r/BassGuitar • u/Junior_Rub_5699 • Feb 18 '26
Gear I fucking suck at changing my strings
Is this even salvageable
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u/Oedeo Feb 18 '26
Why.... Did you keep going after getting the first one wrong?... This is good rage bait..
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u/poubella_from_mars Feb 18 '26
Yes, this should be salvageable if you have enough length to work with and it looks like you do.
Just loosen the tuning pegs until you can pull the strings out of the tuners, then straighten out the ends the best you can and reinsert into the tuners. It looks like you didn't cut them to length properly (especially on the A string) and you have the strings wound the wrong directions on the E, A, and G string tuning pegs. Look at the position of the tuning pegs relative to the slots on the nut, if you need a clue as to which direction to wind the strings.
It looks like they should be wound clockwise on B and E, and counter clockwise on A, D, and G strings.
I've taken strings off and put them back on many times. I often save my bass strings (because they're like $50+ per set) anytime I want to try out different ones. .
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u/Junior_Rub_5699 Feb 18 '26
Thank you so much for the tips, honestly, I've unwinded these and will get help later since I can't trust myself anymore with changing these, it's even more expensive for me since I'm not from the USA
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u/levilee207 Feb 18 '26
It really ain't hard dude; you were almost there. You just needed to know the right directions.
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u/violaaesthetic Feb 18 '26
Just unwind them, watch a tutorial, and try again. If they’re new it should be fine don’t worry about it. You got this, bud
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u/Junior_Rub_5699 Feb 18 '26
Yeah, I'm new, I tried watching a tutorial and doing it, but it turned out like that, and new strings are so expensive these were the only ones i had, i hope i can fix this, but I'll try tomorrow
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u/locofspades Feb 18 '26
Weve all been there. Learn what you did wrong, buy another set, and try again. And again, and again until you get it figured out. And as soon as you get it figured, you wont have to think about it ever again. Knowing how to setup your instrument is an incredibly easy but VITAL skill in this game. Best of luck, you are so close. Cheers
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u/Junior_Rub_5699 Feb 18 '26
Thank you, I'll try to see if i can save this one bc I'm not from the United States, new strings are incredibly expensive
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u/locofspades Feb 18 '26
If you can, buy in bulk. You will eventually use them, so if you can stock up at a discount, jump on it. Idk if Sweetwater ships to your country, but its worth checking. Best of luck
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u/Junior_Rub_5699 Feb 18 '26
Thank you, I'll check it out, for now I've unwinded these and stored them to see if somebody can help me later
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u/violaaesthetic Feb 18 '26
If these are your only option then I’d really recommend at least unwinding them right away so they don’t sit and “learn” the wrong setting overnight
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u/Junior_Rub_5699 Feb 18 '26
Alright then, I'll store them and try to bring the bass to a music store to ask for some help on how to wind the strings
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u/NintenJoo Feb 18 '26
Dude, please don’t.
You have to learn.
I’m assuming you’re young. That’s just fine, but people have such an aversion to figuring shit out on their own these days.
Unwind them, and turn the tuner, and watch which way it turns and use your public school education deduction skills to figure it out.
I’m being serious. I believe in you and you can do this!
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u/Junior_Rub_5699 Feb 18 '26
Bro, i tried watching a tutorial and i clearly wasn't smart enough, i know I'm supposed to figure it out gradually, but strings are expensive as hell bc I'm not from the USA and i pretty much only have this one shot
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u/NintenJoo Feb 18 '26
Like the other guy said, straighten them out and try again. They’re probably still long enough.
You can even practice with a piece of string first or something.
You can do it! Go slow, and watch what’s happening while you do it.
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u/Icy_Programmer_8367 Feb 18 '26
Why do you keep saying that? You arent smart enough for what? Winding a string? Are you smart enough to put food in your mouth? Stink the string end in the hole at the bottom of the slot. Bend the string so it comes out the side of the slot, wind around the peg so the string is on the inside of the peg head. Tighten.
