Changing Your Guitar Strings

Changing your guitar strings every 2 - 4 months is preferable for good guitar tone and the overall "in-tuneness" of your instrument. Keeping old strings on your guitar is like keeping old tires on your car: the general performance goes down. At first, putting new string on a guitar can be tough and confusing thing to do so below I will give step by step directions for consistently good string changes.

Step 1.  Loosen and remove all old string off the guitar. With acoustic guitars you will need something to pull out the bridge pins after you free the strings from the tuning pegs. *Music stores sell inexpensive string winders that have a notch in them that will do the job nicely. 

Step2.  Insert ball end of new strings (making sure they're in the right order) down the bridge holes followed by the bridge pins. Pull up gently on the string while holding bridge pin in-place and you should fell it lock in place. *Be careful not to kink the string as you pull.

Step 3. Starting with the 6th string, stretch it over the peghead and using wire cutters, cut string at the 5th string's post. Repeat this for the 5th string cutting the string at the 4th string's post. For the 4th string cut string at the end of the headstock. *Each string should be cut approximately 1 1/2 inches longer than the post it will wind around. Repeat the same process for the strings on the other side of the headstock. *String 1 should be cut at the 2nd post, string 2 at the 3rd, and string 3 at the end of the headstock. 

Step 4. *This is probably the most critical stage so take your time and do it well. Guide strings through the tuning post so the string is sticking an 1/8 inch out the back end of the post. Turn tuner counter-clockwise to tighten strings and make sure to keep the string tight against the tuning post at all times, winding in a downward spiral until each string is semi-tight. *Failure to keep the strings tight against the tuning post will affect the tuning and the life of the string. 

Step 5. Gently stretch each string and tune to pitch. Repeat this process 2 -3 more times until string stay in tune.