How to Restring a Guitar
If you're having intonation problems with your guitar or your guitar won't stay in tune, it's time to put new steel strings on your guitar. Restringing your guitar may look like a difficult task, but it's actually really simple. Learn how to restring your guitar by following the steps below.
- Difficulty:
- Easy
Instructions
-
Removing Old Strings
-
1
Release all the tension on the strings by loosening the strings at the tuning keys.
-
2
Cut each string with wire cutters. Cutting the strings around the middle makes it a little easier to handle the strings. This way you don't have a long string flopping around.
-
3
Gently grab the pen with the needle-nose pliers and work the pen out slowly by twisting and pulling up.
-
4
Remove the wires from the guitar.
Restringing
-
1
Start with the low E string; this one is the thickest string. Most packets of guitar strings have color-coded ends to help you decipher what string it is. Take the end of the string and place it in the groove of the peg.
-
2
Push the peg and string down into its hole and pull up on the string. Ensure the pen is in tightly.
-
3
Align the holes of the tuning key with the groove in the nut and pull the string through the hole. Leave some slack in the string by pulling up about 2 to 3 inches from the fret board (to allow for a maximum of three windings).
-
4
Hold the string down on the groove at the nut with one hand and begin tightening the tuning key with the other hand. Turn the top three strings counterclockwise and the bottom three strings clockwise. As you're tightening, the string should spiral down as this will lock the string in place and keep it from slipping.
-
5
Follow Steps 1 through 4 for each string and clip the remaining steel string ends with a wire cutter.
-
6
Stretch each string by firmly pulling outward around the midway point. Give it a few good tugs and re-tune. Keep pulling and tuning until the string no longer falls out of tune.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
A good time to polish your guitar is when you have all the strings off. This way you can polish the fret board and all the other places blocked by the strings.
Sometimes the newer, tighter strings will cause the neck to bow, therefore you may need to adjust the neck after you restring your guitar.
When you break a string, it's best to go ahead and replace all the strings, because the new string will sound much different--and better--than the other strings.
You don't want a string snapping back at you so be sure there is no tension left in the strings before cutting.
Related Searches
Comments
-
you shouldn't, ever, take all the strings off your guitar at once.
-
rockguitarstore
Oct 12, 2010
Assuming you have the right guage strings on the guitar then it is very rare to have a string snap whilst initially tuning. One common mistake is people sometimes accidentally tune an octave too high which will certainly put too much tension in the string and sometimes cause breakages. The way round this is to listen very carefully to each note as you tune up using the 5th fret of each string previous (except the 2nd string ie. B)that way you can hear if your string is too sharp or flat. -
jasonkoltai
Dec 21, 2009
How do you know when your guitar strings about to snap? Im re-stringing my G string at this very moment, and im not sure if im doing it correctly. It sounds like it's already pretty tight w/ tension (and im only @ E. I have 1.5 whole steps to go) Im afraid that i will snap my G string, any eye-openers to see if the string will snap?
-
Aug 08, 2006
If you pre-wind the strings around the tuning pegs before threading through the eyelet, you will get better tension on your strings and have to re-tune less often. Just wrap as many times as you can, usually 1x-4x depending on the gauge (size) of the string, so that you can wind under the eyelet, and insert the string above all of the pre-windings. The natural taper of the pegs will apply pressure to hold the strings firm. Works great!!
-
Jun 30, 2006
If you have an acoustic guitar, the end of the string near the sound hole is held in place by a tapered bridge pin (which looks sort of like a mini golf tee about an inch long). You can use a pair of pliers to gently pull the pin straight out - be careful not to scratch the guitar body! When the pin pops out, you may hear a small thunk as the metal ring which held the old string under the pin drops into the hollow guitar body. This will cause a rattle. Turn the guitar upside down and shake it, hard, back and forth, until the small metal ring falls out through the sound hole. The pin also has a slotted side, make sure this faces toward the tuning pegs as you put the pin back into position, with the string ring under it. The string rests in this peg slot, and uses it as a guide toward the bridge. New strings are cheap! $5 or $6 gets you a complete set, $1.50 or less should get you any single string. Always have a complete spare of strings pack on hand, one of every string gage. Guitar strings "know" when you're playing to impress someone, and will almost always choose that moment to break. :)
