D'Addario Core: How to Change the Strings on a Mandolin

Step by step instruction on how to change the strings on your mandolin.

[@joannasalvanou5694]

This man makes it look like a piece of cake.... I, on the other hand, broke two nails, had two assistants, was sweating like a pig, had some cursing going on, took me three whole hours and despite the upsetting noises the strings kept making, all ended well. The mandolin looks and sounds great, I am a human wreck though. Three hours!!!

[@Billkwando]

2:47 "One wrap over and one wrap under" I never knew this. That's not something I'd normally do on a guitar, but when I look at my new mandolin, I can see the strings came that way, stock. Best tip in the video.

[@daddarioeducationcollectiv4287]

Thanks for sharing!

[@jonathancollins9057]

One of three methods to do it for a steel string. The one shown in this video is the over and under method, there is the lock tie method also known as the "Martin tie" that the Martin production/manufacturing line does on their guitars, and then the method of just winding the wraps straight under each other without going over or tieing and whatnot. To each their own. People claim that the over and under works best, that the Martin tie works best, ect.

[@williethompson4368]

THANK!!! just got my A TYPE , broke D string while tuning it , will TRY it today

[@jkou5549]

Great video, thank you. I have a very old mandolin from Europe that was my grandfather’s that I have some strings for and I’m gonna go ahead and start playing it.

[@DuBiskwi]

Thank you for producing this tutorial! I finally feel that I have the confidence to restring my antique mandolin :)

[@cesarequevedo8943]

Short, sweet & to the point!

[@maxwellfan55]

Helpful video and comments. Personally, when I string-change guitars and banjos I remove ALL the strings together so I can check the frets and clean/oil the fretboard properly allowing it to dry before re-stringing. Same as cleaning the headstock and pegs, in fact you can clean the whole instrument much better without the strings getting in the way. With banjos you always have to re set the intonation anyway so I would never bother with tape holding the bridge, plus it might damage the finish. Same as jazz guitars with floating bridges. It's not a big deal to re-set the intonation and get it bang on in-tune. Thanks for the tips on the mandolin, great vid.

[@johnhonsky6404]

Thanks from Missoula Montana

[@clickbaitcharlie2329]

I have to set up lefty, so step 1, kinda needs to be reversed?

[@ronj9448]

This was a bit easier because those strings just passed through. I have one of the strange set ups where the strings make a right turn under the end cap. More complex than needed I'd say.

[@mikesrandomchannel]

I have this on my Irish zouk. Keeping the tension up while changing is not fun.

[@mikelheron20]

There is absolutely no good reason for cutting the strings! All this does is prevent you using them as a backup if you happen to break one which, of course, is in D'Addario's commercial interest.

[@gibby6904]

I remove the 4 middle strings and change those first then change the outside pairs seperately.....this keeps the bridge from moving.....

[@darrendix5163]

No offense, but I'd have to say the masking tape idea is wrong. I could only imagine applying masking tape to a cheap $200 mandolin in the first place. The idea is that the intonation of your bridge will remain in it's correct position by applying the tape. You need to check the intonation every time you change strings no matter what anyway, as well as occasionally in between string changes. I prefer to check intonation with the old strings before changing them. You should not move the bridge with all the strings tuned up, but you need to have one "G", the top one tuned up, and one "E", the bottom one tuned up as well in order to check intonation, but have the pressure relieved on all 6 other strings so you can slide the bridge back and forth easily without risking damage, or putting undue wear on your finish. NOW-- make sure your G and E are dead on tuned, and then, of course, check the 12th fret with a tuner to make sure your bridge is in it's correct position. It can't be the slightest bit off, or your mandolin won't "RING" like a bell like it should. (Not firing on all cylinders.) When the bridge is off, a professional can always tell by ear. NOW-- put some tension back on your other strings, and check your intonation again to make sure it's still on. I always change my strings one by one, and keep the tension on the bridge so it doesn't move. If you are not going to play your instrument for a lengthy period, tune it all the way down for storage, but other than that, you should be able to keep it tuned up most of the time, unless you are going to travel, or the humidity is changing significantly. Change your strings one by one. I like to bend the very end of the string before passing it through the tail piece so that it doesn't scratch my instrument, but that depends on your tailpiece. An old Gibson needs this. The "wrap one over, and one under" is not something I do, but looks like a good idea to avoid strings from slipping. I simply go "under, and out" with enough slack to wind around the posts enough that it locks the string down just fine. Another very important detail is to not bend your string so much near the post. It's particularly important not to bend the "E" strings AT ALL. I actually grab the E string with my teeth so I can maintain tension with my left hand, and wind with my right. I pull the E string straight up from the peg board with my teeth, but gently so as not to crease the string, which is likely to cause it to break right away. Mandolin strings are not so cheap, and most don't include a 3rd E string, although I have seen sets that do. This is also a good idea to treat the "A" strings like this. G's and D's can get away with a slight crease, and stay in place while you wind. With all the strings, it's important to give enough slack so that the string winds around the post enough, but not too much. Give a couple or 3 more wraps with the A's and especially the E's. Still with me? Another HUGE thing to do not mentioned in this video is to MUTE the other string with your pick when you tune. Pluck the top G string, with a tuner. Do not pluck the G string underneath. What you want to do is rest the pick on the lower G string so that it mutes it, and does not allow it to vibrate. If you do allow the other string to not be muted, then it will have an effect on the other string's tuning. You'll never get it perfect that way. Do the same thing with the lower G string, pluck it, and with an up stroke, rest your pick on the top string, but don't play it, just mute it. Same with all the rest of the strings. Always wash your hands with soap and water and rinse and dry before playing, and your stings will last 10 times longer. Should also wipe down strings and instrument with a clean wipe in your case. And, yes, I play D'Addario EXP 74's Happy pickin'!

[@TheDrLloyd]

Masking tape to keep the floating bridge from moving--that's good! It doesn''t damage the finish?

[@mikelheron20]

It shouldn't, but if you're concerned just make tiny dots with a water soluble felt tip pen at each corner of the bridge. They can be erased with a damp cotton bud or piece of tissue. This will definitely not damage the finish.

[@ronj9448]

Use that blue painter's tape

[@Guitaristlife-dn9ou]

I don’t have any tape

[@Billkwando]

This is taking unnecessary risk with your mandolin's intonation, by removing multiple strings at once. You should loosen and replace one string at a time, keeping the rest of the strings up to pitch. Then you don't need to worry about tape, which is a poor substitute for the tension of the strings he's chopping off. No need to clip them either, when you can simply unhook the string from the bridge.

[@magicdave93]

I agree that’s how I change my guitar strings I’m going to change my mandolin strings now the same way. I can condition the fretboard underneath the strings. Every once in a while I might remove all the strings to work on the frets, what you don’t want to do is put unnecessary stress on the neck and top.

[@subhankarbhattacharya2940]

If you change one pair of a string at a time, you dont need that masking tape .. if the whole point is, stopping the bridge to move, go from outside to insides.. G - E, D - A

[@scottbrown9008]

hey justin cody hicks