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So, I've seen some people use guitar wires as cabling and whatnot on models. How does it work out? Is there anything in particular I need to know going in to using them?

Invest in some wire benders so you can get nice curves with guitar wire. If you bend by hand, it's likely you'll just get hard angles that don't look good or natural.

The thicker strings on a guitar (E, A, D) work better for coils since they have a wire wrapped around in a spiral. Or all bass guitar strings.

Don't use "used" guitar strings, since they'll be covered in finger grease and are extremely difficult to get paint to stick on to. Buy and use new strings (you can buy individual guitar strings so this isn't a problem).

 DV8 wrote:
Invest in some wire benders so you can get nice curves with guitar wire. If you bend by hand, it's likely you'll just get hard angles that don't look good or natural.

The thicker strings on a guitar (E, A, D) work better for coils since they have a wire wrapped around in a spiral. Or all bass guitar strings.

Don't use "used" guitar strings, since they'll be covered in finger grease and are extremely difficult to get paint to stick on to. Buy and use new strings (you can buy individual guitar strings so this isn't a problem).

What is a good, cheap wire bender?

I did a quick google search and they appear to be in the $30 range, which is a touch pricey. (Not impossible, of course, but more than I want to spend.)

And what kind of curves and angles can I get with just hands?

Lastly, what's a good tool to cut the wire? Just the same clippers I use for models, or something else?

Those of us who play guitar have an advantage here - I'm in the habit of saving the offcuts whenever I restring a guitar just in case I fancy using them for modelling purposes.

There's a variety of different materials used for guitar strings, but generally they're very hard (e.g. nickel plated steel) and normal modelling side-cutters will usually not cut them well at all. I remember notching a set of clippers trying. You're better off with a bigger more robust set of wire cutters.

As for what sort of curves you can achieve by hand - it really depends on your technique, the gauge of wire and what tools/aids you use. Basically, I'd suggest experimenting to see what you can do. Typically the thinner non-wound strings tend not to want to stay formed unless you really bend them but of course they can be kept in place by fixing at both ends. The wound strings (which I expect are most often used for the coil appearance) are easier to bend into a shape you want.

Buy Ernie Ball's.

 Excommunicatus wrote:
Buy Ernie Ball's.

For miniatures - whatever's cheap and in the right size.
For actual guitar - D'Addario.

I've heard that heating the wires then rapidly cooling them (think blowtorch followed by cold water) helps make guitar wires less springy and more willing to hold their shape once bent. Any truth to that?

For cutting, some decent wirecutting snips, not the usual ones you use for modelling. The steel cores will often notch those.

I'd recommend some with tungsten carbide blades - they go through the guitar strings like a hot knife through cabbage.

For bending, TWO pairs of needle nose pliers. Especially if you are trying to do curves, as one pair just means you will make more 90* like bends. With hands, it really depends on which strings you use.

There are nickel wound steel core, there's brass and bronze wound steel core. All are particularly springy, but you CAN bend them with your hands - just be aware that the ends WILL be particularly spiky and you will probably stab yourself on them more than once.

 Bellerophon wrote:

 Excommunicatus wrote:
Buy Ernie Ball's.

For miniatures - whatever's cheap and in the right size.
For actual guitar - D'Addario.

Ernie Ball's are cheap and the right size, haha.

For sure I would never recommend them for actually playing, not for anything but an entry-level Squier anyway.

Bellerophon wrote:

 Excommunicatus wrote:
Buy Ernie Ball's.

For miniatures - whatever's cheap and in the right size.
For actual guitar - D'Addario.

I love you for this, and exalted.



As far as not using used guitar strings because of the grease and whatnot. Dawn Dish Soap. Boil them first, then wash with Dawn Dish Soap. It'll clean EVERYTHING out of them.

I have used it.

Specifically i got a set of base guitar strings for wiring my necron pilots into their vehicles.

You want some pretty strong wire cutters. Something like a single hand version of these.



Also get some kind of rounded metal tool (roughly pencil shaped) to wrap the wires around or otherwise use to help bend them into position. They will hold position when done, but it takes a bit of work to bend them how you want them.