1. CHANGE STRINGS
A fresh set of strings can breathe new life into your bass,
and something as simple as how you wind the strings
onto the tuning machine posts when changing your
strings, will determine tuning stability and string tension.
It’s also a good idea to stretch your strings a little as
you tune to make sure that each string is seated well
and snugged down on the tuning machine post. This will
save you some tuning frustration down the road. Just
grab the string in the middle, lightly tug it up and down
to remove slack, and then retune. (See your Fender
®
Dealer to obtain replacement Fender bass strings.)
First start by pulling each string through the bridge,
over the nut and past the corresponding tuning
machine post, with enough extra length to allow a
minimum of three winds around it. Mark that point
on the string. With wire cutters, crimp the string
over at a 45-degree angle one inch before the mark,
then clip off the excess at the mark, (Figure A).
Next, place the end of the string all the way
down in the hole in the center of the tuning
machine post and bend the string over in the
slot. Wind the tuning key to tighten the string to
pitch while holding the loose end of the string
in place with your other hand, (Figure B).
Make sure that the string does not overlap
itself and is wound from the top down to the
base of the tuning machine shaft, to insure the
string is seated properly on the nut with the
most acute break angle possible, (Figure C).
Figure A
Figure B
Figure C
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