How to Replace a Guitar String

One of the drawbacks of the guitar is that strings can break at a moment's notice. Normal playing puts tremendous pressure on the strings--particularly in the hands of an aggressive guitar player. Fortunately, changing a guitar string is a pretty straightforward process. Even if you break a string in the middle of a performance, you should be able to change it in a few minutes and get right back to playing.

Things You'll Need

• Tuner Wire cutter Pliers

Instructions

1. Turn the tuning peg to loosen the guitar string until it is slack. Once it is completely slack, use your fingers to unwrap it from around the peg. Alternately, you can loosen the string, cut it in the middle with a wire cutter and unwrap the remaining piece around the tuning peg.

2. Pull the string out of the bridge. In most electric guitars, the string simply slides out of a hole in the bridge or the back of the guitar. If you are playing an acoustic guitar, pull out the pin holding in the string with a pliers and then pull the string out. If you are playing a classical guitar, you may have to untie the string from the bridge.

3. Put the new string into the bridge the same way you took the old one out. On electric guitars, just slide it through the hole. On acoustic guitars, put it in the hole, push the pin in and pull on the string until it locks against the pin. On classical guitars, tie the string to the bridge.

4. Put the loose end of the string in the tuning peg and pull it tight. Then, loosen to give it about two inches of slack. Bend the end that pokes out of the hole sharply to help hold the string in.

5. Turn the tuner, making sure that the string sits in the groove of the nut. Give the string a couple tugs to help it stretch out. Turn it until the string gets to the right pitch.

6. Cut off the loose end of the string with a wire cutter. Leave about an inch of free string and cut the rest off. Long, loose guitar strings poking off the end are a hazard and don't look good.

Tips & Warnings

• Be sure to keep your eyes on the tuner when you are tuning. If you over-tighten, you could break your new string.