How to String a Guitar

This article will cover how to string bothe electric and acoustic guitars.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Guitar
• Guitar Strings
• String Winder (optional)
• Wire Cutter

1. In order to restring a guitar properly whether it is an acoustic guitar or an electric guitar, you must change all the strings at the same time. By only changing one or two strings, you are left with newer sounding strings being played alongside strings that are not as clear and do not hold their intonation and pitch as well which makes it difficult to play effectively. While it is ok to change only one string during a performance in the event of a break to save time, you should immediately change the rest of the strings the first chance you get.

2. Start by laying the guitar on a flat surface. Ideally, you should lay the guitar on a towel or cloth to avoid cosmetic damage to the body of the guitar while restringing. If none is available, sit on a stool or chair and place the guitar in your lap. Be sure to proceed with great caution if you must restring the guitar this way. Proceed to loosen the thickest string (low E) by turning the tuner in a counter clockwise motion. If done correctly, this will produce slack in the string. Be sure to replace each string being removed with a new one before proceeding to remove another string. Never remove more then one string at a time as this can cause the neck to bow and bend.

3. Take a wire cutter and cut the string in the middle between the bridge and the neck. Be sure to avoid accidentally cutting other strings and or scratching the body with the wire cutters.

4. 
   Acoustic Guitar Bridge. Note the white humps. These are the string pegs that need to be removed.

   On most acoustic guitars, you will need to remove the peg located in the bridge. You can do this by pulling up on it. Once the peg has been removed, you can freely pull the string out of the bridge. On the tuner side of the guitar, slowly being to unwind the string from the tuner until it is out.

5. 
   Rear of a Fender Strat with the cover removed.

   Remove the new string from its packaging. On electric guitars the strings are 99% of the time strung from the bridge located on the top of the body towards the bottom. There are several models of guitars which mount from the top, but they are rare and not very practical. Stratocaster style guitars often are strung from the back of the guitar and actually pass through the guitar body and out the top through the bridge. To do this, hold the guitar so that it is upright. Proceed to locate the appropriate string hole in the back of the guitar. One end of the string will have a ball on it and the other will be open. Insert the open end of the string into the appropriate string hole and push through until it comes out the other side. Proceed to pull the string all the way through the body until it is tight. Now lay the guitar back down on its back. Les Paul style guitars with tune - o - matic tailpieces are located on the top of the body in the same place as the strats bridge. The difference is that the strings do now go through the body but instead just go through the bridge. Simply put the string through the corresponding string hole and pull it through tightly.

6. 
   Fender Strat Style Inline 6

   Now for the hard part. Locate the tuner at the top of the guitar where you will need to put the string through. This step is much like putting a piece of thread through a needle. The tuner has a hole located in the middle of it. For guitars with inline 6 tuners (i.e. strats, ibanez etc) you will need to insert the string from the right side so that when you being to wind it, the string will be on the right side of the tuner. For guitars like most acoustics and Les Paul style guitars, there will be three tuners on each side of the headstock. For this style guitar, you will need to insert the string into the tuner from the right side only for the left 3 tuners. For the right side tuners, you will need to insert the string from the left side.

7. 
   Guitar String Winder

   After you have inserted the string, leave some slack in it as it will need to be wound around the tuning peg several times. Proceed to pinch the string to a 90 degree angel right against the string hole. Begin to wind the string. For Strat style guitars and all inline 6 guitars, you will wind all strings in a counter clockwise direction in order to tighten them. For Les Paul style 3 to a side guitars like Les Pauls, you will wind counter clockwise for the left 3 tuners and clockwise for the right 3 tuners to tighten the strings. The use of a string winder may be used to string the guitars faster.

8. 
   Les Paul 3 per side style guitar

   Now you are ready for your first wind. Pull the string tight by pulling up the middle of it. As you wind, make sure the string passes over the top of the string hole. Once it has gone around the top completely once, make all the rest of the winds go around the bottom. Only wind the string until it is tight enough to be at the pitch it needs to be (i.e. E for the low E string). This can be accomplished by using a tuner to tune it to the correct pitch.

9. Now you have the string on and its in tune. Now is the time to cut the excess string that is sticking out from tuner. Cut it close to the tuner, but leave about a quarter inch or so sticking out. Now repeat the same steps for the next 5 strings and tune them all to the proper note.

10. Now you have a completely restrung guitar that is in tune but you are not done yet. Lightly pull up on all of the strings in the middle of the guitar where the neck meets the body one at a time. This will put the strings back out of tune. This is done because the strings even though they are wound and were in tune, still have some looseness to them and will slip. This prevents that from happening by doing it before it happens. Now retune your guitar and you are ready to go!

Tips & Warnings

• Always be careful to avoid scratching or damaging your guitar while changing the strings
• Avoid contact with the open end of the string (opposite of the end with the ball on it) as that it may cause scratching and or cuts.