2. Step 1: Buying New Strings
After deciding that you need to replace the old strings on your guitar, the
first thing you want to do is buy a new set. Determine a few things in
purchasing new strings and making sure they’re right for your guitar.
Quality of strings
Action of strings
Type of strings
Brand of strings
Tone and sound of strings
Gauge of strings
Usually all of these factors are
determined by personal
preference. Decide which strings are best for your playing style.
3. Step 2: Detuning To Replace
After
purchasing a
new set of strings,
you will now
detune your
guitar’s old string to
remove them.
Detune the strings
until there is no
longer any tension
in them.
4. Step 3: Take out and throw away
old strings.
Throw away the strings you just detuned and took off of your guitar. They will no
longer be needed.
Make sure to remove any excess
string parts stuck in tuning keys or
that are wrapped around keys.
Having remaining string pieces
in the tuning keys will make it difficult to
put the new strings on.
Photo by: Kathy
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rittysdigiez/
5. Step 4: Stringing the new set
Now that your guitar’s old strings have been removed and all of the
remaining string parts with it, it’s time to put on the new set of guitar strings.
Open the new package of strings and find the biggest string; on the guitar,
the lowest string is the biggest string, its called the low ‘E’ string. You can
find the low ‘E’ string in the package. The packages are usually marked
with the letter or color coding on the back to represent which string is inside.
Look on package for string size
Remove the low ‘E’ string from package
Unwind and straighten string
6. Step 5: How to replace string
Now that you have your first string out of the package, unwound and ready
to be strung, you will then take the point end of the string and feed it
through the ‘E’ string slide on the bridge of the guitar. The bridge of the
guitar is located near the base of the main frame.
In the picture on the right, the low ‘E’ string is represented by the gold
knobbed string located on the far left of the bridge. The higher pitched
strings continue to the right.
7. Step 6: Wind string on tuning key
Now that the low ‘E’ string is fed through the correct slide on the bridge, pull
the string to the low ‘E’ tuning key. The tuning keys are located at the head
stock of the guitar.
Some guitars will have all of the
tuning keys on the same side
of the head stock, but some
guitars (like in the picture on the
right) will have three tuning keys
on each side of the head stock.
Feed string through key and turn
It until the string gains tension.
8. Step 7: Continue the same process
After you have successfully strung the low ‘E’ string onto your guitar,
continue this same process with the last five strings. Going from left to right
on the guitar bridge.
9. Step 8: Done!
Now all of your strings are replaced on your
guitar and has brand new ready-to-play
strings on it. Use a tuner to make sure you
guitar is correctly in tune
And enjoy playing!