Restring a guitar

Generally speaking, changing your guitar strings is a reasonably easy task, but there are a few tricky steps so I will guide you through them as best I can. Just try to keep your patience and set aside an hour or more for the task especially if you have never changed strings before.

Contents

Step 1: Tools required

There are some important tools required and below I have listed them with alternatives (in order of preference) in brackets. You may also be interested in purchasing some guitar polish as this can give your guitar a new lease on life!

• Wire snips (pliers, tin snips, old scissors)
• Polish cloth (clean rag, tea towel, old towel)
• Old toothbrush (soft bristle hand scrubber)
• Bowl of tap water
• Guitar tuner (online tuner, tuning fork, a good ear)
• String winder (required for acoustic guitars with string peg holders, otherwise optional)
• A fresh set of strings

Step 2: Remove old guitar strings

There are two schools of thought when it comes to removing your old guitar strings, the first is to remove all the strings at once and replace them one by one, the second is to remove and replace one string at a time. The reason for this later method is because some people believe that if you remove all the strings at once, the neck will eventually warp due to the stress of going from full tension, to no tension. I have always removed all the strings at once and replaced one by one and have never had a neck warp on me yet, just the same as professional luthiers do when you send your guitar in for some work. That being said, you have been warned! Personally I would take them all off then replace them for all electric guitars and basses, but for acoustic guitars perhaps removing and replacing them one by one would be better as acoustic guitars are a lot more fragile than electrics.

For standard electric & acoustic guitars simply start by tuning the sixth string (thickest) down until it is floppy and produces no sound, then manually unwind the string off the tuner (as shown below in figure 1.a). Once the string is free from the tuner, snip off the curled end (as shown in figure 1.c). For electric guitars: push the string into the bridge until it comes out the other side (at the back of the guitar) and pull through (as shown in figure 1.d). For acoustic guitars that have string holder pegs, use the string winder to slide underneath the string holder peg and remove it, then pull the string out (example image coming soon), for standard acoustic bridge systems simply pull the string through the rear of the bridge.

For Floyd Rose floating tremolo systems you will need to chock the underneath of the tremolo unit to stop it from going haywire, use some folded paper, cardboard or even better some Masonite (as shown below in figure 1.b). Once this is done, using your Allen key loosen the three Allen key bolts at the nut approximately one revolution (as shown in figure 1.e). Now tune the sixth string (thickest) down until it is floppy and produces no sound, then manually unwind the string off the tuner (as shown below in figure 1.a). Using an Allen key, un-tighten the string clamp bolt and turn approximately one revolution or until the string is free from the unit (as shown in figure 1.f).

For non-floating Floyd Rose tremolo systems using your Allen key loosen the three Allen key bolts at the nut approximately one revolution (as shown in figure 1.e). Now start tuning down the sixth string (thickest) until it is floppy and produces no sound, then manually unwind the string off the tuner (as shown in figure 1.a). Using an Allen key, un-tighten the string clamp bolt and turn approximately one revolution or until the string is free from the unit (as shown in figure 1.f).

Step 3: Clean & polish your guitar

Now using the toothbrush and the bowl of water, dip the brush end into the water and start gently scrubbing either side of the frets, at the nut, and anywhere else you can see a build up of dirt etc on the neck but do not get water onto the guitar body or electrics, just use the polish cloth or guitar polish for the body. Make sure that no water is left on the guitar particularly on metal parts. Now using your guitar polish cloth (and guitar polish if you have some) or alternative, give your guitar a complete going over and bring it to a nice shine.

Step 4: Thread strings through the bridge & tuners

For standard electric guitars turn over your guitar and look at the back side of the guitar body, you will see a series of six holes which correspond directly with the holes at the top end of the guitar bridge, determine which hole is the sixth string (thickest) and start threading the new string (from the packet marked 6^th/E) into this hole until it comes out the other side of the bridge (shown below in figure 2.a). Thread the string right through until the ball end is locked into the bridge. Now thread the string into the hole on the tuner (shown below in figure 2.b) until there is approximately three inches of space or slack from the fretboard (shown below in figure 2.c). Now start winding the tuner while at the same time ensuring the string does not slip, you can also make a kink in the string so it stays put. Continue winding the string until an audible tone is sounded when the string is plucked, you should have at least three winds on the tuner peg for each string and up to five for the thinner strings. Continue this process for the remaining five strings making sure the right strings go in the right holes.