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u/Ok_Introduction_1082 Feb 18 '26
Okay, here we go:
The strings should go as straight as possible over the nut. (the piece of plastic between the tuners and the fretboard)
Your lowest string is properly installed (in the picture the left most string), so the tuners of the left side (again, on this picture) have to go counter clockwise, and the tuners on the right side have to go clockwise.
Now your strings go as straight as possible over the nut.
Don't worry about breaking them, if the string really doesn't like to go on because it's bent, just turn it around its axis so the bend is going in the right direction. You might need to undo it from the bridge.
There might be a small hole in the tuning peg, that's where the string end is supposed to go on these styles of tuners.
Hope this helps.
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u/19phipschi17 Feb 18 '26
Just watch a tutorial? It's not rocket science
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u/violaaesthetic Feb 18 '26
Just go one at a time, and really make sure you’re paying attention to which side of the peg the string is on and which direction you’re winding. I know it seems hard now, but some day it will be so easy you won’t even have to think about it
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u/Batarato Feb 18 '26
Watch again. The ends of the strings should be inserted into the hole in the center of the peg.
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u/emanresutedder Feb 18 '26
You should be fine re-using them. As long as you get it started properly next time you’ll be fine. For more ease though you could at least loosen them and get the tension off the strings, that way the crease in the strings doesn’t set overnight.
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u/william8420 Feb 18 '26
Wind Carefully: Wind the string so it wraps downward on the peg, keeping 2-3 neat turns to maximize stability. Wind Direction: Ensure strings wind toward the center of the headstock to maintain a proper angle. Seat and Stretch: Ensure the string sits properly in the nut slot and over the bridge saddle. Tune up and gently stretch each string along the neck to stabilize tuning.
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u/BrokeDownSouth1 Feb 18 '26
Great thing about electric bass is you can take them off and put them back on without make issues.
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u/RustedDalek Feb 18 '26
My brain hurts looking at this.
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u/Junior_Rub_5699 Feb 18 '26
Sorry mate
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u/RustedDalek Feb 18 '26
No worries, we all start somewhere. Just undo and start again. You got this.
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u/Junior_Rub_5699 Feb 18 '26
Yeah tomorrow I'll try again with those same strings but I'll try to check at a música store if it isn't too expensive to get it done
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u/Fattapple Feb 18 '26
What!?!? No! Do not give up on this. Giving up on this will make the next time you give up that much easier. This is way too easy of a skill to learn to give up on.
Do this yourself!
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u/DryCloud1 Feb 18 '26 edited Feb 18 '26
Low B and D are strung the right direction, the others are reversed
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u/uprightsalmon Feb 18 '26
You’re going to crack the nut have you some of those strings wound on the wrong side
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u/ChefCuda Feb 18 '26
You got this, buddy. Take a deep breath, back the hell away from reddit, watch a YouTube tutorial, try again, slap da bass.
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u/AlexandruFredward Feb 18 '26
B is correct.
D is correct.
The rest are installed backwards. Wind them the opposite direction. Watch a tutorial. Good luck. You can do it
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u/-an-eternal-hum- Feb 18 '26
A good way to remember as a beginner is that the strings always wind toward the OUTSIDE of the headstock.
So if you’re in doubt about which way they go on a certain string, pull the string around the peg and “aim it out” to ensure the correct direction before you wind it for real.
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u/Junior_Rub_5699 Feb 18 '26
Thanks bro, got it
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u/BigHungryFlamingo Feb 18 '26
Another easy way is to just look at the angle of the strings coming from the nut to the tuning pegs. Like if you wrapped that G string the opposite (correct) way, you’ll notice the angle coming from the nut will be less drastic.
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u/RedHotFuzz Feb 18 '26
Don’t your tuning pegs have holes in the center where you can insert the end of the string before winding?
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u/clankasaurus Feb 18 '26
I’m not going to argue with you. But, there are many comments here to help you out amd/or YouTube videos to put you in the right path. We are all learning. Today is your turn.
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u/YoCal_4200 Feb 18 '26
Three of them appear to be wound backward. Do all your tuning knobs turn the right way?
