Removing cloth winding from TI strings

[Mark M.]

I have been using TI Jazz Swing 12’s on my Trenier Model E, but I have had to scrape some of the red cloth winding away from the ball end of the strings in order to fit them through the feeder holes on the tailpiece, leaving some of the red winding intact. However, I am now discovering that the remaining winding interferes with the string having full contact with the metal plate in the tailpiece (see photo) and thus prevents full grounding of the string, producing a slight hum. Rather than scraping all the red winding away on each string, has anyone else encountered this and do you have an easier method for removing the winding?

[Filmosound 621]

Isn't it a good idea to have the tailpiece removed from the guitar, to slightly enlarge the diameter of the hole for the E-string ?

that would make the anual string change much easier, wouldn't it ?

[Jimmy blue note]

Yes, it's one of the more irritating things about those and other flats. I use a nail file and file them off 'til they fray and then I have to pick the windings/fluff free of the string windings. I'm not meticulous. Once there's enough exposed surface so there can be some electrical contact, I put a little curve in the string by the ball end with a needle nose pliers set to get the string to negotiate the string bend out of the hole and keep the 'cleared' surface against the grounding wire. Pull it through and wind it up.
Good luck-

[RJVB]

Use a sharp cutter to take off the necessary amount of cloth and then use a drop of liquid superglue (CA) to take care of the fraying?

[Mark M.]

Thanks, all. I ended up removing all of the winding by scraping it off with an Exacto knife. It’s not ideal, because you have to be careful not to damage the string itself. I think I’ll try the nail file method next time.

[John A.]

I have special TI-cloth removal tool that works perfectly and preserves the electrical grounding. It's called D'addario Chromes.

[sgosnell]

It's not that hard to enlarge the hole just a little, enough to get the string through. Nobody is going to notice that one hole is a millimeter or so larger than the others. Or you can just use strings that fit. Life is too short to be wasting time picking fibers from the end of a guitar string.

[Jimmy blue note]

It's not that hard to enlarge the hole just a little, enough to get the string through. Nobody is going to notice that one hole is a millimeter or so larger than the others. Or you can just use strings that fit. Life is too short to be wasting time picking fibers from the end of a guitar string.

The one thing you must be aware of, on some wood tailpieces, the grounding is accomplished by a wire lying across the bottom of the tailpiece itself about 1/8 in. The ground isn't at the ball end itself but where the windings do occur. So know your type of tailpiece

[kris]

The best way to enlarge the string holes in the tailpiece.
You don't have to move the material on the strings and everything sounds great.
So I did on my guitar.

[JohanAbrandt]

its a trenier though, so read up on drilling and practice on scrap, or farm it out

[sgosnell]

The one thing you must be aware of, on some wood tailpieces, the grounding is accomplished by a wire lying across the bottom of the tailpiece itself about 1/8 in. The ground isn't at the ball end itself but where the windings do occur. So know your type of tailpiece

That's a very strong candidate for a different brand of strings.

[Mark M.]

Thanks, All. I don’t think I need to enlarge the holes. They are big enough for the 12’s I’m using if I remove the cloth winding. My bigger concern was the interference with ground contact. I really like the TI’s and it’s worth the extra effort to remove the windings. But, if there was an easier way….