The Planet Waves Pro String Winder & Cutter
There are many accessories that can make a guitarist’s life easier, and among these is the guitar string winder. Replacing strings is a chore that can’t be avoided (well, not if you want to sound good), and the most tedious part of string replacement is probably tightening and loosening them up. This can even be a painful business if you’re prone to pain in the hands or wrists.
A string winder (sometimes called a peg winder) makes this job a lot easier, and unlike many guitar accessories, it doesn’t cost much at all. It’s very easy to use too, and simply attaches to the tuners, which can then be rotated much more quickly than usual simply by turning the handle on the string winder, rather than twisting the tuner itself.
There are plenty of string winders to choose from, but one of the bestselling is the Planet Waves Pro String Winder and Cutter. This offers a few features that many others don’t, and is a good all-round performer at a low price – here’s why.
Guitar String Winders on Amazon.com
String Winder
The handle of the winder is relatively long, making it more powerful, and also easier to use. Planet Waves claims that it doesn’t come unscrewed as you’re using it, and this seems to be borne out by the many positive reviews from users. It also grips the pegs firmly without sliding off, although I guess this could vary if you have oddly shaped or sized pegs.
The tool is made from durable plastic and steel, and is an unobtrusive black in colour.
Wire Cutter
As well as winding strings, the Planet Waves Pro makes the entire restringing process easier by featuring a wire cutter for trimming your strings to size. The cutter is designed with safety in mind, and most of the blade area isn’t exposed, reducing the risk of injury to you and your guitar. It cuts close to the peg too, so you won’t be left with bits of sharp string sticking out.
It’s nice to have both features in one like this, so you don’t have to carry a separate wire cutter.
Bridge Pin Remover
Thirdly, it also features a tool to remove acoustic guitar bridge pins. This has a very thin part that slides under the pin easily. Many people use pliers (or a dedicated bridge pin puller) to do this, but again, having this feature in this tool reduces the amount of ‘stuff’ you need to keep around.
It should also work with most guitars, as well as similar instruments such as mandolins and banjos.
If you’ve never used a string winder before, it really is worth getting one for the time you’ll save when changing strings. And this one from Planet Waves is a great choice.
BTW, if you change your strings a lot, you might also like the Planet Waves Headstand, which is a handy little stand that supports the neck of the guitar while you change the strings. Used in combination with the string winder/cutter, it makes the whole process painless.
Where To Buy the Planet Waves Pro String Winder and Cutter
As a popular string winder, this will be available in many music stores. For the best prices though, it’s worth looking online.
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