Took my guitar in today. I got the manager (oh boy, just see my thread about getting an amp), and he said like Claude said--stripped screw. He's going to replace the whole thing--all the nuts, pegs, screws--and restring it for me using GHS strings (I'm afraid now to try to restring it, and I figure, while I'm there...). He said he was sorry about last time I was there, and he has a new amp (Peavey vypyr 30) in the box if I was still interested in getting a new amp.

The Peavey amp would run about 165 tax and all, new. Should I go for it or no?

Again, thanks everybody, especially Claude, for putting up with my crabbiness and complete emo state. I was flustered which I usually don't do really. I admit, I don't have a lot of confidence in my abilities and last night didn't help.
Thanks so much.

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"While My Guitar Gently Weeps."

My dad said, "I'm going to miss you."
I said, "Well, now that I broke that sight off your rifle..." (Emo Philips)

Hi LVA, how is your day today? Yesterday I was about to go to bed when I saw your post. I had a little spare time and I sensed that you were desperate to know what was going on with your guitar. I never felt any crabbiness or that emo thing from you. I am sure that a lot of guys/gals would have gladly step in to help.
I'm affraid that I can't help you with the amp, I know nothing about these amps.
Confidence comes with experience, I think that you could start doing some light work on your guitar and begin to acquire a knowledge that you will use all your life. Trust yourself, we are the slaves of our ignorance but we can't be experts at everything. We all have to start somewhere and now, is always a good time to start and build on.
Nobody could have fixed your guitar last night without spare parts, but you needed something to focus on and I'm glad if I could be of any help. See ya.
Claude.

Thanks Claude. I would've lost sleep without your help.

Day's okay. Just took in the guitar to get it done. It should be ready by Wednesday afternoon. *crossing fingers* Even the guy said he had to replace the tuners on his expensive Gibson--"You'd think on an expensive Gibson you wouldn't have terrible tuners. I had to replace mine twice already," he told me. I felt better that I had the background here to make sure I wasn't being taken for a ride. Everything he said was pretty much on target with what you said. Thanks so much Claude. You Rock!

How are you btw? Sorry I kept you up. Yeah, I was a wee bit desperate. Well, freakin' huge desperate. More in the "running around in circles crying my eyes out freaking out" kind of desperate.

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"While My Guitar Gently Weeps."

My dad said, "I'm going to miss you."
I said, "Well, now that I broke that sight off your rifle..." (Emo Philips)

You're a good man Claude.Lady VA the price he quoted you for the Peavey is very reasonable and a pretty good deal theVypyr is a gutsy little amp that has gobs of overdrive if you want it yet plays very clean as well, I'd say go for it.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

I'm fine thank you LVA. Listen, I chose to help you because I thaught that I was able to find a solution to your problem, so don't worry about that. In fact I learned a thing or two myself in the process HA HA, I've learned that I need to fing a better quicker way to upload pictures on photobucket. See ya.
Claude.

cluade is right , once you change one set of strings you will have the general idea by the time you've done it 3 or 4 times you'll wonder what the hassle was all about , to do is to learn , it's the best way

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I tried doing my own changing, but I have a hard time curling the string around the peg. The low E string was giving me major problems. It's the winding the string back and hooking it that really gives me problems.

Here's a youtube vid about how this guy does it. When I try going backwards on the string with my low E, it leaves a big space between the string and the tuning key (where the string is inserted--I'm trying to use the correct terminology but having a hard time) and I can't close it up. It looks so smooth when someone else does it.

On the vid, it starts at 0:58 where I really have the problems if that makes sense. Any suggestions?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9DD4XcW3Vw

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"While My Guitar Gently Weeps."

My dad said, "I'm going to miss you."
I said, "Well, now that I broke that sight off your rifle..." (Emo Philips)

Yup, don't cut the string. This way you can use your both hands to stretch the string like when you are doing a knot. Slide the string through and around the peg, push it underneath itself and bring it back like in the video. After that you need to keep a constant small tension on the string with your right hand while you wind up the tuning key. Make sure that the string goes down toward the head and not up. Repeat the process for all the strings and at the end you cut all the strings. Don't forget to stretch your strings a few times to set the knots tight. That's how I do it. There is other ways to do it but this one is a good one.
There is the much simpler method without the knot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jHUg--teQE

You can't have the perfect strings set up right on the first time but keep at it, pay attention at what you do, learn from your mistakes, you'll be a pro in no time. Good luck.
Claude.

Thanks Claude. You 'da man.

Man, now I wish I had that guitar in the video. Whoooeeee. That's a beautiful guitar.

On my Fender (ahem...in softer voice *squier strat se so I know it's not a true fender*...ahem), I have all the strings on one side of the headstock and not separated with three on one side and three on the other. I'm wondering about how much slack to give the higher strings. Wonder if the 'fret rule' this person uses would work. I got a broken string so I'll play with that, just curling it and such.

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"While My Guitar Gently Weeps."

My dad said, "I'm going to miss you."
I said, "Well, now that I broke that sight off your rifle..." (Emo Philips)

What he said is that you start with the E string, you give it about one fret of slack so the total amount of string around the peg will be roughly two turns when it will be tuned to pitch. Then you proceed with the A,D,G B and E strings and through all the process, you give more and more slack to each string so that for the small E string you will have four or five turns of string around the peg. So you start with about one fret for the big E string and for the small E string you'll need to back it up to two, two and a half frets, it depends on the guitar, you'll have to practice and see what fits the best for your real Squier.
The reason behing the slack is that the big strings are strong enough to hold themselves around the peg, but the smaller strings could detune themselves because of their smaller diameter, they are weaker, so they need more turns around the peg. That is also the reason for the knot. But as I said, not everyone use the knot technique.
So that is roughly the technique to restring your guitar and don't forget that a $3000.00 guitar will sound like crap if the strings are poorly installed. Treat your Squier as the real guitar that it is and enjoy your new set of strings.
Claude.

LVA , don't diss youre guitar , it might say squire on the headstock in big writing but it's got fender underneath it , i've played a few squires that were very decent guitars , sound wise and for playability , so be proud of youre axe , it's you'rs , nuff said . my strat was made in japan in 1989 , so it's not really a fender either but playing it then swapingh to a david gilmour strat , theres no difference in the feel between the 2 , the sound is another matter , the gilmour strat has emg pups and stuff , i hope you see what i'm trying to say hth
Alan

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I know exactly how you feel LVA, I don't have a scooby about the in's and out's of guitars. It's thanks to Alanssaab that I can now change strings, if he hadn't kicked me up the butt and told me to get on with it. I'd still be using old strings, or paying someone else to set the guitar up (usually the latter).

On that note, I'm still not confident about changing strings on my Strat. The Tele's I find easy enough, but the Strat is a different story In saying that, this thread inspired me to buy a set of boomers online today. So... I'll be giving it a go in the next few days

snowy , just gimme a shout and i'll walk you through it mate

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Cheers Al, I'll no doubt give you a call (in a panic) over the next day or so I'm going up to Magnum Sound later today, the sunburst Tele is due a free set up. I hope to pick up the fuzz face too, if it's ready. If I get it, I'll !@$ round to your place and you can give it a spin.

cool mate , looking forward to trying the FF

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