80% of String Changes Skip This Crucial Step ★ Acoustic Tuesday 307
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- Опубліковано 4 вер 2023
- Make sure your strings last as long as possible without giving you trouble - be the 20%.
On today's episode, we're unraveling the mysteries of guitar string changes, a crucial skill every guitarist needs in their toolkit! Whether you're a seasoned player or just starting out, this guide is going to be your go-to. I'll walk you through the essential tools you'll need, pinpoint the right time to change those strings, and of course, step-by-step instructions to get it done.
Busting myths is also on the agenda - I'll debunk the age-old myth that you can't take all the strings off at once. Spoiler alert: you totally can, with a few exceptions.
Plus, I'll be bringing you tales from my recent adventure at the Fretboard Summit in Chicago. Prepare to be dazzled by the incredible builders I encountered and the unforgettable experiences that made the event a highlight of my year.
Don't miss out on this treasure trove of insights and stories!
Big shoutout to everyone I met at the Summit and I look forward to seeing everyone there next year!
Also featured on this episode...
- @DreamGuitars
- @noemiguitars9540
- @stewmac
- @CollingsGuitars
- @SantaCruzGuitarCo
#guitarstrings #acousticguitar
01:09 - Tools & When to Change
03:20 - How to Change Guitar Strings
11:44 - Easy Trick for Bridge Pins
14:20 - What 80% of Guitarists MISS
16:34 - Which way to wind strings?
25:42 - Do THIS immediately after tuning
29:45 - Acoustic Guitar News pt. 1
31:58 - TAC Guitar Lick Challenge
41:00 - Acoustic Guitar News pt. 2 - Навчання та стиль
Back in the archaic days of landlines, I used the telephone to tune. The dial tone is an A.
Man I’m glad you clarified string stretching. I’ve seen videos where they insist you grab them; I say to myself, “I don’t care if it’s the right thing to do, no way I’m gonna do that.”
I enjoy the whole process. It's very gratifying, like detailing your car.
I love changing strings.....it's a ritual of love ❤️
I love changing the strings. It’s like the new car smell except for the ears. Bright sound.
How refreshing to hear you killing the 'only one string at a time' dragon !! I've been playing since the 1960s and I've ALWAYS removed all the strings.
Time after time the paranoid say 'Oh you shouldn't', so thanks again.
Absolutely! The guitar wasn't built with the strings on it, so why shouldn't it survive a few minutes without them? I had one guy go further - he said once the strings are on, NEVER stretch them, put the guitar away and don't touch it for 6 months so they can stretch 'naturally'. The world is full of idiots, and somehow I meet all of them.
Fun fact: Luthiers hate the "luthier" knot. Seriously. We really hate it. It is an unnecessary step that is irritating to deal with. I've not spoken to another pro luthier that uses it, or even that doesn't strongly dislike it.
I don't think my ways are the "right" way, I wasn't trained that way. That knot is just one of the myths you mentioned in pretty much every other step.
And I gotta say, it makes me so happy to see someone use the pull back method for string length instead of measuring by the tuning posts. I think I've seen one other video on here that does that. It is far more consistent than the tuning posts. I pull back one fret for guitar and two for bass.
This is true.
I'm Catholic, not Lutheran; can I still use it?
@@briankehew579 You can, but it comes with a flock of Hail Mary's.
I've been changing my own strings for nearly 6 decades and wow, thanks for the tips.
Best string change lesson on UA-cam and your best version too!
Excellent tutorial. Bending the ball end and lubricating the nut slots make perfect sense. Thank you for this.
Sometimes the saddle can fall out, it you have a piezo pickup.
I had this happen once and I accidently broke the piezo in half during the scramble to find the saddle. That'll make you use some words that aren't family friendly.
Sometimes there isn't always a nice flat surface to lay your axe on during a string change. I have restrung them while standing on a guitar stand, laying on my lap while bouncing down the road in a bus, etc.
Thank you Tony very well explained and very much appreciated. great video as always
This is super valuable, thank you :)
Enjoyed the lesson on restringing the guitar👍👍👍🎸🎸🎸🎸
I like your uncommon/common sense approach to this. Your experience shows and is obvious. This makes me trust your information. I just subscribed and liked. Looking forward to more. Thank you.
I found your restringing helpful. Especially the part about protecting the bridge as you pull pins. For quit a while I have been fallowing your old video where you restrung a mahogany guitar. I think you do things a little different now. I feel I will be using this new and improved restringing method. Thanks for your help!!
