A small crank that fits over a tuning peg and turns it far faster than fingers can. It turns a fifteen-minute string change into a five-minute one, and most versions include a cutter and a bridge-pin puller.
What it saves
Turns per peg, of which there are many. On a twelve-string or a bass, the difference is substantial.
The three tools in one
Crank, string cutter, bridge-pin puller. The cutter matters because leaving long ends at the headstock is how sleeves get caught.
Where it sits in a first purchase
After strings, picks and a tuner, and before almost anything else.
The questions players ask
Is it necessary?
No, and it is the difference between changing strings when they need it and putting the job off. That is worth a few dollars.
What is the pin puller for?
Acoustic guitars hold the strings with bridge pins that grip tightly. Levering them out with the notch on the winder avoids damaging the bridge with pliers.
Last reviewed 2026-08-19