Change Tuners and Reuse Strings?

[ark]

Without thinking, I changed the strings on my OM-5 a few days ago, and then remembered my new Gotoh 510 tuners are scheduled to arrive tomorrow -- not to bright!
So my question is, is it feasible/reasonable to try and reuse a string after I change the tuner? I've never tried reusing a string before, but I can envision loosening a string and taking it off the old tuner, changing the tuner, and then trying to attach and rewind the string on the new tuner -- maybe? The other alternatives are to "waste" a set of strings , or wait a month or two to change the tuners and strings together -- I don't go through strings very fast just being an old guy who takes fingerstyle lessons.
Thanks,
Al

[VTHacker]

I'm sure the purists would disagree (some of them vehemently) with me, but I'd reuse 'em. A couple of weeks ago, I upgraded the tuners on one of my guitars (an Epiphone, nothing fancy), and reused my strings... I replaced the tuners one at a time—unwind a string, let it hang, remove tuner, install new tuner, wind string onto new peg. Worked out okay.

A cheapskate? Moi? Maybe.

[flatlander]

Sure! If they are new why put new,new ones on. Losing tension, and tightening them back up isn't going to kill them. As long as they were wrapped around post a few times B4 going thru hole, should be fine.

[misterneutron]

I think it's no problem to re-use virtually new strings.  Ditto the advice to do one string at a time, unless you are wanting to clean the fretboard.

Here's something I found useful when adjusting saddle height (should work the other way, for your purpose): put a capo on the neck somewhere.  This will keep a little tension on the string and bridge pin and keep the string from flying around.

Of course, you could just pull the pin and remove that string, but a capo will save you that step.

cheers,

t

[ark]

Thanks all for the thoughts, I'll give it a try. And I like the capo idea.
Al

[Trinity Guitars]

Just be carefull that you keep your face clear in case of a string breaking. The ends can fly with a lot of force. I was once stabbed about 1/2" below my eye with a string that broke at the tuning machine. The end of the string was in about 1/8" deep in my face. Lucky it was not in my eye.
Jim Holler

[BenF]

Just be carefull that you keep your face clear in case of a string breaking. The ends can fly with a lot of force. I was once stabbed about 1/2" below my eye with a string that broke at the tuning machine. The end of the string was in about 1/8" deep in my face. Lucky it was not in my eye.
Jim Holler

Ouch!!  My brother bought a very cheap electric guitar when I was a kid (about 6 or 7) and I sneaked into his room to pretend to be Jimi Hendrix.  The string that broke wrapped round my neck and cut the side of my nose.  I didn't try playing guitar again for a while after that!!

[ronmac]

You can reuse wound strings that have a hex core (D'Addario, GHS, JP, Martin, etc.), but if you have used round core strings (Newtone) the winding will relax on the core as soon as you remove the tension.

[ark]

I use D'Addario strings, so that helps.

Jim -- thanks very much for the safety warning!

The tuners arrived a short while ago and I've learned two things so far:

1. The ebony-like buttons I got from Larrivee a year ago and had on the Pings do seem to fit the Gotoh 510s OK . I just quickly took one off the Pings and it seemed to screw OK onto the Gotoh. I will know for sure once everything is together and the tuner is under string tension. At least the screws are of the same length and thread.

2. My wrench socket is not deep enough to reach the bushing nut -- Murphy's Law strikes again!  I'll probably have to use something like an open end wrench, and I'm worried about scratching the headstock - never changed tuners before.  I think I'll cut a small, nut size hole in a 2" or 3" square piece of shirt cardboard and slip it over the tuner before using the wrench.

You would think this is brain surgery!  :)

Al

[ark]

  The deed is done and all went well putting the Gotoh 510s ( chrome, midsize, #7107 from Stewart-Macdonald ) on my OM-5. For the record:

1. I put a capo on the 4th fret to hold the strings -- worked great.
2. Reusing the strings was not a problem  -- I tried to uncurl each string as much as possible before putting it back on. I think it pays to be careful with the high e string so it doesn't break. I changed three tuners and then restrung them at a time (left side, then right side) so I always had a clear work space.
3. The Gotoh 510s do drop right in as reported. In fact, they are very slightly smaller in diameter then the Pings and so there is a tiny bit of play when you slip them in the headstock. However, everything seems to eventually tighten up nicely.
4. The Gotoh screws are slightly larger then those used on the Pings, but they went in fine -- just need to used the right screwdriver and be careful not to slip.
5. I decided to reuse the large washers from the Pings. They have a beveled or rounded look that I preferred to the perfectly flat washers supplied with the Gotohs.
6.  The Larrivee ebony-like buttons that I had on the Pings went onto the Gotohs without a problem. However, for what it's worth, the chrome bean shaped buttons from the Gotohs did not fit on the Pings (I just wanted to store them on the Pings).
7. The shaft of the Gotoh 510 is not as "tall" as on the Ping. One benefit of this was I was able to use my socket wrench socket to snug up the bushing nut. However, I had to use an adjustable wrench to loosening the bushing nut on the taller Pings ( fortunately they were not tight). I like the overall "lower look" of the headstock with the Gotohs.
8. The suggestion I saw in another thread to loosen the bushing nut on the Ping before loosing the screw on the back of the headstock, and to tighten the screw on the back before tightening up the bushing on the Gotoh, is good advice. It prevents the tuner from turning and possibly scratching the headstock as you tighten or loosen the bushing nut.

That's about it. Thanks for all the advice.
Al

[Zohn]

You can reuse wound strings that have a hex core (D'Addario, GHS, JP, Martin, etc.), but if you have used round core strings (Newtone) the winding will relax on the core as soon as you remove the tension.

Richard Hoover supplied a hot tip he learned from a piano maker to restore tension in the wound strings. This is one of his remedies for sorting out buzz. This requires the ball-end of the string to be removed with the other end still wrapped around the machine post. The string is then wound in the same direction the windings were originally applied, and stuck back into the string hole, and pinned. (the string will tend to return against the tension before you stick it back in)
He reckons one winding would suffice, if not, yet another one should do the trick.