I love it! Thank you! Go Wild!
This is the most comprehensive and accurate guide to string changing I've seen. I have slight differences but this is basically my process. I'll definitely share.
Re the string replacement / tuning process…thanks Tony. I’ll remember this video and, no doubt, will be coming back to it.
Thanks for the tips!
Wow, I sure wish I had these video when I learned how to restring my guitars! The first time I tried took an 1.5 hours and I used a’many expletives. The pencil trick was new to me and I am glad of the approval for the Luthier’s knot (since I use this method as well). Thank you for sharing this and loved hearing about the Guitar Summit. I have a 3 year goal to make it there.
Great content have been using the pencil but not the luthier knot I will use both methods do to your great content . Love all your content .
That hook bend in the string before the bridge pin really helps, I forgot to do this on a bari 12er recently, made it a real pain. Thanks for the reminder.
Enjoyed the video and tips, would love to see the same type of string changing video on a slotted head stock guitar.
Been playing since 1982 and learn something new everyday. Great channel thank you
Very helpful, thanks
I watched the whole guitar build , it was awesome , a wealth of knowlege
Good solid advice! The little details help. Thanks!
I've been playing since I was 12 years old and having been stringing all my life and while I string similarly. the luthier's knot was not in my repertoire. And using the pencil was not on my radar as well. So, after nearly 60 years of doing this I think I can get it right without hassles!! Thank you Tony. I so appreciate this segment!!!
you've got to be kidding - you don't realize you could sound better ? talk about myopic - and Jimmy Page fans thinks he's better than Clapton - cause it's all they listen to
Thank you, your video was most helpful. I learned three very important tips that will make me chore easier and preserve my guitar. Wayne from Valrico
40 yrs. Playing acoustics here and used the luthier knot for a few years….never found it to be useful, three (3) winds and my Taylor, Martin and Collings are good till string change happens
@@vaughnmaurt5013 I used it until I became a luthier. The only thing it does is increase the chance of scratching up the headstock and/or tuning posts trying to remove it, especially on guitars that have not been restrung in a few years.
Pro guitar techs and most luthiers hate that knot technique, it's very unnecessary and pulling back to the first fret is all you need to gauge correct number of wraps. This is not coming from me but multiple techs/luthiers from different channels on UA-cam, shops, and conventions who have been repairing and playing professionally longer than I've been alive. I have no idea who this creator is nor have I ever watched his content as it had just popped up in my recommendations. So in no way am I discrediting him or his background as I literally don't even know who he is. All I am saying is from the information I've gathered over the years this is considered an "incorrect" and "annoying" method by most working professionals. Peace
Well done! Love the luthiers knot and the ball end bend tips.
Most excellent tony, the string stretching and pencil method were excellent. Great job, we a TAC appreciate your knowledge.
Hi Howard... this is the 2nd reference to "TAC". What does it stand for? ... "tricarboxylic acid cycle"?... "Tucson Aeroservice Center"?... "time activity curve" or what? Curiously awaiting your reply?
I've been playing for 20 years and watched this entire video, subscribed
Great tips
Thanks- helpful, expert guidance!
Thanks for a very clear visual of Luther's knot, among other insights.
Thanks, I've played guitar for a long time and have always questioned the best way to change strings(many a discussion with friends on this). Change all at once vs one at a time. How much string to leave, and what knot to put on the tuner, and placing strings in the bridge. Thanks!
Hi Tony....I do the changing mostly as you described, but the graphite lube as well as the slight ball end bend at the saddle are great to know - Appreciate your great advice!
That was new to me as well.
The slight bend.
Alright, i subscribed.
You got me with the 'slight bend at the ball end' thing.
Ive experienced the SLAM, when the ball suddenly hits the bridge plate. Sometimes on stage, and its pretty violent...the guitar goes out of tune, and ive had guitars that needed a new bridge plate as a result.
You taught an old dog a new trick.
Thank you, sir.
I would also like to thank the fellas here in the comments,
Who just taught me to leave out the 'Luthiers knot' thing.
Which is gonna come in handy when i restring my newly acquired 76 Takamine 12 string today once i get it cleaned and set up like i want it.
Thank you guys as well.
Thats gonna save me some time as well.
No more luthiers knots.
It will also make removing the old strings easier too.
Ive been using the graphite trick for over 40 years, and believe me, it works.
