly. Changing strings is so much faster, and getting a twist in a string is never even a concern.

 

[badinage]

I have no need for any wraps as I'm using sperzel locking tuners and the head is angled back giving a break angle of 8° or so if I remember correctly. Changing strings is so much faster, and getting a twist in a string is never even a concern.

I have one bass with those. It's a custom Zion fretless that Ken built that way for me without even asking if I had a preference. Seems to work just fine, so I don't stress over it.

Umm... and now I realize that I actually DO own a PJ configured bass, because that was the other feature that was "a little different". Back then.

 

[mikeswals]

I’m having a hard time understanding why people cut strings. I’ve literally never had a case where a string has had so much extra it wasn’t able to sit on the peg after wrapping it around. Strings for me usually wrap around 3-5 times then continue down to the nut. Never had any problem what so ever with slippage, tuning, etc. Why cut them, then when you go to re-sell your strings they’re a specific length for your specific bass. Why is this a thing, what am I missing?

Not for me they don't (34" scales). I cut them, and then they have 3-4 wraps. If I didn't cut them they'd have more like 10 wraps.

Also, I'm not here to sell used strings. I put them on, I leave them on til they're dead.
Years ago I sold a take-off set from a used bass bought, only to have it bite me in the azz when the next buyer tried using them, I think one broke. I also years ago once bought a used set of flats, and they snapped just after tuning it up the first time. So ever since then, no more used strings buying or selling....

 

[Chris_will_do]

I actually never do. Never thought of it. And never had slippage-problems.....