How to String an Electric Guitar

Stringing an electric guitar is a fairly simple task. It's important to learn, as it's an essential step of your guitar's maintenance. There are many different gauges of strings to choose from. For beginners it's suggested to start out with smaller gauge strings because they are easier to play and your fingers won't hurt as much. Here's how to string your electric guitar.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Electric guitar strings
• Wire cutters

1. Thread the string through the base of the guitar at the bridge for a Les Paul type of electric guitar or through the body from the back of the guitar for a Strat type.
2. Line the hole of the tuning peg up with the groove in the nut and thread the string through the tuning peg.
3. Pull on the string and ensure the string is lined up with the small groove on the saddle and the groove on the nut.
4. Let about 2 to 3 inches of slack out of the string and bend the wire to the side of tuning peg. This keeps the wire from slipping out and gives you about three windings around the tuning peg.
5. Hold down the string at the nut and begin winding the tuning peg. For the top three strings turn the tuning peg counter clockwise and the bottom three clockwise. This way the strings are wound from the inside of the headstock to the outside. As you're winding make sure the string is spiraling down.
6. Cut the end of the wire close the tuning peg leaving approximately 1/4-inch when your finished. Leaving a small piece of wire string will keep the string from slipping.
7. Repeat Steps 1 through 6 for each string.

Tips & Warnings

• Before putting strings on your guitar, make sure your guitar is clean and polished.
• Guitar strings usually come color coded so you know which string to put where.
• To keep your strings from falling out of tune, you'll want to stretch each string. Just give each string a good tug and re-tune until it stays in tune.
• You don't want oils from hands on the strings, so wash your hands before stringing your guitar.
• Be careful not to crimp the string along the middle when stringing your guitar.