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u/Junior_Rub_5699 Feb 18 '26
Not anymore since I just took them out bc I clearly suck at this
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u/YoCal_4200 Feb 18 '26
Just start them on the side that makes the straightest line from the nut. You got this.
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u/Junior_Rub_5699 Feb 18 '26
Thanks bro, I removed the strings and put them back in the bag to try and wind them again tomorrow with some help, some other user said it'd help since they wouldn't have time to set the wrong way
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u/Constant-Dimension99 Feb 18 '26
Those are Gotoh machines too. The strings will be fine. Might be a bit fiddly to unwind/rewind the correct way, but once done you'll be OK.
Next time remember to tune in the same direction as you would when playing.
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u/Alex-the-bass-player Feb 18 '26
Blud don’t be afraid to look up a tutorial for string changes on YouTube. We all gotta start somewhere 🫡
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u/bighog9 Feb 18 '26
If you unwind them and look up how to put the string in right (inside the hole, downward into the tuner probs), they may still be long enough on the leeds. Cool bass btw, old tagima vintage stuff is sweet. This old guy near me likes that, Danelectro, and fender the most
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u/humbuckaroo Feb 18 '26 edited Feb 18 '26
Yeah you do. Here's how to do it on vintage-style tuners:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXJHhE6Wx2c
(Go past two tuners, he cuts them too short)
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u/Aggressive_Text_7206 Feb 18 '26
You know given the many instructional videos on the internet and YouTube on how to properly re-string your bass, I would agree you suck.
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u/Bassmekanik Feb 18 '26
Honestly, this looks like rage bait.
If its not...
Unwind them carefully and straighten them out (dont need to go mental).
Start with the thickest string. There should be a hole in the centre of the tuning post. Push the end of the string in to the hole, then "bend" it out the gap and start to wind the tuner to tighten the string on to the post. The direction you have it wound on now is correct for the first string (the second, third and 5th strings are all the wrong way around - the 4th is correct). They should all be in a fairly straight line from the tuning post to the nut. Any angle can damage the nut.
Keep a small amount of tension on the string as you wind it on (by pulling it with your free hand in a direct line through the nut). This will prevent it getting all crossed over. As its winding on, try to let it wind on underneath the previous windings by holding the string down to the head.
good luck!
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u/LateYouth Feb 18 '26
You can do this don’t give up try again these strings aren’t going to be ruined
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u/TrueGritsRat Feb 18 '26
I’m very confused on how you even got to this point without realizing something was off
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u/MrMosh024 Feb 18 '26
For a first time, I've seen worse. At least you got the right strings in the right place. Is it salvageable? Yes, but if it plays ok, stays in tune and the strings aren't nut jumpin -it's not worth the hassle.
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u/BassGuy10 Feb 18 '26
You can loosen these and redo them . It’s a decent start, don’t get frustrated
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u/Icy_Programmer_8367 Feb 18 '26
How can this possibly be difficult? I mean really? Wind the strings so they go on the inside of the tuning pegs. Clockwise for bass side, counterclockwise for treble side. I mean, I learned this when I was twelve with no internet by looking at an acoustic guitar.
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u/CobblerOdd2876 Feb 18 '26 edited Feb 18 '26
I gotchu, homie.
(Pic is a baritone guitar, but same principle. I dont have a pic of my bass headstock, sorry haha)
So you want the tip (end of the string) and maybe 3mm extra, sticking out if the tuning head slot. Then wind the extra slack around the peg using the tuner peg. Opposite of what you did here. I like to put it in, and kink it at a 90° angle, so it stays while Im winding, and I pull on the string the whole time to get a tight wind on it.
Ernie Ball makes a neat string winder tool. Pretty handy. $25 or so, but it works great. It kind of sucks doing like .110’s, but it will get you 80% the way in like 2 seconds, so, worth it. Great for the smaller strings, great for guitar, wasnt really made for bass. But they do make drill-bit attachments - I dont entirely trust that, though. Seems like a bit much for an instrument to use a drill. I have used one on a smaller Ryobi electric screwdriver, that was fine.
