I think I will abandon the "luthiers knot"

[burntfrijoles]

I have been using the "luthiers knot" method for stringing my guitars for a long time. It works great but I found a more simple method. I noticed that my new Martin was strung without the knot but a "one wrap over, one wrap under" method so I looked it up on YouTube. Voilà! I tried it and it was easier and a little quicker to change strings.

You can teach an old dog new tricks.

 

[brookdalebill]

I’ve used the over/under method for decades.
It’s both secure, and easy to remove when restringing.
Perfect, IMO.
The luthier’s knot is secure, but a PITA to remove without a cutter.

 

[cnlbb]

Pull the string tight, wrap a few times (times dependin on which string & it's physical width) and then feed through the tuner. Tune up. Never had a string come loose on me once I got the method down. It's also about 50% faster than every other method I've used.

 

[Si G X]

I have no idea what a luthier’s knot is, but I just string my guitars normally.

 

[burntfrijoles]

The luthier’s knot is secure, but a PITA to remove without a cutter.

Yes it is! Plus I think the knot is little clumsy to perform. The over/under is much more straightforward.
I actually did a test with a couple of single strings I had to make sure I wouldn't botch the new (to me) method. Easy-peasy. "So simple even a caveman could do it."

 

[DugT]

I live a life of luxury and use locking tuners, problem solved. By the way, they are Radius tuners and I love them.

 

[DugT]

Yes it is! Plus I think the knot is little clumsy to perform. The over/under is much more straightforward.
I actually did a test with a couple of single strings I had to make sure I wouldn't botch the new (to me) method. Easy-peasy. "So simple even a caveman could do it."

That photo of me is copyrighted but I will let you use it this time.

 

[WRHB]

 

[Jakedog]

The knot is the absolute worst thing a person can do to a guitar. It would be cooler to set it on fire, and let goats pee on it to put it out. It would be cooler to smash it. It would be cooler to toss it in a lake. It would be cooler to smother it in peanut butter and give it to bears to play with. I have actually passed on buying used guitars because they’re strung that way and ain’t nobody got time for that crap. Whoever came up with that stupid knot should be beaten mercilessly with a canoe-sized salami.

 

[DugT]

...canoe-sized salami.

I'm going to use that line to pick up on chics. I have a canoe-sized salami.

 

[gimmeatele]

The knot is the absolute worst thing a person can do to a guitar. It would be cooler to set it on fire, and let goats pee on it to put it out. It would be cooler to smash it. It would be cooler to toss it in a lake. It would be cooler to smother it in peanut butter and give it to bears to play with. I have actually passed on buying used guitars because they’re strung that way and ain’t nobody got time for that crap. Whoever came up with that stupid knot should be beaten mercilessly with a canoe-sized salami.

'knot' a fan then?

 

[Deeve]

'knot' a fan then?

Frayed knot...

 

[RomanS]

I use the luthier's knot for my Bigsby-equipped guitars, on everything else I'm fine with over/under.

 

[brookdalebill]

I use the luthier's knot for my Bigsby-equipped guitars, on everything else I'm fine with over/under.

I can indeed see an advantage with tuning stability on a Bigsby equipped guitar.
My Bigsby equipped Chet get’s the over/under, but luckily it stays in tune beautifully.
Also luckily my Duesenberg’s pinless anchor bar and locking tuners make restringing a snap.

 

[Slap Axe]

Another fan of the over/under technique here, it's easy and it works.

 

[MervsMods]

The knot is the absolute worst thing a person can do to a guitar. It would be cooler to set it on fire, and let goats pee on it to put it out. It would be cooler to smash it. It would be cooler to toss it in a lake. It would be cooler to smother it in peanut butter and give it to bears to play with. I have actually passed on buying used guitars because they’re strung that way and ain’t nobody got time for that crap. Whoever came up with that stupid knot should be beaten mercilessly with a canoe-sized salami.

Tell us how you REALLY feel....

 

[schoolie]

Until recently I strung my acoustics with the "luthier's knot", but it's a total pain in the butt to get the treble strings off the tuners, and often involves puncture wounds to the fingers. I think luthiers hate when customers string their guitars this way, so I"m not sure how the name stuck Over under for me now!

 

[OldTelePlayer]

I'd like to have an automatic string changer. You know, a guy I hand the guitar to and say "Change the strings on this thing would ya please? Thanks." But I can't afford one.

So I have to do it myself and I use the over/under method.

 

[haggardfan1]

I’ve used the over/under method for decades.
It’s both secure, and easy to remove when restringing.
Perfect, IMO.
The luthier’s knot is secure, but a PITA to remove without a cutter.

Yep. One of the best things I've ever learned.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I have been using the "luthiers knot" method for stringing my guitars for a long time. It works great but I found a more simple method. I noticed that my new Martin was strung without the knot but a "one wrap over, one wrap under" method so I looked it up on YouTube. Voilà! I tried it and it was easier and a little quicker to change strings.

You can teach an old dog new tricks.

Are you talking about slotted Fender-style tuner posts? I use a slightly modified Lindy Fralin wrap.

If you're talking about standard hole-through posts like on a flat-headstock acoustic, yup, I do one over and the rest under, coiling down to the bottom of the post.

Never heard of a luthiers knot. Sounds interesting, though.