My missus picked up my acoustic yesterday to move it, and pronged herself on the end of one of the strings. She complained volubly. I explained that you have to be careful putting your hands anywhere near a guitar headstock. So: two things...

1 She suggested the manufacture and marketing of little 'string end safety covers' to prevent similar terrible injuries. I pointed out as many of the drawbacks to this idea as I could think of, principlally though the fact that there are so many different gauges out there. She is adamant it's a good idea so I said I'd see what you guys think.

2: Over the years I've tried various ways to render the string ends harmless- folding them over neatly against themselves, cutting them very short, leaving them a bit longer and thus flexible. They always get you in the end. Anyone got any top tips?

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http://www.kevadams.co.uk

Quote Kev Adams:

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My missus picked up my acoustic yesterday to move it

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Sounds as though they did their job. Maybe in future she'll learn how to hoover around it.

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http://www.random-thought.co.uk/

Quote Music Wolf:

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Sounds as though they did their job. Maybe in future she'll learn how to hoover around it.

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Lucky for you she laughed when I read that out to her...

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http://www.kevadams.co.uk

My last boss was the neatest bloke I ever saw. All his guitars had the strings jee'ust cut back so they did not stick out and prang you!

I am your typical untidy 'tronics tech (the breed is noted for it!) and my bench use to make him ill!

You would have though that the wit of man could have come up with a machine head that had a repository for the errant ends?

Dave.

Steinberger?

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Not much in life worth running for. Or from.

Quote Music Wolf:

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Quote Kev Adams:

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My missus picked up my acoustic yesterday to move it

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Sounds as though they did their job. Maybe in future she'll learn how to hoover around it.

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Brilliant! I laughed out loud when I read that one!

i used to loop the free inches into a coil and tuck the end into the post hole, until an acquaintance luthier made merciless fun of me for the practice. so now i just cut the ends as close to the post as possible, and found myself another luthier to hang out with.

cheers

d

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"Patsy had the drug tolerance of Keith Richards and the moral rectitude of Brian Jones." - Dr. Walter Bishop, "Fringe"

Get her to knit you a guitar head cosy, sort of a cover with holes in the side for the machines to poke through. Hey - we've got an invention - let's go down the patent office!

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The PSR

One of my old teachers taught me to just twist the excess end of the string back and forth through 180-or-so degrees (with the 'bend' created close to the post) until it breaks cleanly and with absolutely no sharp end exposed. Works a treat and I've been doing it this way for over 15 years now.

There are machine heads available which have a hole down the centre. You measure up the string to take a guess at how long it needs to be, then cut off the excess. Kink the end so that the end goes down the hole and the string comes out of the machine head slot as normal, and that's job done.

Downside is that it's a bit more fiddly, and of course there's the risk of cutting the string too short. Or if you cut the string too long then you need to unwrap everything and start again, although the same is true for "normal" machine heads too, of course.

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There are machine heads available which have a hole down the centre

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... indeed, as found on most models of Fender Strat and Tele.

They're really easy to use: measure the string to the required machine head plus two and put a right angle bend in it with a pair of pliers. Then cut the end half an inch from the right-angle bend with a pair of wire cutters, poke the end into the hole in the machine-head capstan and wind. No exposed sharp end.

Chris

Erm.... Why pick a guitar up by the headstock in the 1st place

I have some guitars on stands near the plug sockets for my Amp and computer and have to lean down to turn everything off at the wall, everytime i do I'm at eye height with the headstock and am very paranoid about getting a string end in the eye (wince), so they are always neatly trimmed. But other than that i find no other problem with them.

They do bloody hurt if caught when changing a string(s) but i reckon protecting the fingers is probably the most fool proof way of avoiding injury. Maybe a metal Thimble in the shape of a bell so you can get some leverage on those tricky ends close to the machine heads. We could market that idea..... maybe call them ... Bell-ends

Dan

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Two interesting facts about me: 1)My Knob is the length of two Argos pens 2)I'm banned from Argos

hot-melt glue gun. blob on the end of the strings. sorted

Whoo- some choice responses here folks, thanks...

Quote DoItAgain:

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One of my old teachers taught me to just twist the excess end of the string back and forth through 180-or-so degrees (with the 'bend' created close to the post) until it breaks cleanly and with absolutely no sharp end exposed. Works a treat and I've been doing it this way for over 15 years now.

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This sounds v. interesting. Will give it a go. I suppose I've always been wary of snipping too near the capstan, in case of slippage, which is stupid really- the strings never slip if they're properly fitted, once they've taken up all the slack, do they?

Quote Mixedup:

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hot-melt glue gun. blob on the end of the strings. sorted

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Genius! Thanks for that too.