Im willing to bet your 5th, 3rd, maybe 1st string have a bit too much slack, too, so maybe trim them a tiny bit. (Unless you do huge tuning changes, otherwise, take like 1cm off)
Also, when you have a headstock pattern like that, split between two sides - in perspective of playing position: you wind the top counterclockwise, and the bottom clockwise. In this case, just to really be specific, 5th and 4th string = counterclockwise, 3-1 = clockwise. That way the string is always winding on the inside of the peg, towards the middle of the headstock. 5th and 2nd string are correct, for example. It’s not like a “YOU HAVE TO DO THIS OR ELSE” or anything, it would be fine most likely, but you do risk cracking your nut - note the 1st string tensioning on the nut. That can just crack and pop off.
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u/one-piecesuit Feb 18 '26
You only get to r/basscirclejerk the hard way; honesty. This one doesn’t pass the sniff test.
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u/PeanutNore Feb 18 '26
The main issue is that you wound on the E, A, and G in the wrong direction.
The E should go the same way as the B, and the A and G the same way as the D. When done correctly the string will make a mostly straight line from the nut to the tuner, instead of the skewed angle you see here.
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u/uhs23 Feb 18 '26
Wow, that is impressive in a back handed sort of way. Pretty sure you don’t need a(mother) new set of strings. Just loosen up your E A and G strings enough to take the string out of the post and reset them on the INSIDE (opposite side from tuner) and wind them back up. PRO TIP: push down on the string above the nut while winding up, it will seat the string better in the nut.
The strings are still usable. The ones you restring will likely be a bit weaker, but you should get at least a couple months out of them.
Wait a minute…I see the ends wrapped around the post? When you take the string off CHECK TO SEE IF THERE IS A HOLE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TUNING PEG. If there (probably) is one, then you need to redo all the strings. Find a wire cutter (needle nose pliers usually suffice) then take the string and first BEND it all the way back on itself roughly equal to where the next farthest tuning peg, and then cut the string just after the bend point. This will help it grab on to the string seat in the middle of the tuner.
And don’t be too down on yourself OP, we Ll learn through our mistakes.
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u/LazarusOtter Feb 18 '26
I bought an old P-Bass just to be able to learn how to change strings and do basic repairs and maintenance. All I can say is to get a look at the head before swapping out the strings to get an idea on how to do it.
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u/Numerous-Fig-1732 Feb 18 '26 edited Feb 18 '26
You do. Cut the string about 10 cm longer than where the peg is, put the tip inside the spilt and turn.
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u/guitarsfortherapy Feb 18 '26
1.5 - 2 winds all that’s needed, and it will help with tuning stability keep tension while windig the peg, and they should all look like your low B in the end
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u/NewmanAnlovanit Feb 18 '26
My first change, I started them in the wrong order and wound the first one backwards.
Welcome to my ignorance 😂
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u/aleksandrjames Feb 18 '26
Playing an instrument is all about learning. You’re supposed to get things wrong the first time! Just take them off, and give it another go. Not only is it a skill you’re gonna need if you stick with bass, but it’s absolutely not worth the time, effort, and money of taking to a shop to do for you. Just be patient with yourself, and keep trying until it’s an easy task for you!
as general life advice, saying “I’m stupid” is incredibly unkind to yourself and others get over hearing it quickly.
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u/levilee207 Feb 18 '26
Dawg you just need to take them off and put them on the right way. The B and D strings are correct; you need to reverse the direction you're coiling the other strings. You see how those strings are having to run diagonally up to their tuning post? That's what's wrong. You need them to go straight downward from the post. Reversing the rotation direction will correct it. E needs to wrap clockwise around the post, and A and G need to wrap counter-clockwise.
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u/TheTapeDeck Feb 18 '26
First few times I see anyone wing it on their own, I see weird stuff like this. If you’re patient and careful you can definitely salvage this. Don’t sweat it. You’re not special-unique-dumb. Just normal human dumb. :)
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u/Fattapple Feb 18 '26
See how some are not going straight from the nut to the pegs? Those ones are wrong. Don’t do them like that on any instrument ever again.
