How to Loosen Old Guitar Strings

The first part of changing guitar strings is loosening them up. You may also want to loosen old guitar strings to get access to the soundboard. For some older guitars, getting the strings loose takes some extra care. Here's how to proceed with salvaging an old set of strings on an acoustic guitar that may have been sitting for a long while.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

1. Look at the headstock and see which way the string is wound. You'll want to turn the peg for the string in the right direction so that the coiled string on the peg unwinds. Winding it up will just put more tension on the neck, and with old guitars, the string may break right off. Start slowly and observe if you're unwinding the right way.

2. Pluck the string gently as you unwind. If you're turning the peg in the right direction, you'll hear the musical tone of the note going down to a lower note.

3. Keep loosening the string until there is no tension between the string and the guitar neck.

4. Take a second to very gently lift the string up from the nut (the place between the fretboard and the headstock, a small plastic or wooden joint with a set of grooves where strings rest) to make sure the string hasn't gotten stuck onto it. If your guitar is a family heirloom or a recent find and has been sitting for a long time, you'll want to pry it from the nut before removing it from the guitar.

5. Free the bottom end of the string by removing the wooden or plastic peg on the other end of the guitar, below the sound hole. Again, you'll need to use maximum care and patience, wiggling the peg until it comes out of its position.

6. Release the string on the top end by either cutting it with wire snips or carefully uncoiling it from around the peg.

Tips & Warnings

• Take it slow. Some older acoustic guitar strings have become so brittle that any quick changes in tension will cause them to snap or come apart. Loosening and taking these strings off can take patience.
• Take advantage of tools. A tool that musicians use for loosening strings is called a "peg winder." It's small and cheap, and fits into the tuning pegs at the top of the guitar so that you don't have to keep unwinding them with your fingers.