I have big hands, use heavier strings, and bend like crazy-
And 90% of the time it comes back in tune.
I personally take a while when it comes to putting the strings in tune. I tune down a little here and there to stretch the strings out. Depending on the gauge, it can take a couple of days for the strings to settle and stay in tune. Great video. I always find these useful to see how others do it. Your pencil on the knut method intriques me and I will certainly give it a try,
Tony,
I totally agree with you here! I love your guitar tuner. I have several tuners however they are all old and are not sensitive enough and have dead spots in the tone ratio. Your digital one seems to respond incredibly! What brand is it? It is hard to see on the video. Thanks 👍🏻
Good string change for beginners. I have a little different method which is a combination of your method and Taylor's factory method. The best way is the way you are comfortable doing but I agree with cleaning while the strings are off. Do not try cleaning the headstock with the strings on this could cause sore fingers on your chording hand.
Thanks Tony, just one addy. I pull my string through the post, then back about two frets. I also start with the D then the G and work outwards, this way I'm not working over the installed strings. I have always used the graphite trick though. Thanks a lot for the good video.
Go hawks! Love your work and video, love the Hawks jerseys!
Great video! Thank you.
Yes a big thank you
I got a small chargeable Black and Decker drill and string winder attachment. It makes it easier big time
Thanks for video
Good tips. The only difference for me is when doing the G, B and high E strings, I do the high E, then the B then end with the G. I find it gives me more room to manipulate the strings when doing the luthiers knot and winding. Just personal preference.
Yup
I wrap tape around the string winder, so when I use the peg puller part it protects the bridge from damage. I also put some cardboard inside the winder to protect the tuning pegs.
I only started learning how to play guitar a month ago & I'm documenting my journey on here but this is gonna be super helpful when I first change my strings!
Once you've done a few and have a feeling for the tension, a string winding drill bit is a dream come true. No one really needs it, but damn if it isn't wonderful.
@@bufferkiller Nice tip... I'll look into this string winding drill bit... anything that can make life a little easier is good in my book haha!
@@NewLifeWithGuitar D’Addario has a winder that has a detachable drill bit. Tried linking it on Amazon and the post immediately deleted.
@@bufferkiller Awesome no problem I'll check it out... appreciate that, thanks so much! Will be a great help I'm sure.
TY TY I just changed my first strings,,,including the LUF..KNOT ty!
I have a fear of the strings coming out of the tuner pin holes so I have always left an inch loose. Another thing I learnt is that with older accoustic guitars and classical guitars where the tuners are bone pegs inside the head stock, once youve threaded the string through the tuning peg hole, loop the loose end half way round back to the side you threaded it through and thread it through the same hole again. This helps the tuning peg grip the string so it doesnt slip out when youre doing the initial winding.
Tony, this is Denni M from TAC, I love this video as I do most. However as you state there are so many that will argue as to how to secure the strings on the tuner. But for me yours is the best. Since I joined your community almost 4 years ago this is how I learned and continue to change my strings and never had an issue and I was changing my strings today so this video is a sign to me that I was correct that it was time to change them!
Hi Denni... this is the 2nd reference to "TAC". What does it stand for? ... "tricarboxylic acid cycle"?... "Tucson Aeroservice Center"?... "time activity curve" or what? Curiously awaiting your reply?
Tony has an amazing online guitar program called TAC “Tony’s Acoustic Challenge “ when it began his structure program taught people to play guitar in 30days
I found myself using 8/20's on my j45and Phosphor Bronze on by Guild D40 And Taki. Just seemed to work better. Now I know why. Thanks
Dig your show Tony , watching from Australia . Peace ✌
Telegram scam , ya my main man .......
Knowing you're about to undertake this endeavor would be a good time to go ahead and pre-order bone everything. Nut, bridge and pins. Sometimes sold in complete sets. Of course the right sizes for your setup . Put away all those 'spare' plastic parts and save them somewhere i.e. guitar case. Mechanical pencil's lead seems to fit the nut grooves better if your a neat freak like myself. And always always aways, luthier knot......yep even slotted!
I personally think ebony pins and TUSQ saddle are the optimum. Nut in my opinion, can stay plastic. Your fingers are the termination of the strings most of the time anyway. Will sit back and laugh at all the trolls now.
Ive seen the string end first go under on the first turn and go upper side on the rest on the turns and it seems very good to me
The higher they go "up" the shaft the more leverage pressure it applies to the winder.
