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Thread: Stressful Times: Bringing New 'E' Up To Tune!

  1. #1
    Registered User Al Trujillo's Avatar
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    Default Stressful Times: Bringing New 'E' Up To Tune!

    Not to make light of the situation around the world but a show of hands here of who else says a little prayer each time you bring a new 'E' string up to tune?

    ...I do...and I close my eyes and pray....Oh Lord, I Pray!

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    Registered User Doug Brock's Avatar
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    Default Re: Stressful Times: Bringing New 'E' Up To Tune!

    Lol. I hadn’t had a problem with previous mandolins but I broke several e strings when I got my Silverangel in September. I finally ordered some singles from JustStrings, but a string change was definitely an eye squinting affair.

    Lubricating the nut helped, and then things have been ok after I had a new nut put on. Well, I did break an e last week after trying to reuse strings after putting on a Cumberland Acoustic bridge. I’ve never reused strings like that, but i had heard of folks reusing strings so thought I’d try it. Snap!
    Doug Brock
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    Registered User Eric Platt's Avatar
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    Default Re: Stressful Times: Bringing New 'E' Up To Tune!

    Don't usually have a problem with it, but still say a little something. Did have a couple of times where the E broke. And other where it just unwound from the loop.

    Pretty sure am that way because had a run of guitar G strings break when stringing up. Never could figure out why. And the second string always behaved. Wasn't at either the tuner or nut, but in between. Or, I'm just a big chicken.
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    Gibson F5L Gibson A5L
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    Default Re: Stressful Times: Bringing New 'E' Up To Tune!

    Well .… I definitely want to "duck" and I do it slowly. The G string on a guitar does the same thing to me too...… go figure. I expect an engineer to give us a numbered answer. R/
    I love hanging out with mandolin nerds . . . . . Thanks peeps ...

  6. #5
    working musician Jim Bevan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Stressful Times: Bringing New 'E' Up To Tune!

    Tuning up the E-strings on my recently-sold Rigel R-200 mandolin/mandola hybrid was quite a tense moment, but the singly-ordered light Thomastik E's I was using never did break.
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  7. #6
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    Default Re: Stressful Times: Bringing New 'E' Up To Tune!

    Don’t think I’ve ever broken one tuning up new strings, and I’ve gotten fearless enough that I get them pretty close to pitch with a string wonder now, then stretch and finish by hand. I have broken a couple random guitar and mando strings by not paying attention and turning the wrong tuning peg maybe twice, but haven’t made that mistake in probably 8-10 years. When they do break, it’s definitely startling, so prayers are never a bad idea when tuning up!

  8. #7
    The Amateur Mandolinist Mark Gunter's Avatar
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    Default Re: Stressful Times: Bringing New 'E' Up To Tune!

    I remember very well the first few times dealing with a mandolin - the squinting, ducking, all tensed up, hoping and praying - it went away over time and after fooling around with a succession of different mandolins. But I’ve been there.
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    Registered User belbein's Avatar
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    Default Re: Stressful Times: Bringing New 'E' Up To Tune!

    [raising my hand] I've done it with so many strings on so many instruments. Regularly on banjo, back in the day. Those little strings can put your eye out. I tune them up a few notes at a time and walk away while they stretch.
    belbein

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  10. #9
    Registered User Cary Fagan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Stressful Times: Bringing New 'E' Up To Tune!

    Scares me too. I've broken plenty. So I do it slowly, and I pluck the string as i turn the knob to make sure the note is going up. If it's stuck I lower it again and start over.
    Cary Fagan

  11. #10
    Confused... or?
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    Default Re: Stressful Times: Bringing New 'E' Up To Tune!

    Even if I don't always need my glasses, tuning up a new string always merits them!
    Last edited by EdHanrahan; Mar-22-2020 at 5:46pm.
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  12. #11
    Registered User rockies's Avatar
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    Default Re: Stressful Times: Bringing New 'E' Up To Tune!

    I use a winder and have never had an E string break on my Heiden but have worked on many guitars and mandolins that did. Usually there's a cause that can be cured... take note of where breakage occurs. If it's at the tuners there may be a sharp edge , a small smooth file on all the string posts will cure that, same on the tailpiece. Breakage at saddle and / or nut the strings are being pinched in a notch or too small a slot. A very LIGHT touch up with a set of welders nozzle cleaners (correct guage) will fix those. Then a little pencil lead (graphite) in the slots. Do all of these easy things to your instrument and your breakage problems will probably become a rare experience. IMHO
    Dave
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    Peace. Love. Mandolin. Gelsenbury's Avatar
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    Default Re: Stressful Times: Bringing New 'E' Up To Tune!

    It happened to me on Friday. Very bothersome.

  14. #13

    Default Re: Stressful Times: Bringing New 'E' Up To Tune!

    I just got my first mandolin and was definitely nervous tuning the Es for the first time. I’m coming to mandolin from viola, so E strings are new to me. They look so thin and breakable - didn’t break either one of them though.

  15. #14
    Lurkist dhergert's Avatar
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    Default Re: Stressful Times: Bringing New 'E' Up To Tune!

    Last time I tuned a 1st & 2nd string up to E was in Sept/Oct 2016, after setting up a few $199 MK mandolins for friends for Christmas. A number of these strings slipped at the loops and I had to re-tie them. No breaks, but plenty of concern.

    I prefer the tone of older strings so I haven't changed strings since I got my F-9 mandolin re-fretted about 3 years ago. But with the open C tuning that I use, my highest strings are tuned to G, and even though they are custom .015s, it's still pretty low tension.

    I was even able to keep these older strings on after changing my F-9 over to use my James tailpiece. I'm really glad I could do so.
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