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My first guitar string snapped and it launched a small circular pin somewhere. I looked up how to restring guitar strings and other peoples stringboard look different than how mine is set up. the pins I have aren't long and straight they are small circular things fitted into a small hole in the wood. What are these kinds of pins called? Can I upgrade to standard guitar pins?
You don't have any pins in that picture. That's just the ball-end of the string itself. You can just feed the new string in up to the ball-end, no other parts needed.
This is really cool to see. This is a question that many players might give the newbie some grief over, but y’all are Johnny-On-The-Spot with helpful, nonjudgmental responses.
Four of them within 10 minutes of this post. This is some solid neighborly business right here.
Y’all are good people!
I remember starting basically everything I've ever done in my life with just the dumbest questions you could possibly ask. I think it's important to remember those times and take it easy on new folks. No one ever progresses past that point if they get shot down the second they ask their first question.
There is no such thing as a dumb question, just people to dumb to ask or an ever dumber person who refuses to answer. This is how we learn.
This is right on the money, and it makes me proud of my fellow musicians. But isn't it a sad commentary on the general state of social media that common human decency, as displayed in this thread, feels kind of special and rare?
This isn't Reddit xD
🤜🤛
Those pins come on the end of guitar strings, so there's no need to replace it. When you get new strings, you'll basically just slide the unfinished end through the hole there and then pull it through until the pin catches.
Those aren't pins at all. Those are the "balls" on the end of the strings. Get new strings, and just feed the through that hole in the bridge, then up to the tuning peg.
A good shop would probably be willing to show you how to string it if you buy the strings there.
Or a youtube.
I don't think you have pins at all. It looks like you just pull the string through the hole. That 'pin' is just the end of the string. Pull a new string through and the bead will just stop there.
If you haven't changed strings before, YouTube it. It's not difficult, but it's easy to break one by going an octave to high and what not.
So these are actually just the circular retainers that come attached to the strings. Just buy a fresh string and slot it through that hole the original string was slotted through. I'd recommend you also watch some videos on restringing so you don't inadvertently snap the new string.
I see a few of those strings need replacing.
A good rule to follow for replacing strings is if you can feel the indentation that the frets cause on the string it's time to replace.
Another rule is to follow your nose. If you fret board is getting stinky then it's time to take off the strings and give the fret board a good wipe down with a damp cloth, no cleaner or oils.
You shouldn't need any tools to change the strings, btw. The slack at the tuning pegs can be tied in a loose knot to avoid poking your eyes out xD. You only need about one fret length extra in the string before you start to tighten the tuning pegs.
Through hole bridges like this are the best! No stupid pins!
FWIW there are some guitars that use pegs (plastic on a cheaper guitar, other materials on higher end ones) that hold each string in place, so that’s probably what you were thinking of (pegs vs. pins). Either way the way your bridge (where the strings go) will make it relatively easy to restring. If you ever get a guitar with pegs to hold the strings in, you might want to get a winding tool, as you can use the notch in it to pull pegs when restringing.
Should that guitar when have steel strings? I've never seen a bridge like that on a guitar that wasn't built for nylon strings.
You're getting lots of friendly advice but wanted to add one more. In this case the string snapped and the ball/retainer was launched into orbit. Sometimes a string my snap and stay put. It's perfectly OK to use an Allen wrench to poke, or some plyers to pull, the busted string out. That should more or less be a through hole with nothing hiding in it.
Be firm but gentle, and go to pulling if poking doesn't work. They can get kinda stuck sometimes.
Keep fucking around. There's not a ton that you can truly "forever break" on a guitar. Exceptions are maybe the neck truss tension and the finish itself.
... Now AMPS on the other hand...