How to Change Guitar Strings

Changing guitar strings can be a very tricky and confusing task; especially for beginners.

If you're like me, you found videos online for how to change the strings, but videos can still be confusing.

In this Instructable, I will demonstrate, step by step, how to change the strings on a guitar.

Guitar

Strings

Wire Cutters

Tuner

Cloth (optional)

Winder (optional)

The first step in restringing a guitar is to remove the old strings.

First, loosen the strings by unwinding them a little bit. This will release the tension on the strings.

Second, use the wire cutters and snip the strings down the middle of where you would strum.

Lastly, remove the strings from the posts at the top of the guitar and the tailpiece at the bottom.

(Optional) Between taking the strings off and putting on new ones, it might be a good idea to wipe down your guitar with a cloth.

After all the strings are removed, open your pack of strings. The strings are in individual envelopes and each have their own number. Start with the highest number and then work down from largest to smallest. The largest number represents the thickest string, while the lowest represents the thinnest.

Once you have the appropriate string, thread it through the tailpiece and the corresponding saddle on the bridge (image 2).

After that, insert the end of the string through the hole of the first peg.

Repeat this step for each string accordingly. When inserting the string through the peg, you want the string to be able to sit straight with no bends in it. Each string should line up with the appropriate peg if threaded correctly.

Before you start winding the string, you want to make sure that you don't have too much or too little to wind on the peg. To make sure you have just enough, pull the string to be completely straight and measure up to 2 pegs away from the peg that the string is currently in.

In the first image for example, the string is in the peg closest to the right. So, I pull slack until the part of the string thats at the leftmost peg is moved to the peg on the right.

When done correctly, the result should look like the second image.

The final step of restringing your guitar is to tighten and tune the strings.

When tightening the strings, it's important to make sure that the the first three strings wind counterclockwise, and the last three strings wind clockwise. When done correctly, the result should look like the first image.

Starting with the lowest string, after you have the right amount of slack you can begin winding. It's also important to wind up the peg as seen in image 2. Wind the string until you can start to feel the tension on the string; before the string gets too tight, make sure the string is still in all the right spots such as the saddles on the bridge.

Once the string begins to tighten up, throw on your guitar tuner. Wind the string until the tuner says "E" with the measurer in the middle. This ensures a correctly tuned string.

Repeat this step with all other appropriate strings until the guitar is completely restrung and tuned. Starting with the thickest string to the thinnest, the tuning should be E A D G B E as shown in the pictures above. Once the strings are tuned, use the wire cutters to snip off the excess of the string close to the peg.

After that, you're all finished! Go enjoy those fresh strings and rock on!