discobob Posted November 5, 2020 Report Share Posted November 5, 2020 I got my lad a new acoustic guitar the other week as his £30 one was rubbish and he had very good results. However, He has had a go at changing the strings to nanowebs and it isn't going well. He removed all the strings and is struggling to get them all back on - however he is saying that the ones he has got back on can't be tuned in etc. I am wondering if because it is new that releasing the strings has moved the neck of the guitar and is causing issues - I however have no idea on what to do next Any help/advice/pointers (I have given him a slap around the head already metaphorically in this DOA) would be greatly appreciated Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatchap Posted November 5, 2020 Report Share Posted November 5, 2020 Loads of video's on youtube concerning nanoweb strings and acoustic guitars, might be some useful info there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Humblepie Posted November 5, 2020 Report Share Posted November 5, 2020 I am no expert by any means but do own a few guitars Depending on the cost of the new guitar, it may be worthwhile taking it to a music shop to replace them and get them to set up the guitar for your lad. This will make sure the string height, intonation and action are all how he wants them. appreciate in the current climate, this might not be possible. If he wants to do it himself, replace all the strings and just tighten them up enough before tuning, don’t try and tune a single string without all others in place. I would doubt that by removing the strings it has affected the neck hope this helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discobob Posted November 5, 2020 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2020 5 minutes ago, Humblepie said: I am no expert by any means but do own a few guitars Depending on the cost of the new guitar, it may be worthwhile taking it to a music shop to replace them and get them to set up the guitar for your lad. This will make sure the string height, intonation and action are all how he wants them. appreciate in the current climate, this might not be possible. If he wants to do it himself, replace all the strings and just tighten them up enough before tuning, don’t try and tune a single string without all others in place. I would doubt that by removing the strings it has affected the neck hope this helps It was £130 - an Epiphone DR-100 - How much would something like that cost?? 13 minutes ago, fatchap said: Loads of video's on youtube concerning nanoweb strings and acoustic guitars, might be some useful info there. Thanks - will have a look - just concerned that my my idea of a micro-adjuster is a 10lb sledge hammer 😁 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Humblepie Posted November 5, 2020 Report Share Posted November 5, 2020 It was £130 - an Epiphone DR-100 - How much would something like that cost?? Around £30 but will vary from shop to shop...well worth the money in my opinion. I have a Epiphone Jumbo acoustic which I took in and it made a huge difference in playing, especially the height of the strings Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discobob Posted November 5, 2020 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2020 25 minutes ago, Humblepie said: It was £130 - an Epiphone DR-100 - How much would something like that cost?? Around £30 but will vary from shop to shop...well worth the money in my opinion. I have a Epiphone Jumbo acoustic which I took in and it made a huge difference in playing, especially the height of the strings Our local music shop will be opening up on Monday I hope (Wales Lockdown ends) so will take it there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deny essex Posted November 5, 2020 Report Share Posted November 5, 2020 (edited) As advised wise get it set professionally, I used to play professionally and a well set guitar action makes for a more comfortable playing action that is much better for learning. Always set my own action etc on my guitars to my own taste and playing style, but now at my age rust has set in my fingers as well as my brain 😞 Edited November 5, 2020 by deny essex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oscarsdad Posted November 5, 2020 Report Share Posted November 5, 2020 Agreed, get it set up professionally. I had never done this but was persuaded to by a bloke at work and I was stunned by how much easier it was to play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discobob Posted November 5, 2020 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2020 Thanks for all the replies guys - will get it into the local shop then - we bought his electric from there back in September and they do mainly guitars although this one was bought online. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnphilip Posted November 5, 2020 Report Share Posted November 5, 2020 (edited) Ok it should have a trust rod down the inside of the neck . That will be set up for a size of strings usually denote by the first string ( the thinnest one ) say 12 0r 14 . Putting lighter or heavy strings will alter the action . Ok but all the strings on it get a few turns on the turning pegs . Now the scary bit grab one string at a time and give it a pull straight up . This will stretch the string and sort them . Now tune the strings up . Keep checking the other strings as you do others strings . As they will go out again . As the tension on the neck is changing. When you get each string in tune . Strum it and see how it sounds , new string will take a while to settle . That is why the stretching helps . Now you need to check for " frett buz " over to youtube will show you how to check this . Pick the guitar up by the body and look upto the neck and see what it looks like . Is it dished or bowed look at string hight . Again its better to watch on you tube. Edited November 5, 2020 by johnphilip Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discobob Posted November 5, 2020 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2020 44 minutes ago, johnphilip said: Ok it should have a trust rod down the inside of the neck . That will be set up for a size of strings usually denote by the first string ( the thinnest one ) say 12 0r 14 . Putting lighter or heavy strings will alter the action . Ok but all the strings on it get a few turns on the turning pegs . Now the scary bit grab one string at a time and give it a pull straight up . This will stretch the string and sort them . Now tune the strings up . Keep checking the other strings as you do others strings . As they will go out again . As the tension on the neck is changing. When you get each string in tune . Strum it and see how it sounds , new string will take a while to settle . That is why the stretching helps . Now you need to check for " frett buz " over to youtube will show you how to check this . Pick the guitar up by the body and look upto the neck and see what it looks like . Is it dished or bowed look at string hight . Again its better to watch on you tube. That is beyond my payscale!!! Shop it is next week but thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnphilip Posted November 5, 2020 Report Share Posted November 5, 2020 5 minutes ago, discobob said: That is beyond my payscale!!! Shop it is next week but thanks! If we were local i would have had a look at it for you . Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discobob Posted November 5, 2020 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2020 Thanks @johnphilip Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grrclark Posted November 5, 2020 Report Share Posted November 5, 2020 A shop is the best option, when you know what to do it is straight forward to get a guitar action setup spot on, but it is also easy to get it wrong and if you start messing about with truss rods it is possible to ruin the guitar too. It's very likely just a technique thing on the part of your lad as the first time at stringing a guitar can be a nightmare for all manner of reasons. Get the person in the shop to show him how to string it so next time he can do it himself. Once the action is blob on for how your lad likes it he can then change the strings himself and after a couple of re-strings he'll have it done to an art. Just wait until he gets his first 12 string then he'll hate changing strings! Then there will be the electrics with whammy bars or hollow bodies with floating bridges and all other sorts of nonsense that make re-stringing an exercise in bad language Good for him learning guitar too, guys who can play guitar are cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retsdon Posted November 5, 2020 Report Share Posted November 5, 2020 Just for next time, unless he wants to clean the fretboard or make some kind of alterations it's probably better to change the strings out one by one, leaving the others tensioned as you fit each new one. That way the neck doesn't get completely de-tensioned and tensioned again. Even so, as others have mentioned, changing the string gauge will alter both the action (height of the strings) and the intonation (how true the notes play when fretted higher up the fretboard). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discobob Posted November 6, 2020 Author Report Share Posted November 6, 2020 16 hours ago, grrclark said: Good for him learning guitar too, guys who can play guitar are cool. Taught himself, he had a cheap acoustic that he bought but didn't do much with but at the start of lockdown we got him a ukulele, he then started playing the acoustic as well - then he got an electric for his birthday - He done really well on his separate sciences (a*) and I came into a little windfall so treated him to this which he wanted. He also has a small bodied coming for Christmas. He is like my Dad, he could pick up any instrument and play it - he even played the Blackpool Tower Wurlitzer whereas I can pick up any instrument and turn it into an instrument of torture 😂 16 hours ago, Retsdon said: Just for next time, unless he wants to clean the fretboard or make some kind of alterations it's probably better to change the strings out one by one, leaving the others tensioned as you fit each new one. That way the neck doesn't get completely de-tensioned and tensioned again. Even so, as others have mentioned, changing the string gauge will alter both the action (height of the strings) and the intonation (how true the notes play when fretted higher up the fretboard). I did read that and have said the same to him - but as per usual he had the Dad Filter applied Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grrclark Posted November 6, 2020 Report Share Posted November 6, 2020 10 hours ago, discobob said: Taught himself, he had a cheap acoustic that he bought but didn't do much with but at the start of lockdown we got him a ukulele, he then started playing the acoustic as well - then he got an electric for his birthday - He done really well on his separate sciences (a*) and I came into a little windfall so treated him to this which he wanted. He also has a small bodied coming for Christmas. He is like my Dad, he could pick up any instrument and play it - he even played the Blackpool Tower Wurlitzer whereas I can pick up any instrument and turn it into an instrument of torture 😂 Hahaha i know exactly how you feel, my dad and brother are naturally musical, i’m absolutely not. Playing guitar will serve him well with the ladies too. Also good for him on his exam results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discobob Posted November 12, 2020 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2020 Took him yesterday to the local Music Shop - he went in and they took him through the stringing up of the guitar and he is a happy chappy now and was strumming away all evening Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amateur Posted November 12, 2020 Report Share Posted November 12, 2020 Set of earplugs on order? Ah well! Not as bad as the trainee violinist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discobob Posted November 12, 2020 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2020 he is actually not bad - picks up tunes very quick - can get a bit much when I am on a Teams call - he was doing Wonderwall last night - I think he has inherited his singing voice or me - I couldn't carry a tune even if it was in a bag Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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