How to Replace Nylon Guitar Strings for an Acoustic Guitar
The classical Spanish guitar, or nylon-string guitar, is an acoustic six-string guitar that is played with the fingers as opposed to a guitar pick. The three treble strings, or high strings, of the guitar are made of nylon, while the three lower strings usually are made of a metal thread wrapped around a nylon core. Professor Peter Kun Frary of the University of Hawaii's music department suggests changing strings at least once a month if you play less than an hour a day, or whenever the strings begin to lose their tone.
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Instructions
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1
Put a string winder on the top E string and unwind the string, then remove it. Only remove and replace one string at a time to maintain tension on the guitar's neck.
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2
Push the string through the bridge hole and loop the string back around itself to prevent it from pulling itself loose when tightened. You also can tie a large knot in the end of the string instead.
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3
Hold the looped part of the string in place and pull the string tight with your other hand.
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4
Push the end of the string through the tuning head roller, then loop that end of the string around itself so that it is caught when you tighten the tuning key.
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5
Turn the tuning key clockwise about three times for treble strings and once for bass strings.
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6
Repeat Steps 1 through 5 for the remaining strings. Cut off the remaining ends with wire cutters or roll them into loops to keep them out of the way.
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7
Tune the guitar using a guitar tuner, with the usual guitar pitch of E, B, G, D, A, E, starting from the bottom string up.
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Tips & Warnings
Wash your hands before playing the guitar to help maintain string tone and longevity.
Never use regular steel acoustic guitar strings as this will damage the guitar.
References
- Photo Credit classical acoustic guitar, close-up image by Nikolai Sorokin from Fotolia.com
