Advice on Re-String

PDGC

Hello All,   

I am relatively new to playing the guitar having picked it up again recently after a gap since childhood.

I had a cheap acoustic which I managed to restring myself.  

However, I recently purchased a Fender CD-140SCE Electric Acoustic.   

Is there a difference in restringing an Electric Acoustic to a normal Acoustic?  Would you recommend going to a professional? If it’s as ‘simple’ as a normal acoustic is there specific strings would you recommend?

Thanks in advance. 

munckee

I would recommend looking on YouTube for Justin Sandercoe restringing an acoustic, process is the same but it’s worth doing properly. 

String choice is personal, I always use elixir coated strings as they stay decent far longer than normal strings but cost a bit more. Some people don’t like the feel. 

Jaycee

munckee said:

I would recommend looking on YouTube for Justin Sandercoe restringing an acoustic, process is the same but it’s worth doing properly. 

String choice is personal, I always use elixir coated strings as they stay decent far longer than normal strings but cost a bit more. Some people don’t like the feel. 

PDGC

Good Morning and thank you.  I’ll take a look at the YouTube Video.  

drofluf

...and if you ask seven guitarists the best way to restring you'll get nine different answers Even more if you ask them about the best strings.

But for restringing find a video that you can follow and use that method; it's not a dark art and with practice will become really easy. 

PDGC

Thank you.  Yes having watched several videos, including the recommended one above, I’ve seen 3 methods.

Standby for a daft string question to then….

It appears my guitar was fitted with Fender 80/20 Coated 12/52 strings. They don’t get great reviews for longevity.   Looking at other brands such as Elixir (as mentioned) and D'Addario they don’t do 12/52.  It’s either a 11/52 or a 12/53.  

Is a thinner/thicker string going to mean adjustment of the neck, or is the difference negligible?

 

drofluf

I wouldn't worry about it; I switch between gauges and tunings (which affect the tension in a similar way to changing gauge) without making any adjustments.

PDGC

drofluf said:

I wouldn't worry about it; I switch between gauges and tunings (which affect the tension in a similar way to changing gauge) without making any adjustments.

Great thank you.   

Tannin

The difference can be significant, @PDGC, OR negligible. 

Generally, it's best to think of string sets in classes which, for short, we call:

"10s" - typically 10-47 but there are variations.

"11s" - typically 11-52 but many variations

"12s" or "light" - most often 12-53 or 12-54, but 12-52 and 12-50 are both quite common too. The difference between a set of 12-54 and a set of 12-50 is only significant within one particular make and style, and even then isn't huge.  . 

"bluegrass" - always 12-56.

"13s" or "medium" - usually 13-56.

In theory, the gauge is the diameter of the string measured in some arcane unit I can't for the moment remember (but it has something to do with inches). In reality, it is best thought of as an arbitrary number, like a "number 4 bolt" or a "size 10 dress" - or a "000 guitar"! The nominal gauge of the string and the actual gauge of the wire from which the string is made are seldom the same.  So just think of string gauges as being like shoe sizes - more is bigger, but they don't correspond to any particular measurement.

SO - each of these gauge classes (11s, or 12s, for example) is heavier than the class below, and you may very well need to adjust the neck if you change too far. 

HOWEVER, every manufacturer has its own style. Fender 80/20s, for example, are light so far as 12s go - almost like average 11s. Elixir strings, in contrast are heavy for their gauge - Elixir 11s are probably as hard or harder on the fingers than Fender 12s. 

No brass string (aka "80/20") lasts very long. People buy them for their sound quality, not for longevity.

Phosphor bronze strings usually last longer. 

Coated strings last longer again, but feel soapy and don't sound quite the same. 

NOTE THAT long life isn't simply a matter of coating. Heavier strings last longer than light strings (but are harder to play). Hard strings last longer than soft strings (but are harder to play). Coated strings last longer than uncoated strings, but don't have quite the same sound and can also feel soapy and unpleasant. 