For acoustic guitars with string peg holders thread the ball end of the sixth string (from the packet marked 6^th/E) into the bridge hole where the old sixth string (thickest) came from until it is about four inches inside the guitar, then slide the string holder peg into the same hole making sure the slit lines up with the string, and pull the string up until the four inch slack is gone (image coming soon). Now push hard down on the string holder peg as firmly as you can or until the peg has no further to go. For standard acoustic guitars simply thread the string through the corresponding hole on the bridge and pull right through until the ball end is hard up against the bridge (shown below in figure 2.d). Now start threading the string through the tuner at the other end of the neck (shown below in figure 2.b) until there is approximately three inches of space or slack from the fretboard (shown below in figure 2.c). Now start winding the tuner while at the same time ensuring the string does not slip, you can also make a kink in the string so it stays put. Continue winding the string until an audible tone is sounded when the string is plucked, you should have at least three winds on the tuner peg for each string and up to five for the thinner strings. Continue this process for the remaining five strings making sure the right strings go in the right holes.

For Floyd Rose tremolo systems firstly, using your wire snips, cut off the ball end from the sixth string (from the packet marked 6^th/E) just after the winding section ends (shown below in figure 2.e) then place this end into the string clamp inside the tremolo system and hold firmly. While holding the string in place (making sure it is evenly vertical), using your Allen key, tighten the string clamp bolt at the rear of the tremolo system (shown below in figure 2.f). Once hand tight turn the bolt approximately 1/3 of a revolution or until the bolt is firmly holding the string end. Now thread the string through the nut clamping system on the top of the guitar and into the tuner hole until there is approximately three inches of space or slack between the string and the fretboard (shown below in figure 2.c). Now start winding the tuner while at the same time ensuring the string does not slip, you can also make a kink in the string so it stays put. Continue winding the string until an audible tone is sounded when the string is plucked, you should have at least three winds on the tuner peg for each string and up to five for the thinner strings. Continue this process for the remaining five strings making sure the right strings go in the right holes.

Step 5: Snip excess wire off

After you have finished threading all the strings through the tuners and obtaining an audible tone from each, it's time to cut off the excess wire from each string. Make sure you leave about one inch of free string coming out of the tuners (as shown below in figure 3.a) for slippage. Above all, make sure you don’t poke your finger onto one of the string ends as I can assure you, this is one of the more painful experiences in life.

Step 6: Stretch strings & rough tune up

Now it's time to tune up and stretch those strings, so plug your guitar into your tuner (or use your alternative) and tune the E string (if you are new to this the you might want to visit the how to tune your guitar guide) and continue onto the A string, then the D string and so on until you reach the high E string (skinniest). For floating Floyd Rose systems you may remove the chock from underneath the tremolo system at this point. Now starting with the low E string (thickest) start to stretch it by pulling it up and down vertically from the fretboard (as shown in figure 4.a) and continue this process for each string. Now it's time to repeat this entire process so start by tuning the low E string, then onto the A string etc etc onto the high E string, now start stretching the strings again starting with the low E string. Repeat this process one more time.

Step 7: Final tune up

For Floyd Rose systems make sure you "zero in" your fine tuners on the tremolo system, do this by unwinding the fine tuners all the way out and then screw them in about one revolution.

Now it's time for a final tune up so with your guitar still plugged into your tuner, start by tuning the low E string, then the A string etc etc moving through until the high E string. Now continue this tuning process until each string is tuned. For Floyd Rose systems it's time to clamp the neck Allen key bolts so go ahead and clamp them down starting with the E/A clamp, then the D/G clamp and finally the B/E clamp, then using you fine tuners give your guitar one more tune up. For all other guitar types keep tuning your guitar until all the strings are tuned using the low E to high E sequence.

Your’e done!