Yeah, love the smell of Gibson spray polish! Polishes nicely too.
Somebody turned me onto Boiled Linseed Oil once. I had left my prized Gibson J-50 home when I was shipped to Okinawa in '67. I watched a fellow change strings that came from the states along with a vial of oil. When I got out of the service, I got a small can of BLO, and have used it every other time I would change strings. Same for mandolin.
I was in Okinawa from 68 to 70. Stationed at Fort Buckner near Futenma. I worked in the main warehousing office.
Man I love your style of talking and your tempo and info and logic and great straight forwardness.
Tip: Bridge-pins of the E-A-D, that often need some more "force" to pull out, come out very easily by pushing the already cut ends of those 3 strings into the bridge holes just a little bit. Most of the time I don't need the string winders notch anymore since I found that out.
Have listened to your music and you are a man who is worthy of giving info about the dedication involved in learning and maintaining what you think you know. Peace brother. I will never take all the strings off again. Talk to MARTIN and listen to what they say. They voided my warranty because I admitted that I did that. Peace and good luck.
Teddy, you own your guitar, not Martin, and you paid dearly so I understand your concern. When someone buys a Martin, Taylor, Gibson etc. a very large part of the price is for the name-brand mystique and the presumed likelihood it will have high quality. Usually that's true but trust me, they build turds all the time. If they didn't, they wouldn't need to warrant them all to give people the confidence to gladly fork over a fortune for an object that it only took a fraction of the retail price to build. Relax. Guitars are strong and you will not harm your truss rod protected neck by having all the strings off long enough to do routine maintenance. If you send your guitar back to Martin for repair or adjustment, or to a factory-authorized technician near you, or even to an 'unauthorized' tech/luthier of your choice, I guarantee you they take all the strings off at some point to accomplish their work, and may have it unstrung for what you might think is a long time or too long. The reason Martin voids the warranty if YOU remove all the strings at once is they want ANY excuse to void your warranty so they can charge extra in the future to work on it. If you sell your guitar the warranty doesn't transfer. Ever wonder why? Because if you're the original owner they've already made the premium on that sale and they will make zero profit on subsequent 'downstream' transactions even if the value has gone up and you make or save money. In the end, it's your money so believe what makes you happy. But people who actually work on guitars for a living know there's no harm in taking all the strings off for a while. Also trust me that Martin or anybody has no way to know if you changed one string at a time or did them all at once as Tony and I and almost everybody else does. If this was a problem, all we'd be hearing about is exploding guitars. If you fear voiding your warranty then just don't tell Martin you changed all the strings at once.
Great video!
I love changing strings. Nothing like a fresh set of guitar strings
All you have to do, is run the entire string through the post. Back it up maybe a post-and-a-half's worth. Bend the excess toward the middle of the headstock. Wind the string down like a coil (the lower on the post the string, the tighter against the nut it will be). Then bend the excess string back and forth until it breaks off cleanly. No need for clippers. No stickers to nail your fingers. However, you have to twice overwrap the string-through on the 1st and 2nd strings, otherwise, when you break off the strings, they will slip on the posts.
Trust me. You will love having no stickers to draw blood. By bending the excess string toward the middle of the headstock, you form an "S" through the post, adding to a tight fit. Oh yeh, some nut lube on that nut will work wonders for tuning. That’s 61 years of string changing experience for you … But what’s right for you, is right for you!
Regarding how often to change strings: I lived for 40 years in high humidity environments, and changed every month. Now in the arid Sonoran desert, I am at 3 month intervals, and they still sound pretty darn good… could probably go longer, but force of habit makes 90 days max…
Hi Tony, love the video, would like to ask if you still recommend the "over under" method for restringing guitar?
Question: I just change my strings, but hadn’t heard of the graphite trick on the nut.
Would it be OK to loosen each of the strings enough to slide it out of the slot and take a pencil and put the graphite on, and then re-tune the string?
I can’t think of a problem with that.
Good video Tony Polecastro!!
I used to do this. It’s a completely unnecessary step. Last few years I just send it through and wind it up with a little give. It actually stays in tune better because when it settles, there’s not a weird kink in the string and it’s more accurate to tune because you can get a wider band of where you actually want to tune. It’s like increasing your tuning gear ratio.
Truer words, I've never heard.