Elixirs last very well (as they should at their high price!) partly because of their coating, but mostly because they are very hard, high tension strings. If you want the long life of a set of Elixirs at a third the price, try a set of Jim Dunlops - they last practically forever because they are even harder and stiffer than Elixirs. (And you need some serious muscle to play them.)

SHORT ANSWER: Look for a nice set of 12s (12-50, 12-52, 12-53, 12-54, it won't matter) in a medium to low tension. Examples I recommend include Darco, DR Sunbeam, Dragão, Galli, GHS, La Bella, and Newtone. Don't worry about longevity, generally speaking very long-lasting strings are expensive, hard to play, or (usually) both. Just get nice strings that you enjoy playing.

drofluf

Tannin said:

The difference can be significant, @PDGC, OR negligible. 

<snip>

Thanks @Tannin I was a little vague

I should have qualified my answer a little more Moving up or down a gauge in the same brand/range of strings will most likely not need any adjustment.

PDGC

Tannin said:

The difference can be significant, @PDGC, OR negligible. 

Generally, it's best to think of string sets in classes which, for short, we call:

"10s" - typically 10-47 but there are variations.

"11s" - typically 11-52 but many variations

"12s" or "light" - most often 12-53 or 12-54, but 12-52 and 12-50 are both quite common too. The difference between a set of 12-54 and a set of 12-50 is only significant within one particular make and style, and even then isn't huge.  . 

"bluegrass" - always 12-56.

"13s" or "medium" - usually 13-56.

In theory, the gauge is the diameter of the string measured in some arcane unit I can't for the moment remember (but it has something to do with inches). In reality, it is best thought of as an arbitrary number, like a "number 4 bolt" or a "size 10 dress" - or a "000 guitar"! The nominal gauge of the string and the actual gauge of the wire from which the string is made are seldom the same.  So just think of string gauges as being like shoe sizes - more is bigger, but they don't correspond to any particular measurement.

SO - each of these gauge classes (11s, or 12s, for example) is heavier than the class below, and you may very well need to adjust the neck if you change too far. 

HOWEVER, every manufacturer has its own style. Fender 80/20s, for example, are light so far as 12s go - almost like average 11s. Elixir strings, in contrast are heavy for their gauge - Elixir 11s are probably as hard or harder on the fingers than Fender 12s. 

No brass string (aka "80/20") lasts very long. People buy them for their sound quality, not for longevity.

Phosphor bronze strings usually last longer. 

Coated strings last longer again, but feel soapy and don't sound quite the same. 

NOTE THAT long life isn't simply a matter of coating. Heavier strings last longer than light strings (but are harder to play). Hard strings last longer than soft strings (but are harder to play). Coated strings last longer than uncoated strings, but don't have quite the same sound and can also feel soapy and unpleasant. 

Elixirs last very well (as they should at their high price!) partly because of their coating, but mostly because they are very hard, high tension strings. If you want the long life of a set of Elixirs at a third the price, try a set of Jim Dunlops - they last practically forever because they are even harder and stiffer than Elixirs. (And you need some serious muscle to play them.)

SHORT ANSWER: Look for a nice set of 12s (12-50, 12-52, 12-53, 12-54, it won't matter) in a medium to low tension. Examples I recommend include Darco, DR Sunbeam, Dragão, Galli, GHS, La Bella, and Newtone. Don't worry about longevity, generally speaking very long-lasting strings are expensive, hard to play, or (usually) both. Just get nice strings that you enjoy playing.

Wow.  Thank you.  That’s given me a lot to think about.  

Blackjack

Good luck with getting to grips with it.  I broke one of the bridge pins on my Taylor when I tried to restring it for the first time and it kinda scared me off of doing it myself.  I do all my electric guitars with no problem at all but I am just scared to do my Taylor now, hence why I dropped it off to a guitar tech local to me this morning to be done!  I really should be brave and have another go at it! 

Tannin

The great secret with bridge pins is to PUSH, don't lever them up from outside, push up from the inside with your finger. Easier, much safer. 

