How to Restring a Martin Backpacker
The Martin Backpacker guitar is a great alternative for players who want a durable, practical guitar to take with them on a camping trip or while traveling. It's a good idea to change your strings about once a month if you're playing the Backpacker consistently. This will help retain a good clear tone and ensure that your strings are muck and dirt free. Despite its odd shape, changing the strings on a Martin Backpacker is no different than any other acoustic guitar. You may want to keep a tuner close by so you can get the guitar back in tune as soon as the new strings are on.
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Instructions
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Instructions
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1
Remove the old strings one at a time. It's best to take off the two low strings (E and A) and restring those, then continue onto the D and G strings and finally B and high E. As you remove strings, wipe off the excess grease and residue on the fingerboard and around the sound hole. Discard the used strings safely by cutting them into small pieces and throw them in the trash.
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2
Uncoil the new string and place the ball end into the string hole on the bridge. Stick the white pin inside to create a wedge and gently pull the string out until it is taut and the ball does not pop out. Pull the string towards the tuning pegs, placing it within the groove on the nut (the white strip just below the tuning pegs).
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3
Leave about 1 inch of string past the peg that you want to feed the string through. Crimp the string at a 90 degree angle so that it's facing the tuning peg. Wind the tuning peg until the hole is lined up evenly with the string.
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4
Pull the string through the hole until it hits the corner of the 90 degree angle that you just made. Now crimp the string again so the string points up instead of towards the side.
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5
Tighten the string slowly to bring it in tune. As you do this, make sure the string stays taut with minimum slack by pulling on it snugly with your finger.
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6
Tighten the string until you get 3 or 4 wraps. Gradually tune the string up to its proper note in standard tuning (E-A-D-G-B-E). Stretch the string as you tune by pulling on it slightly. This will prevent the guitar from going out of tune. Use a tuner to fine tune each string.
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7
Change all strings repeating the same steps. Using wire cutters, cut the excess strings so that there's only a quarter of an inch of extra string protruding from the tuning peg.
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Tips & Warnings
Be patient when tuning the guitar. New strings take a little while to "break in."
The Martin Backpacker plays best with a set of light gauge strings.