It's called the Luthier's Knot, but we hate it. So much. lol
Ok, ok, im convinced to try it you guy's way- i always wondered about the core of the wound strings. How the bend might affect them,
Ive been doing it that way for 48 years, they called it the 'Gibson Twist', like a dance, in the 70s.
But if its unnecessary ill leave it out.
Ive got to do a 12 string i just bought today, and i cant wait to try it out.
Thank you gentlmen very much-
Thanks for very thorough with excellent instructional tips. Meanwhile, from 45 mark, the guitar samplings audio recordings seem to have some kind of technical flaw, or maybe it's my phone or my ear. There seems to be a muddiness or some kind of are technical glitch that diminishes the quality at certain tones.
I recently discovered the Santa Cruz parabolic strings. They are more expensive but well worth it. Have tried using slotless pegs and sawing the slots into the bridge?
I have a slotted headstock reso that I would love a lesson on. Maybe in a future video.
I LOVE string-change day :)
Me too. I always bring wine?
Tony really woke up and said “hmmm been awhile since I restrung this here fiddle… I know! I’ll restring it on the show today!” I do actually like the fact that you put to bed the myth that you can’t remove all your strings at once. I usually always remove all my strings, except on my 1950 L7. Floating bridges are kind of pain, so if I do the string one at a time the bridge doesn’t shift, and my intonation stays the same. But my guild D25 and takamine I just pop them all off.
Hi Tony do you ever detune your strings for say flying or storage?
Best string change video out there
It has been my habit to change strings with it sitting on my lap. I also dispense with cutting the strings I am removing. Once the tension is off, I just remove the strings from the tuners, and that gives me the same access to the back of the pegs through the sound hole. I have not used that ball-end bend trick, and I don't feel I have had much of an issue with that, but I will give it a try.
I do lube the nut slots with a pencil. Another advantage of this is that if I skip this step, the strings can get hung up a bit while tuning, and when I am close to having it in tune, it will suddenly jump and be well out-of-tune. It can be a fight to get it tuned, and if you think you have it and start playing, it might jump then. It is not a matter of the nut slot width either. The string moves quite freely through a lubricated nut slot.
I do use the luthier's knot and have done so for most of my guitar-playing years.
The guitar at the summit that really caught my attention was the Preston Thompson Wildlife Series guitar. It has a beautifully inlaid diamonback rattlesnake pattern on the fretboard, with the snake's head coming down the top of the headstock. It was absolutely beautiful.
For proper number of loops on each string; use the first fret as the measurement. Pull string through the post, grab the string being installed at the nut, pull it back the first fret, and that’s the slack needed to give the proper amount of wraps.
Boy oh boy, I want to change my strings now on the only guitar I own. I am nervous as heck to do it, so I keep putting it off. But I do want too learn! So I'm take the opportunity to do it soon.
I just can't spend that much on those strings. They don't give a particular sound that I'm willing to pay top dollar for, but they might be a dream come true for some people. Good video, buddy.
With a floating bridge the top is normally discolored (faded). And there is a Template” of where to relocate it.
As a master luthier I agree with everything you said about stringing a flat top acoustic. A luthier knot however is not necessary. It does nothing at all to hold the string on. A 90 degree kink is what actually doing 100% of keeping the string from slipping. Also with arch top guitars go ahead and unceremoniously cut them all off. Placing the bridge correctly is a basic setup skill.
like tommy5241 said: on every archtop I have had, there is a sun fade spot around the bridge. So your right about the bridge falling off, but after a year or two out of the case there will be a "spot" marked on the soundboard. And you can use a wet/dry marker to put dots at each corner that will rub off. Be careful not to rub them off while polishing.
Great video..only wish the camera could of zoomed in for the bridge set up and the strings for the top. An over viewing from above would be really neat. Thank you !!! I detail cars in the warm summer but during winter the freeze hurts far to much. I'm thinking it will be neat to string guitars during freezing temps. Do they have any certification classes on this? I'm sure someone would want business insurance too since many guitars are very pricey. Thank You !!!! Rocky
Do you clean and oil the neck occasionally?
The pencil trip was great
It's fun to change steel strings and the sound is worth it. Classical always hard to do and requires skill and patience.