PDGC

Blackjack said:

Good luck with getting to grips with it.  I broke one of the bridge pins on my Taylor when I tried to restring it for the first time and it kinda scared me off of doing it myself.  I do all my electric guitars with no problem at all but I am just scared to do my Taylor now, hence why I dropped it off to a guitar tech local to me this morning to be done!  I really should be brave and have another go at it! 

That’s where I am.  Was happy to have a go on my old cheap acoustic, less keen on my new not so cheap one.    Unfortunately I am struggling to find a ‘local’ guitar tech.  

sev112

Where do you live @PDGC ? I am sure one of us who is local to you would show you / help and even have a strum too  (I know it read funny!)

i like and use the simple Taylor restringing video, it always comes up on google,  I can’t be doing with kinks, and numbers of wraps and wind upwards/downwards.  Best advice I’d give anyone because no-one seems to say it on the videos is to always tighten strings ANTI-CLOCKWISE for every tuning peg irrespective of what side of the headstock it is on.  (And clockwise to loosen)

those strings on it are fine and last long enough.   The other recommendations are fine of course, but those are ok to start with unless they are rusty already (such as they’ve been on the guitar for ages before you got it).  Make a note on the same piece of paper of when you change strings and what to.  When you change them again, make a note of what you did/didn’t like about them. Do the same each time you change m especially to a different set, and then you build up your knowledge of what you and your guitar like

enjoy, hope the guitar gives you lots of fun

BillDL

PDGC said:

I had a cheap acoustic which I managed to restring myself.

How well do you think you managed to restring the previous guitar, and were there any issues with your restringing that you looked at and thought to yourself "Hmmm, I'll need to avoid doing that the next time I restring a guitar"?

Personally I would play the guitar with the stock strings for a while until it settles in to being left tuned to pitch and then change them if it seems dull or lacking in something.

The only real "rules" of stringing are:

1. Remember that on a 3-a-side headstock the strings approach the tuning posts from the inside of the headstock and you push the string through the hole towards the outside edge of the headstock.  When you have a few things to think about and you are fumbling to hold the guitar and wind it's quite easy to end up winding the string onto the tuning post from the outside edge.  It's a common error with "starters".  That's obviously not an irretrievable error because you can unwind the string and correct the error, but often after a string has been bent / kinked and wound it can break when you try it again, so the less times you do this the better, especially with the two unwound strings.

2. Getting the ideal amount of slack on the string so you get a few nice winds onto the post can be tricky and you can end up with too few or too many winds.  If you end up with too many you can usually unwind the string, pull it through the hole a bit, and wind the string on again because the bit that was kinked is now on the other side of the hole.  If you end up with too few winds on the post for your liking, don't unwind and try to pull more slack through the hole and then rewind because the kink is now in the area between the tuning post and the nut and is a weak spot that can often break.  You really want to try and get it right the first time because unwinding and rewinding often leads to string breaks or a bad sounding string.  Everybody has their own method, whether it's measuring 1.5 or 2 tuning posts beyond the one you are winding onto to give enough slack, or holding 3 or 4 fingers under the string as it approaches the nut, or another method.  You will find the way that suits you best but it could mean that you have to live with too few winds on one post and too many on another until your next string change.

3. Get a manual string winder and when you are using it on a tuner button, turn the adjacent buttons vertically so you don't keep knocking them.  They're cheap and some are better than others, but even a wobbly cheapie will do the job.  THIS is all you need.  I advise against THIS kind of hinged multi-tool contraption because it is clunky and gets in the way of what you're trying to do like camping cutlery sets where the knife, fork and spoon are all riveted together at the end of the handles.  Simple string winders come with a little bevelled rebate on the part that fits over the button to help you pull bridge pins.  They can work fine but they can also break the head off the pins if they are stuck tightly.  The ball end of a string should be right up against the bridge plate (extra piece of wood under the bridge through which the holes are reamed.  The holes taper to match the taper of the pins.  The bridge pins are only there to keep the string pressed in against the side of the hole so that the ball end stays put up against the bridge plate.  The pins don't have to be rammed in.

