Did you try ever try this type of installing your strings?

[Zandit75]

I think you will find that both videos demonstrate two different methods for getting the same result.
Neither of the videos shown in the OP's post show the Martin Knot/Lock method.


For the record, I started doing the Martin Method, then came across the first video shown by the OP, but I believe the Taylor method looks simpler again.

[JayBee1404]

Originally Posted by 3notes

The brit dosen't set the pegs into the bridge as the Taylor guy does.

Ha! 'The Brit' isn't a 'Brit', he's either an Aussie (Australian) or a Kiwi (New Zealander)! Certain inflections in his accent make me think the latter.

And, for the record, I'm a 'Brit' and I've strung my guitars the 'New Mexico' way ever since....oh, for ever. Unlike Bryan's video, I don't put the 'lock' on the unwound string, I thread and wind them exactly like the wound strings, but I leave enough slack to give me five or six turns round the post when the string's tuned up. Fast, simple, no slippage, easy to take the strings off at the next change, no blood-letting.

[tippy5]

I have been doing first method with knotted (extra loop through eyelet post) High B and E strings since 1967. I do not like more than 2.5 wraps.

[nickv6]

Here's my two penceworth.....
I like the Martin lock but with no slack. This is because the fewer winds the better. You don't need any winds in my opinion. Here's why I think this. There are four seperate tensions on a strung guitar. Behind saddle, speaking length,nut to post, and around the post. Only one can be manually stretched after tuning; the speaking length. But the highest tension is in the windings around the post so they stretch the most, causing tuning problems.
I was shown this way by a performer who wouldn't let anyone touch his instuments, he had no tech on tour. He claimed he put the strings on and walked out on stage with no stretching of the speaking length. Manual stretching is bad because it's uneven, however carefully you try, you're creating nodes in the string.
I didn't believe him of course....even though he's been touring for forty years...... that's how dumb I am.
However, I did try the method and fell in love. It's quick, harldy any winding, no stretching and complete stability.
Sounds weird I know, but give it a try, you may like it......
I think there's a youtube video of Ralph Mctell showing this method, though it wasn't him who showed me.
Nick

[ripdotcom]

I think crooked luthiers and idiots make a crazy winding bends through and through then bend the end in a fasion that is sure to cut anyone who goes near that area (guitar string chastity, and double looping? why?). in such a mess that an inexperienced person has great difficuly taking them off that they keep taking a guitar to someone to charge $30-$60 to change strings. Perhaps i'll do a write up on that someday but I suspect it will be more of a rant. I use as few windings as possible.

[macmanmatty]

Originally Posted by Denny B

I've heard the first method called the "Martin Lock" or "Knot", because Dave Doll from Martin features it on all their videos...

I find it completely unnecessary and a royal PITA to get off...YMMV...

I basically use the method featured in Taylor's videos...

Each to his own...

I agree with this when you loop the strings through numerous times they never come off easy if at all. I still have bites and pieces of strings on one of my guitar high E where my dad looped it through 4 times that won't come off.

[Denny B]

Originally Posted by Zandit75

I think you will find that both videos demonstrate two different methods for getting the same result.
Neither of the videos shown in the OP's post show the Martin Knot/Lock method.


For the record, I started doing the Martin Method, then came across the first video shown by the OP, but I believe the Taylor method looks simpler again.

I see I confused Mark The Guitar Guy's knot with Dave Doll's knot...

Nevertheless, a knot by any name shall not be on my guitars...

[jaymarsch]

I have used this method for a gazillion years and am very used to it and it is easy - I guess this is similar to the Martin method. This guy does something with a pencil, which I do not do but I have been changing strings for so many years, I don't think too much about the slack and probably do maybe 2 winds on the bass strings and three to four on the trebles. I have no trouble getting strings off of the posts with this method like some folks seem to have. They come right off and I do not experience anything that I would call a knot.

So many choices so whatever works for you. I generally don't use the Taylor method since I do use round core strings from time to time and do not prefer to cut the strings before winding.



Best,
Jayne

[DesertTwang]

I love the first video for the accent alone. "Chooning hehds" and "heedstock" -- just made my day!

I will try this method, though. Looks interesting.

[Mycroft]

When I learned to restring a guitar there were no videos nor did I have any books that showed how to restring a guitar, this being shortly after the invention of dirt. So I was at the mercy of the last person who had restrung my guitar, and had to reverse-engineer how they had done it. So, after making a round-trip trek of a 100 miles through thigh-high snowdrifts going uphill in both directions to buy strings, I settled down to restring my guitar. Strings being wire, I sussed out the need for a set of side-nippers on my own. I wind the first wind over the top of the string going into the posthole, with another 2-3 winds going underneath to lock the string in place so as to prevent slippage. This is probably less necessary on the modern, concave posts but works very nicely with old guitar tuners that have straight posts. I have misjudged length and wound up with a single wind above and one below, and it still locks in place without slippage. Works for me.

[Oldguy64]

Originally Posted by Mycroft

When I learned to restring a guitar there were no videos nor did I have any books that showed how to restring a guitar, this being shortly after the invention of dirt. So I was at the mercy of the last person who had restrung my guitar, and had to reverse-engineer how they had done it. So, after making a round-trip trek of a 100 miles through thigh-high snowdrifts going uphill in both directions to buy strings, I settled down to restring my guitar. Strings being wire, I sussed out the need for a set of side-nippers on my own. I wind the first wind over the top of the string going into the posthole, with another 2-3 winds going underneath to lock the string in place so as to prevent slippage. This is probably less necessary on the modern, concave posts but works very nicely with old guitar tuners that have straight posts. I have misjudged length and wound up with a single wind above and one below, and it still locks in place without slippage. Works for me.

