Ball E converted to Loop E

September 27, 2005 at 06:17 AM · It depends on the brand. Some are designed with a removable ball. What brand do you have, and have you tried taking it out?

September 27, 2005 at 06:51 AM · It's a Dominant. He said he tried taking it out but he was afraid he was going to break something.

September 27, 2005 at 09:56 AM · Can you find someone who needs a ball E and sell it to them? You can buy another E without having to get a whole set.

September 27, 2005 at 01:03 PM · Crush the ball with pliers and break it that way. Then remove it.

September 27, 2005 at 10:29 PM · Yeah, it probably would.

September 30, 2005 at 03:11 AM · I much prefer the ball E. Usually, when an E string breaks, it does so at the thin loop. Since switching to ball E's, I've never had one break - and I use the softer gold E's. With a little care, the ball can fit onto the one pronged tuner, as it has a hole in the middle. It should fit even more easily in a two pronged tuner, inbetween the prongs.

September 30, 2005 at 04:33 AM · Brian,

A few years ago I accidently purchased an e with the loop instead of the ball. It worked to slip the loop part over the two end prongs. I kept that string on for about 3 months without any problems. Might depend on the make, I've tried so many I don't remember which kind it was.

September 30, 2005 at 02:04 PM · I've always just popped the ball out (no pliers necessary, usually) and never stopped to worry about it. Usually, the loop is big enough that the ball can come out. If it's not... in fact, I've never been unable to remove the ball. So, there it is.

October 6, 2005 at 03:14 AM · Regarding breaking loop end strings on those little through the tailpiece tuners, here's a trick. File the sharp edges of the tuner where the sting contacts it just enough to round off the edge a bit. When I used to use the old W. E. Hill and Son tuner, I never broke E's, but when I swtiched to a generic German tuner, I started breaking them. This fixed it for good.