4. Removing one string at a time and changing it can save a lot of time getting all the new strings back into tune as is the case when you remove them all and change all six.  The downside is that you can't wipe the fretboard down properly, oil it if required (another subject altogether), and most importantly you can't get your hand inside the guitar to push up on stubborn bridge pins to get them out.  When replacing a whole set of strings some people insert all of the strings and push in the bridge pins before then feeding them one at a time to the tuning posts.  That has an advantage in that you can put your hand inside and feel to ensure that the ball ends are all up against the bridge plate rather than stuck under the tip of the pins, but all those loose strings will get tangled, can get kinked, and may scratch the guitar.  When you push the ball end down into the hole in the bridge and then start inserting the pin, pull up on the string a bit as you go so that it slides up the tapered side of the pin and stops at the bridge plate while you push in the pin the rest of the way.  Pull the string while pushing down on the pin.  If you hear a thud while bringing a string to pitch and it goes slack, the ball end was stuck under the tip of the pin or wasn't pulled up properly.  It can make you jump.

5. When I restring in my house I often sit with the guitar on my lap and then standing on its back end while I hold it with my knees.  Don't do this.  Use a table with a padded covering and use something as a neck cradle so that the headstock is high enough for you to turn the string winder.

6. On a lot of brand new acoustic guitars the string action (height above the fretboard) feels higher than you would like it and it may be quite hard to play chords.  Production line guitars usually err on the side of safety and leave the saddle a bit taller than is ideal and the slots in the nut a bit shallow.  The idea is that you play it for a while to settle in and move and if it's higher than you want you then get an experienced person to remove the saddle and file or sand a little bit off the bottom to lower it, and file the nut slots a little deeper.  Some retailers offer this as a 6 month  afterservice.  My experience of Fender acoustics like yours is that the saddle height is usually a little bit high but that the nut slots usually aren't far off being the right depth.  Electric guitar players often expect unrealistically low and slinky action for an acoustic that is different by nature and usually needs a higher action than an electric to sound good with the thicker strings.  If you feel that you are having to press down too hard while fretting chords at the nut end and some strings seem to be going higher in pitch than they should, then it could be that the nut slots could do with being deepened a bit.  That's really a job for somebody that is experienced at doing this. If you can slide a 2p coin between the top of the 7th fret and the underside of the low E string without it pushing the string up a bit, then the action is probably be a bit high and might have to be corrected. If you can slide the corner of a credit card under the low E string at the 2nd fret without feeling some friction, the nut slots may not be deep enough.

That's about all the advice I will give because there are plenty of resources that demonstrate there are several ways to skin a cat and you will find your own preferred methods after having done it a few times.

Gassage

Plus one on Elixirs.

I absolutely love them. 11-52 on my D35.

ICBM

If you're a beginner I would recommend 11s or possibly even 10s - acoustic purists will tell you that only strings thick enough to moor a cruise liner will sound any good, but this is not true - although a large Dreadnought-style guitar like that one often won't have quite as full a tone or as much volume as it will with heavy strings, to begin with there is no point in destroying your fingertips trying to play strings that hurt you. A lot of it is in the set-up, anyway - a well-set up guitar with 10s or 11s will sound as good and play *much* more easily than a badly-set-up one with 12s or 13s.

I also use 11s on a Dreadnought-size acoustic and they sound fine to me, not really noticeably different from 12s.

bermudianbrit

Wow.
This isn't my thread @BillDL but  but as a blind guitar player I've tried to figure out stringing a few times, broken my share and sorta got a method. But this text heavy explanation of a few of the finer points was super useful.

BillDL

Thank you @bermudianbrit. The funny thing is that I remember my first efforts at restringing guitars and I clearly recall the mistakes I made, so it's good to share those memories and observations.

SlopeSoarer

A decent set of wire cutters help both with removing the strings when you have slackened them (definitely not under tension) and with cutting the tails off, making a nice tidy job.

Something like...
https://www.toolstation.com/minotaur-side-cutters/p85564