Friday, November 4, 2011

How many loops do you use to tie classical strings to the bridge?

Here is a picture of my last set of strings and how I tied them. This is an experimental process for me. I learned on a steel string acoustic guitar, and restringing a classical guitar is different. Since I am in the process of learning classical guitar, I have been experimenting with different styles of restringing.
This "style" has several loops for all of the strings. The closest fully visible string in the above pic is the "A" string and you can see the loops give it a kind of ribbon type look. I've found this to be a little excessive for the three wound strings (E-A-D) which are a little more "brittle" or stiff. You can actually get by with only one real loop, as long as the loop extends over and below the bridge.
 In the above pic, you can see a one loop version on the three strings to the left, and also the several loops I used for the nylon string to the right. The important part is to make sure the end of the loop is below the bridge, as you can see in the side closest to the camera. This helps keep the string anchored properly. If it isn't anchored properly, it can slip when you start to tighten the string with the tuning pegs.
Here is another view of the three wound strings, utilizing one loop.
The three clear, smooth strings (G-B-E) need several loops in order to keep them from slipping back out. Once again the last part of the loop needs to be over the back and below the bridge in order to have a good anchor on itself, as mentioned before.
Here is what mine look like with two loops for each of the nylon strings. If they keep slipping out, you may have to leave more string out in order to hold it in place until the string's pressure can properly clamp down on itself.

You can explore other methods by searching online for companies that sell classical guitar strings. They will sometimes include an instructional video on their site. Just remember that you have choices and can work out your favorite method.

If you have a guitar teacher, take his/her advice on these topics.

Once again, feel free to leave comments, suggestions, or questions or email me at nativeguitarjoe@gmail.com. Thanks.

No comments:

Post a Comment