String-changing marathon

[Oldguy64]

Great read Wade, as always.
However, now I’m never going to mess with mandolins!
String changes sound like I’d rather change and deal with 12’s forever, rather then mess with a mandolin.

I may have to get a String stetcha. Particularly for doing the 12’s.
I have done two in one day. It is not my favorite thing.
I’ll do a all ten of the six strings, with a smile, before taking on the 12’s.
Probably because I have zero slot heads.

I too love my Snapz pin puller.
I told the inventor that I thought they were a bunch of “hooey”.
He sent me one, and I’ve been singing their praises ever since.
Generally, I find that pushing the string into the bridge makes it easier to just pull out.
The Snapz, is THE best way to pull a pin that’s stuck.
The old saying “a gentleman doesn’t not need a pistol...until he does. Then, he needs it badly!” applies to the Snapz.
If and when you need it...you need it badly.
And it will pull the pin without damage.

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

Make sure to lay in provisions before you start. You might also want to recruit a loved one to dab at your forehead with a small cloth to keep the perspiration from trickling into your eyes, the way that operating room nurses do in movies where the brilliant surgeon is fighting to save someone’s life.

That would be a cool touch...


whm

Stupidly I also plan on tweaking setups for the winter season and some light cleaning. I think I'll need the nurse to dry my tears instead. Maybe I'll get lucky and my wife will have plans for me Sat. so I can get out of this...

[dwasifar]

Were you wearing your steel toed boots and your cup, Wade? Wouldn't want you to get injured.

[Oldguy64]

I have, stupidly, challenged some “cork-sniffers” that they won’t be able to tell the difference to a blind test between four of my Alvarez guitars. All-solid wood vs solid top/back w/laminate sides vs solid top laminate back and sides vs all laminate.
And to make it “fair” I figure on putting the same strings on all four, on the same day.
Sometimes I let my hippopotamus mouth overload my hummingbird behind.

[dwasifar]

Originally Posted by Oldguy64

I have, stupidly, challenged some “cork-sniffers” that they won’t be able to tell the difference to a blind test between four of my Alvarez guitars. All-solid wood vs solid top/back w/laminate sides vs solid top laminate back and sides vs all laminate.
And to make it “fair” I figure on putting the same strings on all four, on the same day.
Sometimes I let my hippopotamus mouth overload my hummingbird behind.

What do they need to do to win? Correctly identify which guitar is made of what? Or just be able to consistently distinguish them from each other?

[Oldguy64]

Originally Posted by dwasifar

What do they need to do to win? Correctly identify which guitar is made of what? Or just be able to consistently distinguish them from each other?

A few people are saying that all-solid guitar are ALWAYS better than any other choice.
I mentioned that George Lowden is making the Sheeran signature with laminate sides, and that Dana Bourgeois said that the top is most important, but that a well made laminate back/sides didn’t do all that much for or against the sound.

Some of them refuse to believe that the likes of Bob Taylor, Dana Bourgeois, and George Lowden know what they are talking about.
Hence, rather than argue...I intend to put on a blind test.

[Wade Hampton]

Originally Posted by Oldguy64

Great read Wade, as always.
However, now I’m never going to mess with mandolins!
String changes sound like I’d rather change and deal with 12’s forever, rather then mess with a mandolin.

Old guy, in my description of restringing mandolins I was exaggerating a bit for comic effect. I mean, it’s true that I don’t care much for that chore, but it’s manageable.

I’m not eager to clean out the rain gutters on my house, either, but it needs to be done sometimes.


whm

[Oldguy64]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

Old guy, in my description of restringing mandolins I was exaggerating a bit for comic effect. I mean, it’s true that I don’t care much for that chore, but it’s manageable.

I’m not eager to clean out the rain gutters on my house, either, but it needs to be done sometimes.


whm

I have an old Russian mandolin in my cave. It’s had the same strings on it for maybe 30 years, and it has largely been decoration.
I also have a bouzouki in the same condition.
I have entertained making them, and my old uke playable and adding to the skill set.

[dwasifar]

Originally Posted by Oldguy64

A few people are saying that all-solid guitar are ALWAYS better than any other choice.
I mentioned that George Lowden is making the Sheeran signature with laminate sides, and that Dana Bourgeois said that the top is most important, but that a well made laminate back/sides didn’t do all that much for or against the sound.

Some of them refuse to believe that the likes of Bob Taylor, Dana Bourgeois, and George Lowden know what they are talking about.
Hence, rather than argue...I intend to put on a blind test.

You do know, of course, that this will not change their minds. If they can't tell the solids from the laminates, they'll simply say Alvarez's solid woods are of low quality, or that Alvarez's designs don't let the solid woods sound their best, or some other blithe dismissal.

[CoffeeFan]

Originally Posted by Brucebubs

My favorite part was the beer and pizza.

For some reason, I can't drink beer when I eat. Actually, the only alcohol I seem to be able to drink while eating is a nice Merlot.

Otherwise I'll take a Coke...

[Oldguy64]

Originally Posted by dwasifar

You do know, of course, that this will not change their minds. If they can't tell the solids from the laminates, they'll simply say Alvarez's solid woods are of low quality, or that Alvarez's designs don't let the solid woods sound their best, or some other blithe dismissal.

You are probably correct.
We shall see.
Then, I’m gonna quote you on FB as predicting their response.

[tippy5]

Nice info. I am going to get the pin puller, thanks Wade.

Ah the tedium of string changes. After years of gigging when it was no big deal to now disliking the change. Sometimes I even convince myself I like the muted sound of uncrisp, dead strings. One of the reasons I have 7 acoustics is to ward off the maintenance. What I usually do, if needed, is a full fretboard, nut, headstock, body, tuners, and back of neck cleanup - with all sorts of tools and materials. I used to re-calibrate a guitar in 15 minutes. Now I can spend an hour per acoustic.

Thanks for the pin puller. My Macassar ebony bridge needs to remain dent / scratch free.

[dwasifar]

Originally Posted by tippy5

Nice info. I am going to get the pin puller, thanks Wade.

Ah the tedium of string changes. After years of gigging when it was no big deal to now disliking the change.

I actually like to change strings. There's something gratifying about twiddling with the instrument. Satisfies my urge to tinker, I guess.

Regarding pin pullers, typically a peg winder will have a notch in the end for pin pulling, and if I have a stuck one I just grab it with the notch, rest the peg winder on the next pin, and lever it out. They lift right out that way.

I make a habit to pull the pins heaviest-to-lightest, because if one's gonna stick, it's almost never the high E.

[AcousticDreams]

As usual=Great read Wade!
I too use the SnapZ pin puller. I have even bought several of them for my friends.

Wade would love to hear more about your custom 000-42.

[Wade Hampton]

Well, the 000-42 has a wonderful tight-grained Sitka spruce top that Scott had recognized as an excellent top when he first got it. So he put it aside to use on a special guitar long before I ordered my guitar.

The back and sides are perfectly quartered tight-grained Indian rosewood.

The funny thing is that I actually ordered it as a herringbone 000-28, not as a 42 style instrument. But Scott didn’t make his own self-imposed deadline for getting it to me, and so he decided to put abalone around the edges and the old style slotted squares and slotted diamonds as the fingerboard inlays.

At no extra charge, bless his heart. I wasn’t angry that he ran late with getting it finished, but he felt bad about it so he upgraded the appointments for me.

Anyway, it’s a wonderful sounding guitar, with a full rich tone that records and mics easily.


whm