I am so chuffed to see someone else using a pencil in the nut slot, I actually use a mechanical pencil because the led is thinner, but so cool to know I'm not the only one doing it :) I also use the luthier's knot, which was dissed in the last stringing up video I watched, but I've stuck with it as I found it worked for me. Good to see you pointing out not to whip all the strings off on an archtop, so wish I'd seen this a few years ago before I restrung my first ever archtop, apparently my face was a picture when I slacked all the strings off and watched the bridge fall to the floor :) took me ages to correct the intonation after that :)
This may sound like a dig, but it isn't. Genuine question. The luthier's knot works for you, but what does that mean? It technically works for anyone using it, but so does almost every other method. So, what does it mean for you when you say it works for you? Is it a placebo thing? I used it up until I became a luthier and saw how much easier other ways are, as well as more effective and less problematic.
There are a thousand ways to do anything, so my way(s) aren't gospel, nor do I think they should be. The luthier's knot is just one of those myths that are mentioned in this video in every other step.
great video but heres a few other options to consider, 1) instead of the pencil just get some Big Bends Nut Sauce, its clear and easy to use. 2) cutting the string close to the post is common but it does leave a sharp edge so when moving your hand quickly to tune you might rub against the sharp end and get a cut, been there done that so another option is to cut it an inch out then fold the string back to itself pointing to the peg hole, do this it at an angle where the is no possible way to catch your fingers. IT WORKS, I also use the luthier knot it works great. 3) String stretching ! I would suggest string stretching for a guitar living at home is different for live touring and playing and for luthiers at shows who are there presenting their guitars. Tonys method for a home guitar is fine but not for the other things i mentioned. you dont get a week for the guitar to strings to sort themselves out. Ive played at many luthier shows for builders and their mini workshops and the hard lesson learned the first few times is that un stretched strings will leave you embarrassed on stage as the strings drift out of tune. You pull out on the string just not like a maniac, I pulled lightly thoughout the entire string then retune and you keep doing this 5-7 times to where the strings doesnt lower in pitch after another stretch. IT WORK and does not hurt the guitar. 4) Home string changes hardly work when touring, you change strings quickly holding the guitar in hand and much easier to change one string at a time this keeps the tension constant and while Tony disagrees theres no real proof either way so it gets down to your own personal confidence of what you feel is right. Does tension change things ? Possibly if you have tuned and electric you will find that as you tune one strings the others change in pitch, it also does that on an acoustic but more subtle so for live playing you changing singles at a time makes more sense. So to the point Tony has done a wonderful video for guitars that live at home but for guitars that travel there are much for efficient and time saving options to consider.
I never cut my strings. I wiggle them back and forth and they will break off clean at the peghead. This has never caused me an issue. I once had a house full of neighborhood girls who always wanted to straighten out those sloppy keys. This avoided the tears.
Hi Toney could this lesson on my electric guitar too?
Yep I'm the one lol ...I was always told if you have a Piezo pickup on your acoustic under the bridge you should always leave one string (A or D) to keep the bridge in place so as not to disturb the pickup. I was told disturbing the pickup wire could upset the balance of the pickup. Be interested to know if this is true?
Check that the tuner bushing nuts are just snug (DO NOT CRANK THEM DOWN or you will damage the finish)
Hey Tony, Thanks for picking me as the randon fan! How do I claim the prize guitar?
Tony, thanks for walking us through the changing of the strings. I have been doing it wrong for years. I'm still learning my instrument. So far, it has been 44 years, and I still get it wrong and cannot play a song all the way through.
Come'on Robert... Let yourself go... you can get to the end!!! Just let it go!
Add a 1.5” - 2” quality paintbrush to your kit for dusting those inaccessible spots between changes, plus, use it for dusting faceplates on amps, mixers, and anything else with knobs. Then go clean the vents in your car.
I make sure the strings wrap down around the post to make sure the angle from the nut to the post is going down.
I lived with a guy in Tampa. He did a Cat Stevens act back in the early 80s. He had a case of strings, He changed them everyday. Yes everyday. But if you watched the way he pounded on that poor Martin, you wouldnt be surprised. They needed it probably after a couple hours.
A suggestion for stretching new strings: after stringing the guitar, tuning it to pitch, and playing it as much as you want at that time, tune it up a half step or so and let it sit like that for a bit then tune it back to pitch.
If you use pins that do not have slots it's good to invest in this tool that allows you to pull straight up. It goes over the head of the pin and you slide a ring down, so it can't open, and it pulls the pin straight up without touching the guitar. It costs $15, but I got mine years ago. They can get too tight and it becomes difficult to use a string winder to remove them without accident. You can get it at most string dealers.