I restrung my guitar yesterday

[Shadow Conception]

So I came up with a method to reuse the high E string. The guitar's a Strat style, and all the pegs are lined up among one side of the head. I routed what was left of the E string to a lower peg (where a lower string belongs), and routed the lower string where the high E string should've been. So basically, I now have two strings crossing paths in order to get to their new tuning pegs.

Is this reliable?

Additionally, with the "broken" E string, there seems to be less than 1mm of string left after being wrapped around the tuning peg and tuned to the right note.

 

[misle]

Reliable? No. You'll have tuning issues, not to mention possibly breaking the nut.

Strings are cheap, go buy another e string.

 

[OCGuy]

Stop playing emo power chords and your guitar wont break.

 

[Killerme33]

I restrung my Fender Strat for the first time and 3 times in a row I broke the high E. Just go out and buy some more strings and restring it correctly. It'll take practice.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: Ocguy31
Stop playing emo power chords and your guitar wont break.

I LOL'd, but that's silly. lol

 

[Mrvile]

That's not a smart thing to do at all. Throw down on some new strings and actually string the guitar properly. A whole set is like 5 bucks...

 

[imported_Imp]

Dang, it's been years since I restrung even one string on my Strat. I haven't even taken it out of the case in a half a year. Think I should sell it... or at least relax the tension.

 

[ConstipatedVigilante]

Originally posted by: Mrvile
That's not a smart thing to do at all. Throw down on some new strings and actually string the guitar properly. A whole set is like 5 bucks...

This. Re-stringing the guitar is not only cheaper, but it makes the guitar sound better. And if you break something (like the nut or pegs), then it'll cost a lot more to get your guitar repaired.

 

[SlitheryDee]

Shouldn't the high E string be on a lower peg anyway?

 

[Mrvile]

Originally posted by: Imp
Dang, it's been years since I restrung even one string on my Strat. I haven't even taken it out of the case in a half a year. Think I should sell it... or at least relax the tension.

Whatever you do, don't relax the tension on the neck. If you remove the strings (or downtune them too low) it will release pressure on the neck which will cause it to warp. The tension of the strings holds the neck in place, without them the neck does whatever the hell it wants and it generally isn't good.

 

[Mrvile]

Originally posted by: SlitheryDee
Shouldn't the high E string be on a lower peg anyway?

Unless the Strat has some reverse headstock, the high E should be on the peg furthest away from the guitar, and the low E should be closest to the guitar.

 

[SlitheryDee]

Originally posted by: Mrvile

Originally posted by: SlitheryDee
Shouldn't the high E string be on a lower peg anyway?

Unless the Strat has some reverse headstock, the high E should be on the peg furthest away from the guitar, and the low E should be closest to the guitar.

Doh. I'm sitting here looking at my acoustic. Forgot electrics were different. Carry on...

 

[SSSnail]

Buy new strings, they're cheap. If by tunning and your string snapped, you're doing it wrong and quit tunning it too high.

 

[Kirby]

Originally posted by: Ocguy31
Stop playing emo power chords and your guitar wont break.

You don't need the high E when playing drop-D power chords. The only thing that is required is 2 hands and 3 fingers. Two fingers for the pick, one for the fingering.

 

[Platypus]

Uh this is a terrible idea and really bad for your nut if you're causing that much tension. If you keep breaking strings look on your bridge for any unsmooth edges and then check your nut for any unsmooth surfaces.. the 1st E string is especially fragile so any unfiled piece of the nut can cause a break. NEVER do what you did again.

 

[Shadow Conception]

Oh damn, I didn't realize it was that bad. Is it still harmful if I just leave it like that and don't play it? Or should I take out the two strings completely as soon as possible?

I've the money to buy the strings, I just don't have the transportation to go to a music store and buy the stuff. The joys of being in high school, eh?

 

[Platypus]

Originally posted by: Shadow Conception
Oh damn, I didn't realize it was that bad. Is it still harmful if I just leave it like that and don't play it? Or should I take out the two strings completely as soon as possible?

I've the money to buy the strings, I just don't have the transportation to go to a music store and buy the stuff. The joys of being in high school, eh?

So let me get this right, you have the high E string going through the nut (the notched piece of plastic at the end of the fretboard and the headstock) and then to a different tuning peg? Which tuning peg?, the low E?

The nut was designed to allow a straight through passage to the peg, while some bending in the direction is ok, that drastic of a bend is not and will cause you to wear the nut down which you might have to refile to fix. Additionally, any bends you do on the string will cause an issue. I can't imagine that its staying in tune very well.

 

[AlienCraft]

You cause undue stress on the nut that way.
Get a new E string and replace it correctly.

 

[Shadow Conception]

The high E string is going to the G string's peg, while the G string is going to the high E string's peg. It is staying in tune pretty well (judging by ear). I don't know why.

 

[Mrvile]

Originally posted by: Shadow Conception
The high E string is going to the G string's peg, while the G string is going to the high E string's peg. It is staying in tune pretty well (judging by ear). I don't know why.

Doesn't matter. Just get it restrung ASAP. It's probably best to just remove the two strings and leave it until you can get a new set.

 

[Nik]

Originally posted by: misle
Reliable? No. You'll have tuning issues, not to mention possibly breaking the nut.

Strings are cheap, go buy another e string.

Whole sets of strings are cheap. Never replace just one string, it won't ever sound right. Replace all of them at the same time.

 

[Shadow Conception]

^About 6 months ago, I did exactly that and didn't notice a significant difference. I replaced one of the strings with the exact same brand and type of string that the guitar was already strung with.

Then again, I'm not an enthusiast. I've played on and off for a year.

I'm gonna de-string the offending strings. Guess I shouldn't take a chance with this stuff.

 

[Fritzo]

Originally posted by: Killerme33
I restrung my Fender Strat for the first time and 3 times in a row I broke the high E. Just go out and buy some more strings and restring it correctly. It'll take practice.

Switch to a 46mm or less pick and go with .10 gauge strings until you learn how to stop pulling the string when you hit it.

 

[Aluvus]

Originally posted by: SlitheryDee

Doh. I'm sitting here looking at my acoustic. Forgot electrics were different. Carry on...

It's not so much the acoustic/electric difference, as the brand. Basically all Fenders use the 6-in-a-line headstock, including their acoustics. OTOH, the (electric) Gibson Les Paul has a headstock with 3 strings to each side.

Companies that emulate some well-known guitar (like the dozens of Strat wannabes) will usually have the same type of headstock, hence the large number of electrics with all-on-one-side headstocks.

 

[Fritzo]

Originally posted by: Mrvile

Originally posted by: Shadow Conception
The high E string is going to the G string's peg, while the G string is going to the high E string's peg. It is staying in tune pretty well (judging by ear). I don't know why.

Doesn't matter. Just get it restrung ASAP. It's probably best to just remove the two strings and leave it until you can get a new set.

BTW- this probably won't do any harm. It COULD warp the neck a bit I guess, but I doubt it. Tuning machines are pretty sturdy. This was a popular thing to do in the 50's and 60's when strings were expensive and you didn't have a spare.