330 tuner/tuning help needed

[paologregorio]

NO!!!

There's no need to buy locking tuners ever, unless you play like EVH or Yngwie, and have a Floyd rose on your guitar.

Buy a Kyser capo-much cheaper, and simple to use! When re-stringing, fit the ball end into the slot on the "R" TP, pull it snug so it stays in the slot, and use the capo to hold the string taut at the fifth or7th fret whilst you thread and wind the string on the tuning key. Repeat for the rest of the six strings. If you're really good you can do this with more than one string at a time, maybe up to all six.

[scotty]

NO!!!

There's no need to buy locking tuners ever, unless you play like EVH or Yngwie, and have a Floyd rose on your guitar.

+1million

[paologregorio]

Maybe so, but in any case, your question was how to avoid the expense of a set of locking tuners, and easily hold the ball end of the string in the "R" tailpiece when restringing your guitar; the Kyser capo is the way to go. In my experience, locking tuners are pretty unnecessary; I've had them on a guitar and ended up putting the original tuners back on.

Kyser Capo, $15.95 at MF: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/navigati ... B&ZYXSEM=0

Schaller locking tuners, $81.85: http://www.stewmac.com/shopby/item/0661

[Clint]

The capo trick works fine. It's like having a third hand. You could also stuff the RIC polishing cloth, that is probably still in your guitar case, between the "R" tailpiece and the guitar's top.

[paologregorio]

Maybe so, but in any case, your question was how to avoid the expense of a set of locking tuners, and easily hold the ball end of the string in the "R" tailpiece when restringing your guitar; the Kyser capo is the way to go. In my experience, locking tuners are pretty unnecessary; I've had them on a guitar and ended up putting the original tuners back on.

all of my guitars that have locking tuners, have come with them. they're going to be a blessing in disguise very shortly with my telecaster, which will be getting a bigsby just as soon as http://www.vibramate.com gets the new tele plates in this month.

the capo idea is a good one, though i do think i tried that already. its been a while since i restrung this guitar last.

while i do want to avoid the expense of locking tuners, the one area i'm not certain capos and tape work is onstage. i have yet to break a string on my Ric during a gig, but i always try to be prepared for that eventuality.

I always bring two guitars to a gig; I wouldn't keep my bandmates and the audience waiting while I changed a string. If I were playing more than one set, I'd change it between sets.

In any case, your problem seems to be with keeping the ball end of the string in the TP slot, and the capo would certainly make an on stage string change convenient; once you have the string in the slot, it takes about a second or two to clamp a single string down with a capo, which one can easily keep handy onstage-mine's usually clamped onto my pedal board-it'll take you less time to grab your capo and clamp the string to the fretboard with it than it will for you to find a pack of strings, open the package and fish out the string you need. It'll probably be easier to hold the string in place with the capo than it would for you to hold the string in place with sufficient tension long enough to get the string into the hole of the tuner without one, whether it's a standard Shaller, or a locking Schaller.


If your guitars come equippeed with locking tuners that's another thing altogether, but I wouldn't go out and buy a set. I'm not sure I follow you wrt how the locking tuners are a blessing in disguise for your soon to be Bigsby Tele; if locking tuners don't do anything for a Floyd Rose, how do they do anything for a Bigsby, unless you're having the same issue with a Bigsby, namely the ball string popping off the end? I have five guitars with Bigsbys, a Telecaster among them, and none of them have locking tuners. I've been playing with Bigsbys for over twenty years; the easiest way to keep the ball end from popping off a Bigsby is to bend the ball end with your fingers, slip it onto the tab, wrap it around the roller, and you know the rest; they usually don't pop off, but you can use the Kyser capo to hod those on as well, tough it's not really necessary

I suggest trying the capo first; it's cheaper, and if it works, you've saved yourself the time and expense of changing the tuners. If not, you have a nice, capo, and you can still buy the tuners.

[Clint]

The capo trick works fine. It's like having a third hand. You could also stuff the RIC polishing cloth, that is probably still in your guitar case, between the "R" tailpiece and the guitar's top.

lol. no, i actually use polishing cloths. or old undershirts.

the idea i read on the usenet faq page was to put the string pack under the R tailpiece to keep it from scratching the top.

