What to do with a ball end?

[MarvinLee]

I recently put a set of Thomastik-infield KR116 strings on my Godin Multiac Nylon. The are wonderfully providing a brighter tone that gives the guitar a more believable steel string sound. As the setup is sort of like a classical guitar (strings tied off on bridge) I wondered how you guys dealt with ball ends on the strings? I was going to pass them through the bridge, but the E string was wrapped up to the ball end and was too large to pass through the hole. I ended up tying them (ball end included) like a traditional Classical Guitar string.

Wondered how (or if) you guys deal with ball ends?

[brad4d8]

Not on a classical, but I had a similar encounter with windings using LaBella black tape wound jazz strings on an archtop. The windings wouldn't fit through the tail piece, so I just strung them up as best I could, leaving the windings. After a few days, the pressure against the tailpiece "ate" through the windings and the strings seated properly. It was annoying having to retune so much for that time, but worked out okay in the end. Don't know if a wood bridge would have the same effect as the metal tail piece, though.

[rick-slo]

Too large to string through the bridge peghead end first?

[TBman]

I just feed the strings in from the bottom side of the bridge (see black circle). If the "E" string was "too big" how did you even manage to tie it off? I'm missing something here.

[MarvinLee]

The strings that I am using have a ball end and are wound with a lovely blue thread on each end. The thread end on the E string was the one I was having problems passing through the bridge. Once it reached the thread, I could not push it through by hand, so I tied if off in the traditional style ball end and all. After Brad4D8's comment, I used the tuning gears to pull the E string in. I settled pretty quickly, but after about 30 minutes of play, it made a "pop" sound and went a full step flat. I figure it was the thread wrap on the string end doing a final settle in.

I do wonder what sort of chore getting that E string pulled back to the bridge is going to be come next string change. I suppose the bridge will eventually get worn in and I'll not give it a second thought again. Oh well... new guitar problems.

Loving these rope core strings. Sound of steel with the tension of nylon. Very cool.

[rick-slo]

Congrats on that.