Quote Dan Bo:

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Erm.... Why pick a guitar up by the headstock in the 1st place Dan

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I know- I've told her. What more can you do?

Quote PSR:

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Get her to knit you a guitar head cosy, sort of a cover with holes in the side for the machines to poke through. Hey - we've got an invention - let's go down the patent office!

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Mrs A loves knitting- I'll put this to her. Cut you in 50/50 on the profits!

Quote intense:

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Quote:

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There are machine heads available which have a hole down the centre

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... indeed, as found on most models of Fender Strat and Tele.

They're really easy to use: measure the string to the required machine head plus two and put a right angle bend in it with a pair of pliers. Then cut the end half an inch from the right-angle bend with a pair of wire cutters, poke the end into the hole in the machine-head capstan and wind. No exposed sharp end.

Chris

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Yes, I was thinking of those too- but I really can't be arsed with changing all the machines on all my guitars!

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http://www.kevadams.co.uk

Just remembered.
Our lead guitarist used to keep his fag on the end of a string so it was not long into the night before all the ends were nicely protected with dead tippers.

Dave.

Quote Kev Adams:

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Quote DoItAgain:

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One of my old teachers taught me to just twist the excess end of the string back and forth through 180-or-so degrees (with the 'bend' created close to the post) until it breaks cleanly and with absolutely no sharp end exposed. Works a treat and I've been doing it this way for over 15 years now.

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the strings never slip if they're properly fitted, once they've taken up all the slack, do they?

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Agreed, they don't.

Quote DoItAgain:

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Quote Kev Adams:

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Quote DoItAgain:

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One of my old teachers taught me to just twist the excess end of the string back and forth through 180-or-so degrees (with the 'bend' created close to the post) until it breaks cleanly and with absolutely no sharp end exposed. Works a treat and I've been doing it this way for over 15 years now.

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the strings never slip if they're properly fitted, once they've taken up all the slack, do they?

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Agreed, they don't.

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Nope, but it's embarrassing if you have to slacken them for some reason (like setting intonation, adjusting the truss rod for seasonal adjustments, replacing pick-ups, or whatever).

I like to leave a couple of cm/an inch of string sticking out. I put a few 90 degree bends in the string to wrap it over the top of the post and leave the end pointing towards the face of the headstock.

But pain is nature's way of saying... 'you shouldn't have done that'. When Mother Nature teaches you a lesson, you learn from it and don't do it again

Andy

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When the going gets weird, the Weird turn Pro.

Get a fancy hercules wall hanger - I've got loads.

And I've never hurt myself =)

I also have locking tuners on my mine guitar, which means you can get the end VERY close to the post, and they look alot hotter =)

In the end though, why would you pick it up by the headstock??? I fully agree with that! I've never seen anyone try to pick up my Mums double bass by its head (roll), so why a guitar? An instrument that is obviously made to be held at the neck!

I also enjoyed the 'she'll learn to hoover around it' option =D

Simple solution.

Ditch the guitar and take up the bass, no string ends as they go down the hole in the machinehead, and its only got 4 strings so its easier.

What I don't understand is why anyone would want to injure a string

'k I'm gone.

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It wasn't me!
(Well, actually, it probably was)

Quote Edd M:

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Get a fancy hercules wall hanger - I've got loads.

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I have hangers but not enough to go round (several 6-strings , a 12-string and an octave mandola) so there's usually a guitar lying around in the way somewhere- I'm a lazy swine.

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http://www.kevadams.co.uk

I've found that just cutting the string end off very close to the post works for me. Need a good pair of small side cutters with a flat cutting edge (one flat & one angled rather than both cutting edges angled) to let you get really close to the post. Still doesn't stop the end pinging into your hand when you take the string off again though.

I find using the Fender split tuners fine until I get to the top E, when the string end always kept coming out when I tried to then wind the rest of the string round the post. So I always keep a collection of halved cocktail sticks handy, poke one down the hole once the bent string end is in. There are then no problems with the string end coming out when winding it on.

Quote ef37a:

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Just remembered.
Our lead guitarist used to keep his fag on the end of a string so it was not long into the night before all the ends were nicely protected with dead tippers.

Dave.

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Can only imagine the shock and horror of anyone in the US reading this - LOL

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www.dragonlogos.co.uk

If you do cut off the extra bit of the strings, or even the old strings... have a good use for cleaning and adjusting the water washers in cars, you know the little jet thingies that spray the water up onto the windscreen... and its normally the thicker ones(13) rather than 09 that do the job

And here's just a money saving tip... sometimes when your car / truck tyres keep going flat its not always a puncture, it could be the valve is old and worn... there is a funny looking key thing that you can get from auto shops, together with a few valves (very cheaply) and replace them yourself at a petrol station

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www.dragonlogos.co.uk

Man, I have found that is simply unavoidable. I'll tell you one thing, never leave a guitar on a stand where it can be tripped over. Went to sleep one night and got up (very lose underwear) and walked straight over it in the night, making a little slice in my bits!!!

