How to Change Guitar Strings

Replacing guitar strings isn’t exactly a complicated task, but for some reason has become the dread of new guitarists. Scary or not, it’s an easy skill to learn that any guitarist should know (Note: This tutorial is for D-shaped guitars. How to change guitar strings The electricity is a little different, but the basic rules for changing the wires are the same).

Table of Contents

Unplug the ropes and pins

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Choose how to remove the cord. There is quite a bit of controversy about whether to remove each wire and replace it one at a time, or simply remove all the wires and replace them all at once. How you use it is up to you.

If you choose to untie the strings one at a time, you’ll keep the entire neck straight to balance the string tension with the tension of the neckline.
If you remove all the strings in one go, you can clean the frets without lifting the strings or doing anything to the strings. The keys often accumulate sweat, peeling skin and dirt, which can degrade the quality of the guitar’s tone and resonance.

Remove the wires. Loosen the strings until they are no longer tight. You can then remove the strings with pliers or continue to loosen them with the buckle until you can remove them from the buckle.

There is an inexpensive tool called a clef tuner that is available at any musical instrument store and is very handy for this step.

Remove the horse pins. These are knobs (white or black) that pin the strings. You can use a string stopper, which includes a wide variety that can be found at any musical instrument store. Staples are usually quite sturdy, especially for new pins or guitars. Sometimes, you just want to rip them apart with pliers. In general, it is not necessary to do so, but if you do it really carefully, it is acceptable.

Another way to remove the pegs from the keyboard is to use a hard object like a coin. Squeezing the guitar strings deep into the body of the guitar is also quite effective because the force on the strings causes them to press against the peg. Once the string pin on the bottom horse comes out, you can pull the string out of the pin holes.

Take turns removing the wire from the holes of the pins.

Clean the instrument if desired. This includes cleaning the body, the keys, the back of the neck and the top. You can use a compact guitar cleaning pad that is sold at a musical instrument store. Never use furniture polish, glass spray or other common household cleaners. If nothing better, you can use a damp goatskin cloth or dust-proof towel. Often your hand sweat will stick to the keyboard very quickly forming thick plaque.

If you must use water, just dip enough water to moisten the washcloth. Too much water can damage the laminate.

Replace the cord

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Have a new wire ready. Several small iron circles at the end of the strings are colored to make it easier for the player to know which note to tune the string to.

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Pick out your own order. There are many theories about the order in which strings should be changed. Some players have a habit of changing the thin strings at the end first and then moving up to the upper strings, or starting from the thick strings at the top and down.

The method used by most people is to change the thinnest wire first, then the thickest wire, then the second thinnest wire and the second thickest wire respectively, and so on in the order 1, 6, 2, 5, 3 , 4. Alternating strings in this way keeps the pull on the neck from left to right more balanced and makes later tuning easier, especially on older guitars.

Insert the end of the string into the socket and reattach the peg. You should hold the rope firmly during this time. You should also pull the string towards the top of the neck with a bit of tension because the tension helps keep the pegs from falling off.

Stretch each string. After the end of the string has been held in the socket by the pins, stretch the string in the direction of the corresponding buckle and thread it through the hole of the buckle. You need to remember that if you want to tighten the rope, turn the buckle to the right. If the frets are on opposite sides on the top of the neck (which is usually the case), you need to pull the string through the gap between the two pegs and then pull it out.

Thread the string through the hole and stretch. You’ll need to keep the strings a little loose so you can get extra strings wrapped around the keys. If you don’t, you’ll run out of strings quickly and the strings will sag during playing.

Unfortunately, the process is different for each rope, forcing you to try and learn from experience. Remember that you can trim the wires if you find them redundant, but you can’t reconnect them if they’re short.

Bend the strings (at a 90-degree angle to the guitar) and twist the buckle so that a few turns of the string wrap around the buckle. It takes a lot of winding (it may be worth repeating that a tuning fork is handy for this step). Make sure that when winding, each successive loop overlaps the previous one so that the loops do not overlap. This not only makes the wrap look neater, but also increases the life of the strings as well as helps the guitar to be at a high standard.

Don’t tune in to the standard pitch, just lower it by half a step. You want the strings to be tight enough to stay in place and apply enough force to the bottom of the buckle so that it doesn’t bounce off, but this is not the right time to tune.

Repeat this step until all the wires have been replaced.

Now is the time to tune the strings.

Use pliers to cut off excess string, leaving only about 1/8 inch (1/2 cm) of string excess. Cutting too short can cause excess string to get caught in the winding and cause the strings to sag.

Only apply this step to classical nylon strings. If it’s a steel string guitar, skip it.

Advice

After changing the string, you will need to make regular adjustments over a certain period of time.
If the pin is difficult to remove, you can cover the pin with a layer of fabric and then try to remove it with pliers. This helps to avoid damaging the pins through repeated use of the pliers.
Another trick for unpinning a horse is to use a small spatula. Place the tip of the spoon under the pin and lift it so that the tip of the spoon is under the edge of the pin. Gently press the spoon handle to lift the pin. You can put a layer of fabric between the pony pin and the tip of the spatula if needed.
Another way to unpin a horse is to use old shoelaces. You need to wrap the shoelace around the pin. Make sure the loop fits snugly between the pin and the bridge, tighten the loop by stretching both ends. With just a little patience, the pin will be removed without any damage.
To see if the amount of extra string wrapped around each key is reasonable, you can insert your four fingers between the fretboard and the string on the twelfth fret.
Avoid cutting the cord, instead use a sharp tool to quickly remove excess wire. Hold the string between your thumb and the sharp object (the sharp object is on the inside under the index finger) then pull it out quickly. The strings will twist without needing to be cut.

Warning

You don’t need to remove the pegs from within the keyboard. On the pin remover there is a semicircular cut, which will usually slide underneath the pin so you can gently pry it out.
Make sure not to pull the rope too tight, so leave it a little loose or it may break while winding.

Things you need

Pliers
Guitar string
Device for adjusting the guitar lock
Anti-dust towel
Guitar

Steps

Unplug the ropes and pins

Replace the cord

Advice

Warning

Things you need

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