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Did I go too far?

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(@deadat27)
Trusted Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 55
Topic starter  

While I was re-stringing my guitar today I think I wound one of if the strings too tight and I heard this clicking sound and the string became loose and I had to turn the tuning peg again to tighten it.

What happened and did it ruin the string or something else in the process?


   
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(@paul-donnelly)
Noble Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 1066
 

If you look at the end of the string that goes in the bridge, you'll notice that it's not quite smooth there. The string is thicker at the very end, and then there's a little ridge where the string becomes thinner. Most likely that caught inside the bridge, and made a popping noise when it got pulled loose. It's happened to me lots of times, so now I'm careful to make sure I've got it pulled all the way. If it wasn't pulled all the way through then it would interfere with the way I get the number of windings the way I want it.


   
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(@noteboat)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 4921
 

There are a couple other causes besides what Paul mentioned - you may have too many windings on the peghead, and the clicking noise was the windings forcing their way 'in between' other windings to get closer to the peghead.

The other one is a still mystery to me. I experienced the same thing once myself during a gig last year - there was a 'pop' and my low E string was suddenly a lot lower (by nearly a fourth!). I'm pretty meticulous during string changes, and the set I had on the guitar had been there at pitch for a week, and played at least a couple hours a day... and I had only two windings around the peg. When it happend, I immediately thought the tuner's gear had failed, but I was able to come back to pitch, and it hasn't happened again... that was maybe 18 months ago. I'm still wondering exactly what happened, but the best theory I have at the moment was that there was a kink in the core of the string that came 'undone' while I was playing. I'm figuring the popping sound was the core moving against the inside of the windings, since the windings are what the peghead really grips, and that the undoing of the core kink caused the overall tension to drop. I'm not yet convinced that was the cause... but it's only happened to me the one time, and over the course of my career I've gone through several hundred sets of strings.

Guitar teacher offering lessons in Plainfield IL


   
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(@metaellihead)
Honorable Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 653
 

I don't know what kind you have, electric or what. I had this happen while I was restringing my accoustic. I would pull out the bridge pin, stick the string in there, and then stick the peg down in to secure it. Well, what I didn't realize was the tip of the bridge pin was catching around the string ball. This made the ball get stuck in the pin, and not held to the top of the guitar by the pin.

When I would tighten up to pitch it'ed suddenly pop off from the tip of the bridge pin and be slack again. So from here on out I be sure to stick my hand down into the soundhole and make sure the string isn't caught up before I tighten it up.

-Metaellihead


   
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 Nils
(@nils)
Famed Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 2849
 

I think the answer lies in one of the above. More than likely it was either the string finally pulled tight at either the peg or the bridge.

The bottom line to answer your question is that it was probably an anomaly and no damage was caused to either the string or the guitar. If it tunes OK and sounds good play it and don't worry about it

Nils' Page - Guitar Information and other Stuff
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(@undercat)
Prominent Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 959
 

To make sure my ball ends don't get stuck on the end of my bridge pins, I'll usually give them a little "L" shaped kink near the ball, so that they stick out a little bit from the pin and don't get stuck.

Do something you love and you'll never work a day in your life...


   
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(@noteboat)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 4921
 

Yeah, I give mine a kink too, and make sure it's in the bridge pin slot before I seat it. That's why the one time it happened to me was so odd - I don't think it was the ball end jumping.

Guitar teacher offering lessons in Plainfield IL


   
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(@strat-rat)
New Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 1
 

do you have locking tuners


   
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(@noteboat)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 4921
 

Not on the guitar that popped, no. It's got Martin tuners.

Guitar teacher offering lessons in Plainfield IL


   
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(@deadat27)
Trusted Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 55
Topic starter  

Yeah, the string sounds okay, I guess since I have never tried these I cant say for sure how they're suppossed to sound.

One thing I notice is that I tuned the string the best I could but I feel as if a few of them are on too tight. I sense a lot of tension when I strum them and the E string makes a rattling sound when strummed as does the A, but if I loossen them they'll sound slack and completely out of tune.

Im talking about an electric guitar here with Darco Extra light gauge nickel wound strings.


   
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