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make dubstep music

Quote zenguitar:

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But pain is nature's way of saying... 'you shouldn't have done that'. When Mother Nature teaches you a lesson, you learn from it and don't do it again

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I wish I'd met you many years earlier than I did Andy - your advice might have saved me from many an injury


Martin

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YewTreeMagic

Quote dougzi:

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Man, I have found that is simply unavoidable. I'll tell you one thing, never leave a guitar on a stand where it can be tripped over. Went to sleep one night and got up (very lose underwear) and walked straight over it in the night, making a little slice in my bits!!!

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Yikes!

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http://www.kevadams.co.uk

corks on the ends or marshmallows.... mmmmm marshmallow

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www.humandrums.com
online session drumming at realistic prices

Quote zenguitar:

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But pain is nature's way of saying... 'you shouldn't have done that'. When Mother Nature teaches you a lesson, you learn from it and don't do it again

Andy

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She will continue to offer this lesson until the desired learning outcome has been achieved

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Strictly an amateur with some nice toys,

At last some common sense,my missus always asks me to move my guitar off the sofa so she can sit down,never did then when we forst got married.

'Everything should have a bobble on it!'

Always see a problem as an opportunity: we know what happens to naughty girls who pick up guitars by the headstock.

Could be a good weekend ...

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Instant gratification is actually pretty good. It's fast as well.

If anybody still cares for their loved ones fingers, you could try these

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/cable-end-crimps-id_8043637.html

Made for bike cables though! Might work on the thicker gauge.

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http://soundcloud.com/richie-royale
http://www.mixcrate.com/richieroyale

Back in the late 70s, I was recording a C&W band in a studio in Germany and the Hawaiian slide guitar player was doing take after take and getting it wrong every time. He had speared his cigarette on those string ends, so that he could have a quick puff between takes.

I remember that his name was Herbert and he was wearing a rather obvious toupee that was a slightly different colour to the rest of his hair.

Take after take had to be stopped as Herbert got the same passage wrong each and every time - and the more takes we did, the more Herbert sweated.

Soon, Herbert was glistening with sweat and then it happened, the toupee slid off his head and got caught up in the ends of the guitar strings, quivering like a small live animal.

Manfully, Herbert tugged at the toupee, but he couldn't wrestle it free from those strings.

Then, because of that cigarette, it caught fire.

"That cost me sixty Marks!" cried Herbert in dismay, as smoke billowed from his toupee.

I laughed so hard, it hurt. I was lying under the desk, doubled up with cramps of laughter and every time I tried to stop laughing, I remembered the sight of that thing that looked like a hairy gerbil in flames and I was off again, helpless as before.

By the time I was able to stand up, the band had packed up and left and my boss was speechless with anger, because I had laughed his customers out of the building.

That was the last day I have ever worked for anybody. The very next day, I found myself at complete liberty to become self employed and start my own studio.

Quote The Red Bladder:

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By the time I was able to stand up, the band had packed up and left and my boss was speechless with anger, because I had laughed his customers out of the building.

That was the last day I have ever worked for anybody. The very next day, I found myself at complete liberty to become self employed and start my own studio.

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That story reminds me of a line from that George Clooney film 'Up In The Air'. It is very funny though! Out of curiosity do you not think of yourself as working for your clients as well as yourself, Red Bladder? "Even god's got a boss" and all that...

PS I'm still trying to escape the imagery of the 1970s German C&W scene, even sans toupee!

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Strictly project and just for fun

A small blob of silicon from a gun will dry in 24 hours and be like rubber, just an off the top of the head thought.

SafeandSound Mastering

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Mastering online mastering

Quote PSR:

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Get her to knit you a guitar head cosy, sort of a cover with holes in the side for the machines to poke through. Hey - we've got an invention - let's go down the patent office!

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It's a decent idea, but how would it work with my Ricky 330-12?

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"We knocked on the doors of Hell's darker chambers..." But no-one answered, so we went to the pub instead.

Not entirely relevant to the thread, but does anyone else do this?:
http://www.frets.com/FretsPages/Musician/Guitar/Setup/SteelStrings/Stringi ng/ststringing2.html

Iv'e been stringing my acoustics like that for many years, I also do the same with my electrics. Never, ever had problems.

I do something similar with plain strings, but not wound ones.

Maybe I'll get around to getting some nice pics and posting how I wind them. But to be honest there are several ways to fit strings that all work more than good enough, and many more ways that are usekless at best and an utter pain at worst.

Andy

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When the going gets weird, the Weird turn Pro.