Fitting a 12 string set of strings

[vanbux]

I've just bought a 2006 Rickenbacker 330/12 FG and I must state for the record that I love it. I own just over 25 guitars and this is right up there with the best of them (my '71 strat might just pip it though!!!).

BUT.............. having just fitted a set of strings I feel have to comment on how this turned out to be the singularly most "painful" experience of my guitar history!!!!

Firstly I made the mistake of taking all the old strings off in one go. This of course resulted in the tail piece and bridge falling off and me needing 4 hands to fit the first two new strings!

And then you have the joy of winding on the slotted tuner strings........... need I say more?!

It's not often I have the desire to throw such a beautiful and iconic item through the lounge window but the thought did cross my mind.

Still, now they're on it plays and stays in tune a million times better than before. I can only guess that the previous owner sold it because he realised it needed new strings!!!!!

Hopefully someone can learn from my mistakes!

[jimk]

Welcome to the world of Rickenbackers! That other player's loss is your gain, I'd say.

JimK

[Clint]

Don't worry, it gets easier. Besides, if you ues the RIC brand strings, it's something you only have to do once or twice a year. Those strings last forever.

[jdogric12]

Welcome Van. Hang in there, it gets better.

Some tips:


Here's how I do it. YMMV.

With regard to the slotted tuners, pre-clip your string so that if you pull it through the tuner, only about 2 inches (5 cm) of slack remains. This will make removing them later much easier. Once you have cut them to the correct length, turn the tuner so that the shaft (string hole) is perpendicular to the neck. In other words, with the guitar laying in your lap, you can stick the string in, in a direction pointing to the floor. Push it through until it runs into the bottom of the slot, and tune it up so the string end starts to point towards the nut. Before it turns 45 degrees, use a tool to grab the string end and pull it through until it's tight. At this point you should be able to wind it up easily the rest of the way.

Another important thing is to do it in the most efficient order possible. If the low E is 1 and the high outside E is 12, I do this:
12 off
12 on
10 off
11 off
11 on
10 on
8 off
9 off
9 on
8 on
7 off
7 on
take a cigarette or coffee break
6 off
6 on
5 off
4 off
4 on
5 on
3 off
2 off
2 on
3 on
1 off
1 on
Drink a tasty beverage.

Also, keep an empty string envelope under your tailpiece so you don't ding the finish with string ball-ends.

The whole process takes me about an hour, and I've been doing it for over ten years on a very regular basis. I like to do it first thing on a Saturday morning, it's relaxing and a nice start to the weekend if you're not in a hurry. Then you can enjoy the rest of the weekend with fresh strings on your Rick.

[Clint]

Beer breaks are required.

[vanbux]

"With regard to the slotted tuners, pre-clip your string so that if you pull it through the tuner, only about 2 inches (5 cm) of slack remains. This will make removing them later much easier. Once you have cut them to the correct length, turn the tuner so that the shaft (string hole) is perpendicular to the neck. In other words, with the guitar laying in your lap, you can stick the string in, in a direction pointing to the floor. Push it through until it runs into the bottom of the slot, and tune it up so the string end starts to point towards the nut. Before it turns 45 degrees, use a tool to grab the string end and pull it through until it's tight. At this point you should be able to wind it up easily the rest of the way."

I hope you don't think I'm being thick but I followed this up until the "pulling the string through with a tool" bit. Surely if you pull it through you're getting rid of all your slack and end up with no windings and therefore string slip? Maybe not on the wound strings but on the plain strings?

I'm sure I'm misunderstanding you cause the rest sounds like good advice!

[beatlefreak]

You can also search the forum - There are other threads dealing with restringing a Rick twelve string. Lots of tips in here.

[thaus]

I did the same for the first time a couple of weeks ago...........I waited until my McGuinn video arrived. He goes through it step by step and makes it easy to follow. First thing he says is to not clip the strings off at once.......man, the guitar sounds awesome with fresh strings!!

[Memphis Blue]

My only complaint is the string changing...can someone confirm what to me seems obvious (but since I've never had one) isn't the 12 string trapeze tailpiece easier and quicker to restring?

Getting a leftie version for the six and 12 string is harder than I thought...seems to be a hen's teeth type situation.

[jdogric12]

There seems to be a majority of people here who prefer the trapeze, since you just put the strings through a hole and they don't go anywhere. However, the problem remains of stringing slot strings underneath regular strings at the headstock. I have no truck with that. Over the years I've just gotten used to holding the string in place while I tune up the slack.

For the slack issue on the slotted tuners... feel free to experiment with a little more slack. With practice, and proper string stretching as you tune up, it will no longer be an issue. Another tip I picked up from a guy who used to be a guitar roadie for Stephen Stills: Once you've tuned up , stretched, and retuned the string, grab it over the 12th fret, pull it away from the fretboard as much as you can within reason, without breaking it, and let it go SNAP! on the 12th fret. For some odd reason this makes the string stay in tune. YMMV, but it sure works wonders for me. Now that I'm getting into video editing, maybe I'll put together a video segment on changing a Rick12....

[scotty]

Naturally cigarettes and a bevvy are a great when stringing yp a 12 but i normally used a small cloth for under the tailpiece but jasons idea of a empty string envelope is a good un!great tip there im forever losing that small cloth.Cheers

[kog]

One of the great lessons I learned from this forum a couple years ago was that you can set the string up in the tailpiece, over the bridge, then use a capo to hold it in place while you work it thru the tuning pegs. Then you have both hands free to fight with the slotted headstock and threading strings underneath each other.

That one tip was worth all the hours and hours I've spent on this forum, and I thank whoever it was that mentioned it. You have saved me ulcers and sore shoulders from hurling guitars across the room. And the capo trick works with any guitar, even my basses.

[jdogric12]

You're right, Jerry, that's a good one. A piece of masking tape works too. My only concern is taking all the strings off at once. My gut says if it's not necessary, don't do it.

[jimk]

And your gut would be right, JDog.

JimK

[teb]

I just grab one corner of my handy-dandy official Rickenbacker polishing cloth and pull the bulk of it into the gap between the tailpiece and the body. It protects the body and keeps the string from popping out of the slot in the tailpiece. Then I can ignore that end of the string and work on the other end. Works like a charm. It's not a bad idea, at least once, to remove all the strings and pull the tailpiece to get a look at the slots. Some "R" tailpieces are beautifully de-burred around the slots (mostly older ones) and some are not.