I'm not sure I understand what you're telling me. What I meant was the cloth simply holds the string in the slot while you tune it to pitch. You then remove the cloth.

[collin]

NO!!!

There's no need to buy locking tuners ever, unless you play like EVH or Yngwie, and have a Floyd rose on your guitar.

+1million

+1 trillion.



There are a ton of ways around the R tailpiece stringing. You can get quite used to it and quick when you figure it out.

Methods:

1) Put the masking tape away and grab the Duct tape. Infinitely stronger than masking tape, should work fine.
2). slightly bend the ball end of the string upwards to stay put in the tailpiece and then maintain string pressure with right hand, and string it up/tune with your left hand.
3). Capo method----put all six strings on in place, pull tight and drop a capo over all of them at the 12th fret. Get your strings in the tuners up to pitch, then remove the capo.


Whatever you do....DO NOT install locking tuners on your Ric. Blasphemy!

[Clint]

Oh, I see what you mean. I was worried you misunderstood me and thought I meant for you to leave the cloth in place under the tailpiece. Ha, that's funny. You're right, the string pack just doesn't have the mass to hold the string in place.

As for the locking tuners, It's your guitar do what you want.

[jimk]

You can also use that little Allen wrench as a push rod to guide the ball end into the proper slot in the R TP. Maybe this isn't as tedious a step for a 6 string guitar. But it sure did keep me from cussin'.
JimK

[ken_j]

This is what Howard is looking for. Here is the factory link: http://guitar-machine-heads.com/hp13505 ... -Mount.htm Although these are not in the Allparts catalog I wouldn't be surprised if they can get them. Stew Mac used to list these as well. I have a set of the ones that Stew Mac now sells (the ones that Paul linked to) on my home build, except that mine use a mounting screw. These work very well but are heavy, I would not use them again. The one I have pictured here is way lighter.

58___7506.jpg (10.86 KiB) Viewed 1878 times

[jingle_jangle]

That's a lot of posts on string up a sixer.

I figure twice as many for a Rick12?

I simply start with the low E, guitar lying face-up on padded flat surface, cloth scrap under the tailpiece. Slip the ball end under the tailpiece and pull until it's hooked. Maintain a bit of pressure and decide where to cut (I cut the string 1 1/2 tuner posts past the one I want to pull the string through). Cut the string and run it through the post. All the while I'm maintaining string tension a bit with my right hand (I'm left handed). I then grab my winder, which is always close at hand, and tune up a bit--not all the way.

I repeat this with the high E.

Then I fill in the other four strings in any order. Time to tune to pitch.

No tape, no capos, no hardware save my nippers and winder.

Twelves I do the same way: both Es (low E, unison high E) first, but then I fill in from outside toward center of fretboard in order:

High E, octave low E, unison B, A, B, octave A, unison G, D, G, octave D.

This keeps all of the strings in the proper over/under order at he headstock. I don't use tape anymore for 12-string Rs either. The only time I use tape is when restringing Accents, which can be a trial without something to hold the string ball ends in place.

Sometimes it helps to hold the string firmly and bend the ball-end up slightly (about 10 degrees) from about an inch to the end, so it hooks up and into the tailpiece easier.

[customxke]

I'm glad Paul posted that so I didn't have to.

[revolver]

Capo trick is a brilliant suggestion. Cheers!

[rickenbrother]

If you hold the string just right with the hand that's not turning the machine head key to get the string to pitch, you wouldn't need the capo either.

[kingblud]

The best tuning trick I have come across is to pull the string in line with the saddles and forget about the R tailpiece. 9/10 times, if you put the string into the R tailpiece and then focus on getting the string pulled as tight as when tuned and perfectly in the saddle, it lines right up. I capo the string on the 6th fret or so, then get out a small flashlight and make sure the ball of the string is pulled all the way in and tight in the tailpiece. Using this method, it almost always is.

When I first got the Ric I drove myself nuts trying to restring it, now it takes about 15 minutes max. My Strat with locking tuners, however, takes under 5 minutes

HelpMe, I've seen you post that Blueburst 330 on TGP and have to compliment you again, that is easily the best color Rickenbacker has ever made. Awesome looking guitar.