CHANGING STRINGS

Changing Strings

It’s unavoidable. After a while, guitar strings become dirty and lose their brightness. In order to get rid of that dull, lifeless tone, you need to put on a fresh set of strings. Changing guitar strings is not difficult, it just takes a little time and practice.

The Tools

As with any job, the right tools can make the task much easier. Two tools every guitar player should keep in their guitar case are small needle nose pliers and a string winder. Both of these are very inexpensive tools that can be bought for a couple of dollars. The needle nose pliers will be used to cut and bend strings, and remove string pegs on acoustic guitars. The string winder is a handy little gadget that makes winding the strings much faster. Armed with these simple tools and a fresh pack of strings, you’re ready to tackle the job.

Removing The Old Strings

The first thing we need to do is remove the old strings. I prefer to change strings one at a time. I remove the old 6th string first and then replacing it with a new 6th string. I then repeat the process for the 5th string and so on until all six strings are changed. There are two reasons I do this. First of all, it keeps a close to normal tension on the neck and body of the guitar. Secondly, it allows me to quickly tune the new string to the old strings. To remove an old string, simply turn the tuning peg (machine head) until there is considerable slack in the string. Now take your trusty needle nose pliers and use the wire cutting section (located near the hinge of the pliers below the gripping section) to cut the string. Unwind the top section of the cut string from the tuning peg (being careful, cut guitar strings are sharp!) and set it aside. Now, pay close attention as you remove the bottom section of the cut string. Seeing how the old string comes off will show you the correct way to put the new string on — by doing the opposite. Depending on what type and brand of guitar you have, there are a number of variations.

If you have an acoustic guitar you will probably have to pull out a small peg that keeps the string in place before you can remove the string. This is where your needle nose pliers can come in handy again. First, try pulling the string peg out with your fingers. If it won’t release, gently squeeze the peg and pull it out with the pliers. Next, wiggle the string until the string loosens from its slot and the ball of the string can be pulled out of the hole. Electric guitars have many variations — the strings may even go through the body on some electric guitars. Watch carefully as you take the old string off, and then reverse the process.

Putting On New Strings

Open your pack of new strings and take out the 6th string. Remember, we are changing them one at a time. The 6th string will be the fattest string and will be a wound string. The envelope the string comes in should be labeled with a string gauge (.054 is a common gauge for the sixth string in a set of light gauge acoustic strings.) Some brands of strings may say “6th String” or “E” on the envelope. Regardless of the gauge, the 6th string will be the highest number and each string gauge will gradually get smaller down to the first string.

If you have an acoustic with string pegs, place the ball of the string into the peg hole and pull up and towards the sound hole until it catches in a slot or groove. This may take a few tries. Once the string catches, put the string peg back into the hole, placing the grooved portion of the peg over the string. Electric guitarist will be feeding the string through a hole in the body of the guitar (and bridge) or the tailpiece depending on your particular guitar.

Once you have the ball end of the string in place, pull the string over the bridge of the guitar, then the nut, and up past the tuning peg. You will probably have more string then you need or even have room for on the tuning peg, and will need to cut some of it off. You will want to leave enough string for a couple of winds around the peg, so be sure not to cut off too much. I usually make my cut about two inches above the tuning peg. Before you make your cut, it is a good idea to take out your needle nose pliers and make a 90 degree angle bend in the string (toward the tuners.) This keeps the wound strings from unraveling and makes it easier to start winding the string on the tuning peg. Cut the end of the string off about a half an inch past the bend in the string. Feed the bent end of the string through the hole in the tuning peg (or down into it on some guitars) and begin to wind it, all the while keeping tension on the string so it doesn’t have any slack.

Once you have the string started you can take out your string winder, slide it over the tuner and wind the string until it is tight. Next, take off the string winder and finish tightening the string until it is intune. Repeat this process for each string until they have all been changed.

Finishing The Job

Take all the old string cuttings and put them in the envelopes the new strings came in. Put the envelopes back in the plastic pack and throw them away. This will prevent anyone from getting cut by the sharp edges of cut wires.

Breaking In New Strings

New strings will continue to stretch for a while, causing them to go out of tune easily. To speed up the stretching process, gently pull up on the strings (away from the body of the guitar) a few times. Some spirited strumming can also help. You may have to tune more often the first day or two after changing string, but there is nothing like the sound and feel of a fresh set of strings.