Help! String change problem...

dgimcmillan

Good morning, everyone...

I have a problem with changing strings on my Cigano GJ-10.

I ordered 2 sets of Wyres Selmer-Maccaferri strings - loop end - a while ago. Wyres is a Canadian company that specializes in hand-wraped, etc. strings, and they have a full line. I use their Pierre Bensusan signature strings on my fingerstyle guitar, and their PB strings on my archtop, too.

Unfortunately, the Selmac strings from them have a small loop-end, and it won't fit over the ball on the Cigano tailpiece. Now I'm stumped...

I'm sure that I am missing some stupid little point that will make my problem go away, but I'm having a brain-fart right now :oops:

So, what do I do? Can I make the loop bigger? How? Or do I just buy different strings? Or is there a way to put the strings on that I'm missing?

Any help will be appreciated..

Ian

Heretic

Would you be able to thread the string through its own loop to create a little noose with which you could then capture the post?

dgimcmillan

Thanks for the idea, heretic! I'll try that when I get home from work, but it may not be possible. The windings for the loop are pretty stiff and fairly thick.

Ian

B25Gib

......Maybe you could take small finish nails (less than 1 1/2 ") and cut a short length. Then feed the loop Thru the post hole and use the cut piece to prevent it pulling back thru. Not a pretty solution but should work.

dgimcmillan

thanks for the advice, B25Gib....

I'll try it, too..

Ian

Jeff Moore

Maybe rather than cutting the nail use two nails each of whose length is half the width of the tailpeice. Lay each nail parallel to the top such that it travels through 3 string loops and is pulled against three posts.
Use common nails (smooth), not zinc coated.

Elliot

Hi Ian:

I say maybe you should just forget the whole thing and buy Argentines.

dgimcmillan

Thanks Jeff. 2 nails might be the best way to go.

I was actually hoping somebody had a trick for making the loop-ends fit over the Cigano posts on the tail-piece. Oh well.. :?

And Eliott....you're probably right. It's just that the Wyres strings look so good, and the one's I use on my other guitars sound so good - to me at least - that I wanted to stay with them. So...yeah, it's likely time to order some Argentines from Michael.

Ian

Jeff Moore

It absurd for Wyres to make strings that can't fit a best selling Selmac.
Pull out gun, aim, shoot foot!

Argies are great, no doubt, but there are certainly different sounds worth noting in other strings. The GHS gypsy's are aggressive sounding and real cheap. They'll brighten things up if you need it. They also feature an abrasive feel on the fingers too, good for smoothing callouses. Hehe.

Elliot

I'm sure you're right Jeff

The problem I've found is unlike other guitar worlds where strings are totally exchangeable Argies are just more supple than any other GJ string out there as far as I know, so unless this changes they will always be the standard reference for playability. If this weren't the case I'd be one of those with 6 sets, each of different brands ready to experiment with instead of counting how many sets of Argies I have left, wondering if ball or loop makes any difference....a desperate tweaker looking for something to improve...!

Jeff Moore

Yes, I agree but: The more you know about the momentum of the electron, the less you know about its position. We must be humble each in our relative slice of art and allow the widest choice to the individual.
Democratize-Nationalize Energy! But leave string choice to the market: us chumps that choose em. What fun is one choice? Maybe the man likes Wyres. People will likely choose Argies by trial and error, but maybe not! Maybe there's yet another world of sound and our belief in argies is just prolonging a plateau in consciousness!