I apologise in advance for sounding pretty dumb, but I am concerned I'll get this wrong.

I want to restring my 360/6 (with an R tailpiece). I have read about using a cloth to protect the finish and doing 1 string at a time, but.... and this is where you can shoot me down for being stupid. Without removing all the strings and tailpiece, how do you see what you are doing? Will I find out when the first string comes off?

Any tips gratefully received in all humbleness.

look at the tailpiece from the rear and then below the tailpiece to see where the string being replaced engages the notch, then unwind the tuning key, release the string from its tuning key post, then push the string towards the back of the guitar to disengage it from its notch.

is that your question?

otherwise the tailpiece does not have to be removed to change strings, if you do them one-at-a-time.

removing the tailpiece by removing all the strings is more likely to cause accidental damage to the finish than doing one string at a time. Better to maintain tension on the tailpiece and neck as you replace strings.

Zurdo

Yep, I think that will be a great help. Just nervous of getting it wrong on my first restring on my first Rickenbacker:)

Thanks Zurdo

With all due respect and love for RIC, I hafta say I almost blew a gasket trying to re-string my 360-12 recently...I ended up using masking tape on the underside of the R tailpiece to hold the string in while I tried to thread and secure the string into the sunken pegs on the head. I am amazed at how many pix of George Harrison I've seen showing him restringing THE RICK......in everyone he's smiling...amazing.....I knashed teeth and used questionable language.....he was smiling.....there was a reason he was George Harrison....

because? sounds like you removed all 12 strings before starting to re-string? I change them one at a time, tuning each new string to pitch as I go, never had a problem with the tailpiece falling or damaging the finish. I've never seen pics of George re-stringing his guitars, but there is really no science to it, you just do it, one string at a time.

Well, I managed it ok - thanks again Zurdo. I guess I was looking for a slot for the string to go through rather than then wide groove. Still easier than a floating tremelo I used to scream at!

Hi Raintripper,

I also thought about maksing tape, although I did one string at a time. In the end I positioned the string in the tailpiece gizmo and then capoed the string tight at the 5th fret (tight at tailpiece end) which left at least one hand free to deal with the headstick end. Worked for me:)

you're welcome, there's no science to it, players have been doing this one-string-at-a-time business for 4,500 years, since the days of the Egyptians who played Harps.

And remember that doing one string at a time preserves the tension on the neck and all other adjustments, whether 6 or 12 strings.

only remove all the strings at once if you need to do fret dressing, or other work.

Zurdo

I restrung my recently-acquired 360/6 once (before taking it to my luthier for a complete setup- get it back tomorrow!!! ). I can't say that it was the easiest or most intuitive re-stringing ever, but I'm sure it'll be easier next time....

As for sheer frustration, NOTHING tops restringing my Martin D12-35. "Questionable language" is woefully inaccurate- Anyone within earshot probably thought I was posessed! I'm no fan of the slot-head string arrangement... But wow- fresh strings on a 1971 Martin! The end result was worth it, but thankfully I used Elixirs this time so I won't need to change them again for a while.

George is smiling cause he had a trapeze tail piece. I just switched out my R to a trapeze and Im smiling too now. cuts stringing time in half!