How to Tie Your Guitar Strings: An Improved Luthier's Knot

This video demonstrates to do an improved 'luthier's knot' when stringing up your guitar. Luthier Daniel Heo at Xu Strings Guitar & Bass Repair explains how he developed this method and shows how he does it. It takes a bit of practice, but in the end, you'll have less string slippage, fewer string breaks and won't have sharp string ends poking gigbags and fingers.

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[toni-radex]

This is the best method so far. Thanks for sharing the technique.

[FreddyJ]

Great idea and easy to implement. I especially like that the string ends are facing down and mostly covered. I’m going to do this on every string change from now on. Thanks! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[robertnewell]

I see the argument for tying under, although I won't be changing from my regular method since I have never had any problem poking my fingers with the usual Nashville tie. Also, I see no point in multiple wraps. I do understand that the idea is to get more break angle, but honestly you don't need that on an acoustic with the standard headstock angle, and the multiple wraps just increase the potential for inaccurate tuning, as the string travels over the wraps. Finally, most round core strings recommend you don't cut till the string is up to tension. Great to see the luthier's knot getting some exposure, though. It gets lots of underserved bad press on You tube (including from luthiers), but I've never had a problem with it since I learnt it over 50 years ago. Tuning is very stable, string breaks at the peg are very rare because the string is traveling over a rounded surface (the string itself, of course), and the oft-repeated suggestion that it's difficult to get the strings on and off is a myth IMO and experience. Thanks a lot.

[nopenheimer]

My teacher in the 80s had me do this, only without trimming at the base of the 1st wrap.
That made the peg effectively cam-shaped once you add the tucked part of the string.
That in turn made tuning awkward and difficult if the cam lobe happens to fall in the wrong spot.

Anyhow, if you do the knot shown pay attention to having the final wrap just on the peg, not over the tucked stub of the string.

Anyhow, thanks for posting this. I'd forgotten all about the idea since that variation didn't work well, but I'll try this related variant... I have no tuning issues from the way I do it now but I HATE stabbing my fingers.

It's funny how bent people get over any video on how to restring guitars.

[astrofire]

This is my new re-stringing method. Thank you!

[martymiller]

This is very interesting: I'm going to try it. Didn't think there was any better ways--I think you have got it! Thanks!

[dasninjastix]

Just putting this comment for newbies - I'm just hitting my 1 year anniversary of playing guitar, and like a lot of new players, I was very confused by all the string changing recommendations. I own about 10 guitars after a year, all affordable, I do maintenance on each one (which I love doing for some reason) mostly different brands, body shapes, bridges, and quality of components like tuning machines and posts. I have have found that tuning stability is best for my playing (generally speaking) using the knot or pinch wind. I'm a very heavy handed player currently and I use the pinch method currently, one overwind and the rest under because it's a compromise between a nice cinch at the post and ease of replacement. A knot or cinch has (in my experience) kept every guitar I own in tune. The knot for me is cumbersome but I can see the merit. Were I gigging I'd want either open slot/vintage tuners or locking tuners for quick changes.

[AJXOXO-vzpn]

This is the best way! I’m doing it like this from now on!

[andyanderson]

I wish I’d been shown how to do this 30 years ago. It would’ve saved me a lot of time and pain with the seemingly endless tuning of my guitar on stage but especially as a street musician. And those stabbing ends going into my fingers were annoying & painful. Thanks.

[mpc]

Thank you for sharing this technique. I will use this method on my next string change.

[Steve-ykiu]

I too shall call this the “Xu Tie” 😊 Easy to remember. Like “shoe tie” .

[anthonyjourneymusic]

Thank you so much. I will never forget this simple technique. First time I have not ruined a string.

[piemmetubo]

Thank you so much! This is exactly the perfection for non locking tuners, IMHO.

[bikeradam]

Thank you! Just tried it, and it turned out beautifully! 😍

[ChrisEbbrsen]

Your a genius! Go for a pattant! Bravisimo! Way to go! I will try to adapt this method! Thanks ever much!

[jinbyun]

Cool. I use luthier's knot on the plain strings and now I can finally hide those poky ends.

[AaronBegley]

I really like this method. Thank you!

[tulsa]

Awesome I’m going to try this!! Thanks!

[creativemusic]

I find this way hide string inside thanks good

[Chris-MusicTheoryAndFretboard]

Nice I'm going to try this. Thank you! At the beginning you said that the wound strings should come past about an inch. Is it the same length for the non-wound strings?