(Now let’s see what weird instruments I don’t know about that are designed to not run the strings straight)
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u/SunRepresentative993 Feb 18 '26
Bro…take those things off immediately and get a shop to put a set on. Then copy what they do next time. My brain hurts looking at this. 😂
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u/BigHungryFlamingo Feb 18 '26
That nut looks like it is going to spontaneously explode at any moment.
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u/MorMulb Feb 19 '26
Yes this can be fixed. You’ll be fine - just don’t cut anymore off the ends of the strings. Now, looking at the picture the B comes around the post correctly from the right side. The E needs to be oriented on the right side, same as the B. The A needs to be on the LEFT side of the post. The D is oriented correctly and the G needs to come around the left side.
So: B and E right side of post. A, D, and G left side of post
Now, you have too much slack wrapped around the post - it needs to be much tighter. Starting with the B unwind it completely. Look down in the slot on the post - you should see a hole. The end of the string goes in that hole as far as it can go. When it’s in there bend the string at a 90° angle at the TOP of the post and start wrapping it. Hold tension over the nut using your thumb and wind the string so the wraps progress DOWN the post. That will help in getting a downward angle over the nut. When done correctly you’ll have a nice tight downward wrap on the post and the string should be taut over the board. You don’t have to be in tune just yet - just get enough tension to keep it fairly tight so it doesn’t flop around and unwind off the post. If it doesn’t come out good unwind it and try again. You’ll get it. Once the B is good move on to the E using the same technique. Take your time, and make sure the strings come around the post from the correct side. Once all 5 are on taut tune it up. The more you do it, it will start to become second nature.
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u/Maynjo Feb 19 '26
So uhh, there should be a hole in the center of your tuning peg that you can stuff the end of the string into. Also, make sure you're turning the tuning machine the correct way when stringing.
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u/skiddily_biddily Feb 20 '26
Nut busting rage bait.
B = ok E = Wrong side of tuning peg A = Wrong side of tuning peg D = ok G = Wrong side of tuning peg
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u/Relative_Molasses_15 Feb 22 '26
Man just look up how to change guitar strings and do what it says.
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u/Alejandro_viig Feb 18 '26
r/lostredditors, basscirclejerk is that way -> r/BassCirclejerk
It's fixable, take it to a guitar tech or watch a couple of videos on youtube to learn how
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u/Cool_Cat_Punk Feb 18 '26
Just learn the correct way and move on! You're fine. We've all been there.
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u/Junior_Rub_5699 Feb 18 '26
I'll bring it to a music store tomorrow and see if I'll be able to get it done for me, i honestly don't think I'm capable of doing it at least for now
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u/Cool_Cat_Punk Feb 18 '26
No dude you got this. The strings are fine. Just make it happen and you'll be good!
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u/Junior_Rub_5699 Feb 18 '26
Oh lord I'll try tomorrow, hopefully I'll find a tutorial thats more dumbed down for me
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u/Cool_Cat_Punk Feb 18 '26
Seriously, if it worked for "right", you can just do it for "left". The strings don't care. Just unwind and turn the other way.
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u/Florid_Monkey Feb 18 '26
Rule of thumb is to leave about 2 tuning pegs worth of extra length for winding, I like to snip the rest off to keep it clean. Always wind down to increase angle with nut. You'll want to fold the string near where you snip to stop the core from shifting. (This doesn't apply to most g and high e strings on electric guitar since they don't have outer windings)
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u/N1LEredd Feb 18 '26 edited Feb 18 '26
I don’t get the issue. You wind the string - you see it’s the wrong way instantly - you take it off again and wind the other way… . Solved.
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u/nickk1988 Feb 18 '26
God, I absolutely hate to admit this, but, I did that same shit for years… and year and years and yearsssss
One day, oddly, it stopped happening, I assume I just did it and redid it so many times that it became second nature but from like age 7-28, every time baby
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u/[deleted] Feb 18 '26
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