Changing strings on a Country Gent (i need advise, lots!)

Talk about guitars, amps and other gear.

Changing strings on a Country Gent (i need advise, lots!)

Postby rickr » Thu Feb 13, 2014 7:40 pm

I have always been a nylon string player,, but a few years ago ,I went and bought a Gretsch Country gent,
Changing strings has been a study in frustration,, trying to keep the string hooked on the little pin
while turning the tuner button,,,, than the string loop falls off the pin and it takes a very steady dexterity
to get it back in,,,
A tech mentioned , capo all the strings at the 5th fret first,, but i have not got the hang of that either,,

You have all been through this before,,, i can use all the tips and advise i can get,

thanks,
Rickr
Last edited by rickr on Thu Feb 13, 2014 10:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
rickr
 
Posts: 45
Joined: Tue Feb 21, 2012 3:54 pm

Re: Changing strings on a Country Gent (i need advise, lots!

Postby BillB » Thu Feb 13, 2014 8:09 pm

All the years that I've been around the Chetboard, it's been suggested by Norm to use a Pink Pearl eraser (or other similar) to hold each string in place after hooking it to the pin. Basically, you wedge the eraser under the string while you take the slack out. Once the string is tightened enough, move the eraser over and install the next string. That's the trick, and it really works well.

Hope that helps!
Bill B.
BillB
 
Posts: 644
Joined: Thu Jul 15, 2010 5:44 pm

Re: Changing strings on a Country Gent (i need advise, lots!

Postby rickr » Thu Feb 13, 2014 10:25 pm

Thanks Bill,

Now what is a 'pink pearl" eraser? I know its a pencil eraser, but size? shape?
I dont know one eraser from another,,,

thanks,
Rick
rickr
 
Posts: 45
Joined: Tue Feb 21, 2012 3:54 pm

Re: Changing strings on a Country Gent (i need advise, lots!

Postby BillB » Thu Feb 13, 2014 10:52 pm

It's an eraser (pink) that has an angle on each end. I think Pink Pearl is simply a name, but there are other brands that are virtually the same. You can get them at any office supply. Here's a link where you can see what it looks like:

http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/4 ... rs-Medium/

Hope that clears it up for you!
Bill B.
BillB
 
Posts: 644
Joined: Thu Jul 15, 2010 5:44 pm

Re: Changing strings on a Country Gent (i need advise, lots!

Postby Ray Bohlken » Thu Feb 13, 2014 11:38 pm

I think the Pink Pearl solution works really well from what most folks say. I bought a Vibramute Spoiler to help me install the strings on my NC. It works great, too. It did cost $34, though - much more than a Pink Pearl. Some folks have purchased a bar with the posts taken out from Callaham - Callaham Upgraded Main String Shaft for Bigsby Vibratos - for $40 so you can just pull the strings through the bar and not have to worry about the posts. You can check a recent post about drilling out the posts on a Bigsby which has a discussion about this. Take care.
Ray

Vibramute Spoiler
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfTMCkCCw-A


Callaham unit
http://www.callahamguitars.com/index.html
Ray Bohlken
 
Posts: 942
Joined: Sat Dec 04, 2010 10:53 am

Re: Changing strings on a Country Gent (i need advise, lots!

Postby Terry Tolley » Fri Feb 14, 2014 12:31 am

I have a 2004 NC, and I got tired of having to tweak tune the strings all the time after using the vibrato, so I took Paul's advice a few years ago and installed a Sta-Tuned device.

http://www.sta-tuned.com/b-style-system-prod.html

Although I would NOT install one just to make it easy to change a string, it is now very easy for me to replace a string! The ball-end of the string just drops into a slot - as easy as being behind the string stop on the tailpiece of a non-vibrato guitar.

Now, I stay in tune for days at a time, AND the strings are super easy to change! Maybe I should change them more often than I do, but laziness kicks in all too quickly for me these days! Yes, this unit is quite a bit more expensive than a pearl eraser, but I have no longer have any tuning issues.
Terry Tolley
 
Posts: 180
Joined: Mon Aug 16, 2010 10:23 pm
Location: Buckeye, Arizona

Re: Changing strings on a Country Gent (i need advise, lots!

Postby LMark » Fri Feb 14, 2014 12:34 am

With your fingers, shape the ball end of the string around a pencil first, to conform to the contour of the roller bar. LMark
LMark
 
Posts: 360
Joined: Tue Aug 17, 2010 10:23 pm
Location: Minneapolis

Re: Changing strings on a Country Gent (i need advise, lots!

Postby Norm » Fri Feb 14, 2014 12:57 am

I used the Pink Pearl eraser trick for years.
Actually, you can use just about anything you have laying around that is soft enough not to mar the finish yet firm enough to wedge in there and keep the ball from popping off the pin. Once someone told me about the eraser trick I also saw that a wine cork, cut to a wedge shape, would work.

What I eventually did was to replace the string bar with one that was drilled through. Paul was a believer in that idea and was working on Fred Gretsch to get that change made until he got sick.

Here's a company that makes a replacement stringbar:

__________________ From their site:

This upgrade eliminates the years of problems and frustration of a Bigsby Vibrato restringing. This again is a polished stainless steel shaft that is counterbored for the string ball ends. Thread the string through the hole and up to the tuner. Works for all models and comes with retaining clip.

Price is $40.00 plus shipping
(Not for licensed or import bigsby styled vibratos)

_____________

http://www.callahamguitars.com/#up_kit_big
...that's how it looks to me...The opinion expressed above is my own and does not necessarily reflect the views of this station. Your mileage may vary...

Audio samples: http://www.youtube.com/user/acountrygent/videos
That should do it.
Norm
 
Posts: 1333
Joined: Wed Aug 31, 2011 12:36 pm
Location: redwood city ca

Re: Changing strings on a Country Gent (i need advise, lots!

Postby Steve Moran » Fri Feb 14, 2014 10:08 am

What I do is take a small pair of pliers and bend the end of the string right next to the loop so it forms a quarter of a circle. This makes it a lot easier to hook the loop onto the small post and then keep some tension on the string to get it to the other end. I think this is a version of what LMark is saying above. Good luck!
Steve Moran
:D
Steve Moran
 
Posts: 122
Joined: Thu Aug 19, 2010 3:10 pm

Re: Changing strings on a Country Gent (i need advise, lots!

Postby rickr » Fri Feb 14, 2014 4:28 pm

Terry Tolley wrote:I have a 2004 NC, and I got tired of having to tweak tune the strings all the time after using the vibrato, so I took Paul's advice a few years ago and installed a Sta-Tuned device.

http://www.sta-tuned.com/b-style-system-prod.html

.



Thanks for the link and the insight,, seems a little steep price wise,, but might be helpful to some folks!
:mrgreen:

Rickr
rickr
 
Posts: 45
Joined: Tue Feb 21, 2012 3:54 pm

Next

Return to Guitars and Equipment

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 23 guests

cron