How do you string your bass?

[hankhill]

Here’s one for discussion. I’m restringing one of my P basses, normally I like my windings to look neat and tidy but in this case the E string seems to be taking a deep dive over the nut when wound bottom to top like this (photo).  Should I be winding the E top to bottom, to reduce the angle over the nut, or am I worrying too much?

[neepheid]

You're worrying too much - there's only a problem with break angle over the nut when there isn't enough of it.

[ezbass]

46 minutes ago, neepheid said:

there's only a problem with break angle over the nut when there isn't enough of it.

^^^^ this.

[Grahambythesea]

Too many windings, 3 is enough.

[MartinB]

 

3 hours ago, Grahambythesea said:

Too many windings, 3 is enough.

☝️

Press each string down on either side of the nut as well, so that it doesn't curve like a banana over the top. Reduces your chance of weird chorus-y noises. Same thing at the saddles too.

[Lozz196]

1 hour ago, MartinB said:

 

☝️

Press each string down on either side of the nut as well, so that it doesn't curve like a banana over the top. Reduces your chance of weird chorus-y noises. Same thing at the saddles too.

I’m going to try this as have a bit of a chorusy sound on my A string. In all the years I’ve been playing I never knew this.

[Stub Mandrel]

6 hours ago, Grahambythesea said:

Too many windings, 3 is enough.

 

I usually go for 1 ½.

Have never had an E-string slip.

 

 

 

[paul_5]

Always wind to the bottom of the tuning peg, and check that the strings aren't in torsion (twisted) when they go through the bridge. I do this by getting the string tight enough to produce a pitch (not anywhere near the final tuning), grip the string between my thumb and forefinger and run them down the length of the string from the nut to the bridge - when the ball end spins then you're taking the unnecessary twist from the string. Doesn't happen everytime I re-string, but it's worth doing every time, just in case.

[chris_b]

17 minutes ago, paul_5 said:

Always wind to the bottom of the tuning peg, and check that the strings aren't in torsion (twisted) when they go through the bridge. I do this by getting the string tight enough to produce a pitch (not anywhere near the final tuning), grip the string between my thumb and forefinger and run them down the length of the string from the nut to the bridge - when the ball end spins then you're taking the unnecessary twist from the string. Doesn't happen everytime I re-string, but it's worth doing every time, just in case.

 

This.

 

I prefer 2 windings around the post.

 

Locate the string in the tuning peg with just one wind then hold the string so the bridge end is free and can untwist and straighten out. Then tune up. I can't remember the last time I had a dead string.