How to String & Tune an Acoustic Guitar

String and tune an acoustic guitar for the rich sound of new strings at the correct pitch. Guitar strings wear out from exposure to hand oils and stretching as they're played. Musicians who play guitar for more than 50 hours begin to notice the degradation of pitch quality. As the strings wear, it becomes increasingly difficult to tune them into the proper pitch. Guitars are among the musical instruments that users can service. Change the strings regularly to keep a guitar sounding its best.

Things You'll Need

• String winder
• Wire cutters
• Set of new strings
• Electronic tuner

Instructions

1. 

   Remove one string from the tuning post. Pluck the string you intend to change and turn the tuning machine in the direction that lowers the note. Use a string winder wrench to turn the tuner enough times to completely loosen the string. Pull the end of the string out of the hole in the post.

2. 

   Take the loosened string out of the saddle. Use the U-shaped slot in the string winder to pry out the bridge pin. Pull the string completely out of the saddle.

3. 

   Put a new string in the open hole in the saddle. Bend the braided portion of a new string above the ball end into a J-shape with the ring on its side at the short end so you can look through the hole. Place the ball end into the hole with the curve wrapping the saddle and the braid showing. Put the slotted side of the pin over the string and push the pin firmly into the saddle.

4. 

   Secure the string to the tuning post. Pull the string up the neck to the head stock and lay it over the assigned slot in the nut, or upper bridge. Wrap a bronze wound string around the tuning post completely before threading it through the hole. The two slivered steel strings at the bottom must be wrapped twice around the post before threading into the hole.

5. 

   Tighten the string. Pluck the string while turning the tuning peg with a string winder. Check the tone with an electronic tuner. Turn the tuner on and set it close to the sound hole so the built-in microphone can sense the tones. Take off the string winder and resume turning the peg by hand as the note gets close to the correct pitch. Clip the loose end off 1/2 inch from the tuning post with wire cutters.

6. Remove and replace the other five strings one at a time to preserve the tension on the neck. Guitar manufacturers ship their products to music stores with strings attached for the sake of neck tension. Follow steps 1 through 5 for for each of the other strings.

7. 

   Stretch the new strings. Grab a string over the sound hole and slowly pull it about 2 inches away from the neck. That will accomplish the stretching the string otherwise would gradually do over the next few days. Pre-stretching allows musicians to tune the strings and play guitar immediately.

8. 

   Fine-tune the strings after stretching. Use the electronic tuner to tune each string to the correct pitch, then check them all for stretching. It might take a few consecutive tunings for the strings to retain their proper notes. Once the tuning holds, you're ready to rock and roll.

Tips & Warnings

• Clean the strings with a soft cloth before and after playing. After the sound begins to break down, string life can be extended by cleaning with rubbing alcohol on a soft cloth.

Resources

• String a guitar from Elixer Strings