Hazards of our trade

[mandolin breeze]

Buy you a beer if you can guess what I just finished doing!

[Br1ck]

Pruning roses?

[James Rankine]

Changing strings - too easy!

[Timbofood]

Yeah but, "which" string?

[Bill Cameron]

I dont understand, what is this changing of strings of which you speak?

[Dale Ludewig]

Dyeing your fingers blueish?

[Tom Wright]

Someday I will go for it and convert my tuners to the split-peg style Fender had for a while. Not only were there no sharp string ends sticking out, the bend through two different planes means zero chance of slippage. It is true that the peg is weaker, but my instruments use generic guitar tuners, so replacing is not a big issue if needed.

One does have to cut the string first to use this type, but that is a pretty trivial issue, except in the case one broke a string at a gig without a wire cutter handy. ( keep one in my case.) And those folks who like to leave a coil of wire dangling beyond the peg need the pass-through hole in the peg. (I think those loops look ratty.)

Soon...

[Randi Gormley]

A string? Although the last time I wounded myself changing strings I think it was while taking them off!

[allenhopkins]

You owe James R a beer.

[des]

A string? Although the last time I wounded myself changing strings I think it was while taking them off!

A string? A string.

[MikeEdgerton]

If I don't bleed when changing strings I feel as if I have failed in some way.

[Paul Busman]

Blood glucose measurement?

[mandolin breeze]

Thx for having fun ya'll . . . I'm down in the Orlando area, if you're ever close by, give me a heads up for that brewski or your beverage of choice!

The ole ax sure sounds great with new strings . . . . definitely worth the risk.

[JeffD]

If I don't bleed when changing strings I feel as if I have failed in some way.

Seriously!

[T.D.Nydn]

That will probably be me tomorrow...

[DHopkins]

Am I doing something wrong? I don't recall every enduring a bloodletting while changing strings (and, unfortunately, I have to change strings way too often).

[jasona]

Blood for the blood gods

[varmonter]

Am I doing something wrong? I don't recall every enduring a bloodletting while changing strings (and, unfortunately, I have to change strings way too often).

Yes certainly must be doing something wrong......

[Ivan Kelsall]

Wait until you get one underneath your thumb or finger nail !,
Ivan

[Petrus]

Nearly got zinged in the ol' eyeball one time. Luckily was wearing glasses! (Not shades like in the smiley.)

[MediumMando5722]

I don't get how string changing injures so many of you guys. I took a non-trimmed G on an electric under my fingernail once, but I wasn't changing them when it happened.

[Bill Cameron]

Oh wait, is that when you break an E string, and then a couple of weeks later the other E string breaks and you have no E string and you have to put two new ones on (which is why theres never any Es in the spare pack of strings)?

[mandolin breeze]

I wonder how changing strings doesn't jab a lot of you? Also, if you clip the excess string off at the posts as I suspect that most of us do, those suckers are incredibly sharp and very easy to get a prick when you're cleaning or wiping off the dust around the head stock and posts. I gotta believe that most of us have been there, done that.

Getting swiped in the eye is a real possibility and a serious hazard to watch out for. I've had it almost happen when unfurling a pair of new strings.

Anyway, to all my "blood brothers" . . . hears to ya!

[Astro]

I have decided to quit changing strings.

Once they all break, I'm just buying a new mando.

[Bertram Henze]

...very easy to get a prick when you're cleaning or wiping off the dust around the head stock and posts.

That's why I clean the area around a post only during string change, after taking the old string off that post, respectively. Another advantage of keeping the instrument in it's case: it collects less dust.