How Do I Restring a Gibson SG Electric Guitar?
Since being introduced in 1961, the Gibson SG electric guitar has been a favorite among musicians. While the Gibson SG has changed in design through the years, it still provides the same, desired sound today as it did in the 1960s. As a Gibson SG owner, it is important to understand how to care for and maintain your guitar. One of the most important aspects to properly maintaining a functioning guitar is the strings. From time to time, strings will become worn out or break. By understanding how to restring your Gibson, you can extend the life of your guitar indefinitely.
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Instructions
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Position the guitar face up in your lap with the tuning pegs to your left and the base to your right. Release the tension of the guitar strings by turning the three tuning pegs facing you to the right and the three outward facing tuning pegs to the left. Use caution to not turn the pegs in the wrong direction, as this will create too much tension and cause the strings to snap, resulting in injury to yourself or damage to the guitar. Make sure the tension is released on every string before attempting removal.
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Cut the strings loose from the guitar using the wire cutters. Wind the remaining string up and discard. Avoid touching the ends of the string where they were cut, as the tips can be sharp. Unwind the remaining string from the tuning pegs. Pull remaining string from the opposite end by pulling the string through the tail posts at the base of the guitar and discard.
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Restring your Gibson SG with the new strings holding it in the same position as before.Your strings will be packaged with a color that coordinates it to the correct section of the guitar's bridge. Pull the string through the correct slot on the bridge all the way to the tuning pegs.
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Run the opposite end of the string through the small hole on the tuning peg. Bend the string in the opposite direction wrapping it around the post one time. Turn the peg to create moderate tension, wrapping the string around the post several at least three times. Do not over tighten the string, as it could break. Continue this process until all strings are installed.
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Cut the excess string from the tuning peg with wire cutters or pliers. Push the remaining string tip around the tuning peg with pliers. Leave at least 1/4 of an inch of excess string to ensure you have enough to properly tune the guitar. Tune the strings until they produce the proper sound by adjusting the tension of the string.
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Tips & Warnings
Purchase guitar strings that are specifically made for a Gibson SG guitar.
References
- Photo Credit S Dunn/Digital Vision/Getty Images
