This might be better off in the Tech section, but it is specific to Mandos so I thought I would post it here.

We have had more than one discussion about re-stringing Mandos here. I thought I would pass on a couple of little tips I have developed over the past 3 years of Mando ownership. This may not be news to any of you veterans, but it sure helps me out.

For keeping the loop on the itty bitty string peg that Collings has on their tail piece, I use an old Dental pick/hook. The thing your dentist uses to pick at your teeth with two curved and pointed hooks on it, one each end. My dentist throws them out if they get damaged etc, and gladly gave me one.

For winding the new strings on, well a guitar winder is just too big. Can't rotate wtihout getting into the next tuner buttons etc. So I took one of the cheap plastic winders you can buy for a couple bucks and used the hack saw to take one end off it off. I cut off the end that has the little bridge pin puller hole in it for guitar use. Don't have to pull pins on a Mando. A piece of electrical tape to close it back up and works like a charm. Plenty of room between the tuner buttons now.

As much as I hate changing strings on the Mandos, any little thing that makes it easier for me it a big plus. I do them a pair at a time and use a guitar capo to hold them in place while finishing up the winding end.

Hope this helps somebody and they don't have to learn the hard way like I did.

Here's a trick that works great for me. After threading the string through the tuner post, I pull it through until the loop end is right at the end of the tailpiece. Then I start winding the string without trying to attach the loop, keeping tension on the string by holding it with my right hand (close to the nut). I do the usual over/under wrap so that the string end is pinched between two windings. By the time I have a couple of good windings around the tuner post, the loop end is sitting right above it's tailpiece prong. Now it's just a simple matter of hooking it on and pulling up the string slack with my right hand to keep in on the prong for final tightening. Works great!

These are both great tips. Thanks people.....

I'd never thought about using a capo.....that's pretty sweet!

Glad one of my "tricks" could help someone.
I learned them the hard way.

I use a piece of scotch or low adhesive masking tape to hold my string loop on the tailpiece until under tension. I personally have never found a need for a string winder for any of my instruments, as a strive to have as few wraps as absolutely possible (usually 1.5-2). I suppose one would still help, but I feel like I can do it almost as quickly with my fingers.

With all due respect to Collings, I'm sure they hear the complaints about stringing on Collings mando's. It would be easy for them to change the tailpiece to one that holds the loop in place while winding. I can string a Gibson style tailpice mando in half the time it takes to string a Collings. Hello to the good folks at Collings, please read this, or at least reply. Maybe they could modify there tailpiece with deeper hook's so that the loop end of the string would have less chance to slip out. I don't know, what do you folks think about this issue. All the best folks.