How to restring a Fender Stratocaster

Here is a helpful guide for restringing a Fender Strat. This will work for most solid body guitars with through-body set up for the strings.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Fender Strat (or similar guitar)
• Strings
• Pliers or wire cutter
• Screw Driver

1. 
   Reduced string tension - now you can cut the strings.

   First, release some tension in the strings by de-tuning the strings. They should be very loose so that they don't snap back when you cut the strings. If you have a whammy bar and the tail/bridge is up, you'll notice it will come flush with the body of the guitar once the tension is releasing on the strings.
   Cut the strings with a wire cutter or pliers. You can cut them anywhere on the neck, or near the head stock. Now you can remove the strings from the tuning mechanisms on the headstock.

2. 
   Strings coming out of the back.

   Now, start pushing the strings out. If you flip over the guitar you'll see a few strings coming out of the back. You can grab them from the back and pull them through.

3. 
   Removing the back plate to get better access to the strings.

   Some strings may not easily come out the back, as the holes in the tail piece may not line up perfectly with the holes on the string guard/plate on the back. Grab a screw driver and remove this in order to get to the strings.

4. 
   Using a low E string to unjam a high E string.

   Here's a tip: sometimes the higher strings may be bent or stuck and will not push or pull out of the tail piece easily. I suggest taking one of the thicker strings (the E or the A), and pushing that down into the tailpiece hole to unjam the other string.

5. 
   Strings are off, now is the perfect time to clean the entire guitar.

   Now the strings are removed from the guitar. This is a great time to polish your guitar, clean the hardware, clean the neck, or any other maintenance you may need to do.

6. 
   Fender Bullets - the best strings you can use for a Fender Strat.

   Now you can open up your new strings and get ready to restring your guitar. With Fender Strats, I recommend Fender Bullets because the shape of the strings ends secure the strings into the tail piece, which in turn help keep the guitar in tune. With other strings, they never sit snug in the tail piece and move around, which means the guitar doesn't stay in tune.

7. 
   Threading the new strings through the body of the guitar.

   Start threading the new strings in through the tail piece.

8. 
   Strings are all the way through and ready to be set in place.

   Strings are now through the body and ready to be secured into the tuning mechanisms.

9. 
   Cutting the low E string where the A string peg is.

   There are a few different types of tuning mechanisms, with some Strats (like the one shown) you have to cut the strings before you put them in the tuning pegs. I suggest you cut the string the equivalent of 1-2 pegs past the peg you need to use. For example, cut the E string around where the A or the D string pegs are. For more "standard" tuning pegs, please see my article: "How to Restring a Gibson SG" for details on that type of tuning mechanism.

10. 
    Hold the string down in the tuning peg while you turn the tuning mechanism and secure the string

    Put the string into the tuning pegs. Hold the string down and in the peg and start turning the tuning key to tighten/secure the string.

11. 
    The high E and B strings should go under this screw before they are tightened into place

    There's a little screw on the headstock. Be sure to secure the high E and B strings under the screw before inserting the string into the tuning peg (See picture).

12. 
    The finished product - a restrung Fender Strat.

    You're done! You've successfully restrung a Fender Strat (or similar through-body guitar).

Tips & Warnings

• Use Fender Bullets. Bullets sit securely into the tail piece which allow the guitar to stay in tune better than standard strings.
• If you don't trim the strings, you will have too much excess string bundled up on the tuning pegs, which will shorten the life of the strings and cause them to not stay in tune very well.
• Be careful when removing the back plate and when cutting strings.