I do this.
One wrap over. Two wraps under the “bitter end” of the string.
I measure the length of the string by going one tuning post past the intended post or two finger widths past the intended post. A litt further for the unwrapped strings.
I rarely get poked, and the strings come loose with little muss and fuss upon being loosened.
I only recently started going one wrap over, two under.
I bought a guitar with a slotted head and learned that basic method and transferred it to my paddle heads.

[JayBee1404]

Originally Posted by Oldguy64

I do this.
One wrap over. Two wraps under the “bitter end” of the string.
I measure the length of the string by going one tuning post past the intended post or two finger widths past the intended post. A litt further for the unwrapped strings.
I rarely get poked, and the strings come loose with little muss and fuss upon being loosened.
I only recently started going one wrap over, two under.
I bought a guitar with a slotted head and learned that basic method and transferred it to my paddle heads.

Bingo - this!!

Exactly what I do, what I've done ever since Pontius was an Air-Force recruit, and what Bryan Kimsey shows in the video I linked to earlier. The friction the 'over' and 'under' loops exert on the end of the string coming through the hole in the post prevents slippage, and the absence of 'locks' or boy-scout-style knots makes removal of the old string easy, quick, and blood-free.

[martingitdave]

The various methods all work. I’ve tied them, like Martin demonstrates, since I was taught by a luthier as a high school student working in a musical instrument store and repair shop. My reasoning is that if they are that difficult to get off, then they must resist some slippage. If I were restringing guitars all day, I would probably use the over and under method because it is easier on the hands.

[TBman]

What I do is this....



1. I put the guitar in an upright guitar stand. I'm a daring rebel without a cause,

2. I take off all of the strings, laying out the pins in order on my desk. When I take the old string out I try to rotate the post so the hole is facing a good way for installing the new string - sort of down but not totally facing the nut.

3. I wipe down the fretboard and head stock. I will clean the areas around the frets if needed and sometimes use a damp cloth to clean it.

(My order of installing the strings is the 6th to 4th and then the 1st to 3rd.)

4. Taking the e string, I will first bend the bottom a bit at the wrap, then insert the string into the bridge along with its bridge pin. I will tug to make sure I have the string seated correctly.

5. I will bring the string up and lay it in its nut slot, keeping a bit of tension on it and then clamp it in place on the 1st fret with a clamp style capo (Kyser in my case). The capo acts like a third hand and this frees my old hands up to have a beer or sip of coffee, .

6. Then I trim the string's length to the top of the next string post (in the case of the D and G strings I use the top of the head stock approximately).
I am not obsessive about having 3 winds around the post. If it happens it happens, otherwise oops who cares. *** Do not do this step with round core strings ****

7. I will then insert the string into its post with just a bit sticking out and then wind the string with my string winder and take off the capo as I'm doing this. I will also keep an eye on the bridge pin, sometimes pushing down on it while I wind the string tight.

8. I will bring all the strings up to a decent tension, but not totally to tune as I go along with all of them.

9. Once all the strings are on I will take the guitar off its stand and tune to pitch. Sometimes I will then hang the guitar up for the night or just play the heck out of it depending on my mood. I used to let the guitar sit over night before playing but there's a diminishing guarantee of tomorrow at my age, . Seriously though I haven't notice a degradation of string life from playing them right away as opposed to sitting over night.

And that's it. Some people lay the guitar flat, some put the string in the post and do some sort of fancy lock wind, some will say "why use a capo",etc. I've been changing guitar strings for over 50 years have 10 guitars and another on the way so I guess I manage to get it right eventually . I can actually play them too a little

[devellis]

I use the first method. As has been pointed out, it doesn't involve any sort of string lock and there should be absolutely no difference taking the string off with either method. The strings are wound essentially the same way on the post in both cases.

I find the first method far easier. I used to do it more or less the second way until I discovered the first. I find that I get a neater result from the first method.

The advantages I see are, first, that I have more control over the string. I actually pull the string taut after the ball end is seated. This give it a stretch. Also, with one hand, I keep the string under tension as I quickly wrap it around the post and then put the end through the hole. Using this method, I can work on any guitar, familiar or otherwise, and not have to worry about guessing the right amount of string end to get the wraps neat but secure, I do the wrapping before any cutting.

We all settle on our own way of doing things and I have no investment in other people doing things the way I do. I just want to say that, after having done method 2 for years, when I was shown and tried method 2, I found it a huge improvement in every respect. It was at least as fast and resulted in a neater and more secure job. But feel free to do whatever works for you.

The one thing I recommend against is doing some sort of knot or string lock. I've found it completely unnecessary and it does (unlike Method 1) make it harder to take the strings off. I used to have way more winds than I needed on the plain strings because they'd slip. But the reason they'd slip was because I'd release the tension I was holding on the string before I got them wound to tension. With Method 1, it's easy to keep the string from slackening while you're wrapping it around the post, and to maintain that tension until you can wind it up to the point where it holds. If tension is maintained throughout, I've found that 2, or 3 at the most, wraps are sufficient and there's no slippage. I think any method you use that keeps tension constant throughout the process would work equally well.