Replacing the Skinny E String on an Acoustic Guitar

Replace the skinny E string on an acoustic guitar.

Knowing how to replace the strings on your acoustic guitar is a necessity. Fortunately, changing the high E string, the thinnest string on the guitar, is much easier than it looks--and can be done by almost anyone. All you need is a replacement skinny E string and a pair of wire cutters to trim the excess string.

Things You'll Need

• High E String
• Wire Cutters

Instructions

1. Remove the old E string from your guitar. If it is broken, simply pull one end out from the bridge of the guitar (located on the body of the guitar) and untangle the other end from the tuning machine (located on the guitar's head). If your acoustic guitar has bridge pins (which hold the strings in the bridge), you will need to first remove the E string's bridge pin before you can remove the string. If the string is not broken, you'll need to turn the tuning key to loosen the tension of the string before removing it.

2. Take your new string and guide it through the hole in the bridge. Some guitars have a rear-loading bridge, which simply requires you to pull the string through the back of the bridge. Otherwise, if your guitar has bridge pins, you need to put the ball of the E string down into the hole of the bridge. Then press the bridge pin into the hole to hold the string in place. When pressing the bridge pin into the hole, make sure that the gap in the bridge pin lines up with the string.

3. Take the other end of the string and pull it through the hole in the high E string's tuning machine--until it is tight. Give yourself about two inches of slack so that the string will be able to wrap around the tuning machine about three times.

4. Turn the corresponding tuning key to wind the string around the tuning machine. This will slowly increase the tension in the guitar string. Apply pressure to the string while you are turning the tuning key, and make sure that each consecutive wrap around the tuning machine falls below the one before it. If the bridge pin pops up during this process, simply press it back down into the bridge hole.

5. Use wire cutters to cut off the excess string that sticks out through the tuning machine, once most of the slack has been removed from the string. Then use a tuner to adjust the tension of the skinny E string, until it is at the correct pitch. You have now successfully replaced the skinny E string on an acoustic guitar.

References

• Guitar Lessons: Learn How to Change Acoustic Guitar Strings