String ends

Just personal preference I think. I like things kept tidy at bridge and headstock end generally, although I've got a bit of extra G string out the back of the bridge on my baritone in case the winding unravels again at the head end..... I can just pull it through. I wouldn't imagine having loose ends makes any difference to sound but I may be wrong :cool:
 
I coil my string ends in a loop at the tuner end until they have settled then clip them short - just in case they unravel so I can pull them through again. These days I loop the strings back through the tuner an extra time, twice with the 1st & 4th strings and they don't tend to slip through the tuners if you do that. I'm not sure if that will be possible with a baritone low D string, I've not yet had to change the strings on my Baritone.
 
They can buzz if they are just the right length/angle on the top. Took me long enough to figure out what it was that I always cut mine short now by default.
 
OCD here. MUST BE TUCKED! Or it will drive me crazy. At bridge, all tails must go down (toward floor) and each end must go neatly under adjacent string's knot. As a practical matter, I don't want ends poking me as I strum. At the headstock, I want to see the proper amount of windings, without crazy overlaps, and excess evenly clipped off. When I see folks with inches of excess dangling, it makes me nuts. I want to grab my nail clippers. But that's just me. To each his own.
 
I tuck them, too. Looks best to me and the ends won't touch the top of the ukulele. If a string breaks or I replace it before the others (e.g. a single wound string) and I can't tuck it under the neighboring string, I just cut it short.

The ends in the headstock I cut short a day or two after the strings settled. I'd find it distracting if the loose ends dangled.
 
Ukecaster said:
I see various pics of old Martin ukes with long string ends hanging off the bridge, as seen below, rather than being clipped shorter, or neatly wrapped under the others at the base of the bridge. Any reason for that, or just personal preference?

View attachment 99344
Click to expand...

just lazy...and sloppy.
 
On that particular uke they could be shorter as it is a 'knot in slot' bridge - but I don't worry about a little bit of string sticking out of my tie bridge, but I do like to have them neatly coiled at the tuners - it's a personal thing. :D
 
I always like them short at the tuning posts. I also cut them at the bridge. I have seen some instruments that were scratched on top due to strings not being cut off shorter at the bridge. The string ends caused some damage.
 
jer said:
I always like them short at the tuning posts. I also cut them at the bridge. I have seen some instruments that were scratched on top due to strings not being cut off shorter at the bridge. The string ends caused some damage.
Click to expand...

Saw these optional string guards on Fernandez Music site, to protect top from string damage

KiwayaKTS6BStringGuard.jpg
 
When I was in the Navy there was a fellow who would sit on the fantail of the ship and play is guitar. He left his strings sticking out and he would stick his cigarette on one of them while he played.
 
Rllink said:
When I was in the Navy there was a fellow who would sit on the fantail of the ship and play is guitar. He left his strings sticking out and he would stick his cigarette on one of them while he played.
Click to expand...

On the strings is an interesting variant. This one here, demonstrated by Mr. Clapton, seems (or seemed, when cigarettes were as accepted as alcohol curiously still is) to be more common:

clapton460.jpg
 
Mine came to me like this.(minus the owl) I kinda like that method
PicsArt_04-08-02.52.06.jpg
 
Except on my electrics, I drill small holes and string through the body. there is nothing on the tail end, and I have no fear of the bridge flying off and hitting me or someone else. I saw that happen with a brand new ukulele starting with a K. It went whipping in front of me and then back and smacked the owner on his right hand..
 
LarryS said:
Mine came to me like this.(minus the owl) I kinda like that method
View attachment 99402
Click to expand...

This is how I do them too, except I only tuck one string end, the one from the immediate neighbor. Of all the bridge types, this is my favorite one. Fastest for me to change strings with.
 
Mivo said:
This is how I do them too, except I only tuck one string end, the one from the immediate neighbor. Of all the bridge types, this is my favorite one. Fastest for me to change strings with.
Click to expand...

I like the idea of the string-through type of bridge. Just tie a knot and pull
 
LarryS said:
I like the idea of the string-through type of bridge. Just tie a knot and pull
Click to expand...

I have one like that, on the Black Bear. I use beads with it, and sometimes it's very annoying to fish strings out of the sound hole. I do like the idea behind them, though!
 
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