How to change strings on an acoustic guitar

1. Get to grips with the basics

Why change strings

Guitar strings oxidize from constant finger contact. They are affected by sweat, sebum, all this mixes with dust and forms dirt, due to which the vibration of the string worsens, the sound becomes dull.

In addition, from constant friction on the frets of the neck, the braid of the strings is frayed, which leads to rattling and slipping of the fingers. And, of course, do not forget about situations where the strings simply break due to improper sound production or too strong bends.

How to know when it's time to change strings

From all this, we can conclude that the strings are consumables that need to be changed from time to time. How often depends on how much you play. The service life varies greatly and can range from a couple of weeks to several months. To understand that the time has come is quite simple by the dull sound without any coloring and the deterioration of the sensations when playing.

Are special tools needed?

In fact, only new strings are needed, and accessories can be dispensed with. However, with the right tools, the process will be faster and more enjoyable.

If you play regularly, then it doesn’t hurt to get a spinner (turntable, twister). Most models have a semi-circular cutout for prying pins (studs) on the bridge, and some are even combined with wire cutters to cut the strings. Use lemon oil to clean the fretboard, as well as a tuner to speed up the tuning process.

What to buy

• Pinwheel from Ernie Ball, 330 rubles →
• Turntable of tuning pegs with a wrench for removing guitar bushings from Alice, 50 rubles →
• Pinwheel with wire cutters from Planet Waves, 1,110 rubles →
• Lemon oil from Planet Waves, 599 rubles →
• Lemon oil spray from Kyser, 374 rubles →
• Lemon oil from L'Espoir with a napkin included, 656 rubles →
• Universal tuner on a clothespin from Flight, 600 rubles →
• Tuner with a metronome from Fzone, 509 rubles →
• Automatic tuner from Cherub, 540 rubles →
• Digital tuner with string and note index, 610 rubles →

2. Prepare everything you need

• String set;
• kolkovert;
• wire cutters;
• lemon oil;
• napkins;
• graphite grease (or a regular pencil);
• tuner;
• needle or staple.

3. Find a stable position for your guitar

For the convenience of work, lay the instrument on the table in front of you and slip a soft support like a pillow under the fretboard in the region of the 1-3rd fret. Alternatively, you can hoist the guitar on the sofa, resting the neck on the armrest. Or just sit on a chair, put the instrument on the floor and hold it between your legs, and, if necessary, put it on your knees.

4. Loosen the strings

Rotating the pegs with a rotater or by hand, loosen all the strings one by one so that they stop making sound and dangle freely. Usually twist clockwise for the top three strings and counterclockwise for the bottom (in playing position). In order not to make a mistake, just pull the string, and then rotate the peg in the direction of decreasing the sound.

5. Snip the old strings

Cut the fully loosened strings with wire cutters one at a time around the 12th fret to make it easier and faster to remove them. Everything is possible at once, if the tool is powerful enough. It is not necessary to do this, especially when there are no wire cutters at hand.

We write about this specifically to warn against biting the stretched strings. This is extremely dangerous both for you (the sharp end of the string can get into your eye) and for the musical instrument (suddenly releasing the tension can damage the neck).

6. Remove the strings from the bridge

Using the cutout in the spinner, pry the bridge pins one by one and pull them out. Take the strings out and put the studs back in so you don't lose them. If you have bitten the strings, then it will be more convenient to work.

You can use open cutters for this purpose, but in this case do not squeeze them, but simply act as a lever. When there is absolutely nothing at hand, the pins can be pulled out with your fingers. To make them come out easily, push the strings a little into the bridge.

If the pins do not lend themselves in any way, press them from the inside of the deck with a pick or a coin.

7. Remove the strings from the pegs

Carefully wind all the strings off the pegs. When you take it off, fold them together in a bun and twist into a ring, running the free ends inward a couple of times, so as not to hurt yourself.

8. Dust your guitar

Now nothing prevents you from cleaning all hard-to-reach places of the instrument from dust: the soundboard under the strings, the bridge and the headstock. Wipe it all with a clean, dry or moistened with water, but wrung out as much as possible napkin.

9. Remove dirt from the frets

If the guitar has been heavily used or the neck has not been looked after for a long time, then dirt has most likely accumulated near the frets. Gently remove it with some sharp object like a needle or paper clip.

10. Finish the fretboard

Apply a small amount of lemon oil to a clean cloth and wipe the fretboard from the first to the last fret. This will not only clean it of contamination, but also moisturize the wood, keeping it from inevitable drying out and cracking.

If the guitar has a maple fingerboard (light and lacquered), it should not be treated with lemon oil.

11. Moisten the bridge

Not every time you change strings, but sometimes you need to treat the bridge with lemon oil to keep the wood from drying out. If it looks dry or you haven't moisturized it in a long time, wipe the surface of the bridge with a damp cloth.

First, do not forget to remove the nut (white plate), otherwise the strings may then slip from the lubrication. It is advisable to mark the top with a pencil so as not to confuse later - sometimes the sills are not symmetrical and have different shapes.

12. Prepare new strings

Take the new strings out of the package and figure out the order in which to install them. Be extremely careful when unraveling them so as not to accidentally end up in the eye. If each string is sealed in a separate envelope, then the number or name will be indicated on it: the thinnest - 1 (High E), then 2 (B), 3 (G), 4 (D), 5 (A), 6 (Low e).

If all the strings are in one package, then color marking is usually used to distinguish them, applied to the barrels at the ends. Its decoding must be given on the packaging.

And of course, if you look closely, the order of the strings is easy to understand by their diameter - the thinnest will be the first (lower), and then up as the thickness increases. In most cases, the diameter or gauge is even listed on the string envelopes.

13. Set the strings to the bridge

Start with the sixth string. Slightly bend its end with the boss at the end at an angle, insert it into the bridge and then stick the pin in this way so that the slot of the pin is directed strictly towards the fretboard and the string is in this groove. Then, with your hand, completely sink the pin and, holding it, pull the string with your other hand until the barrel at its end rests against the bridge from the inside.

Repeat the procedure for each of the strings and remove their ends to the side. For a clear understanding of the process, see how it all looks from the inside of the deck.

Insert the nut into place with the same side that it was installed earlier.

14. Lubricate the nut

If you have graphite grease, put a little on the tip of the needle or an old string and grease all the slots on the nut. If there is no lubrication, draw with the tip of a simple pencil along the slots in the nut. Due to the particles of graphite, the strings will be able to glide better, and the guitar will last longer. system.

15. Align the tuners

Make sure that the holes for the strings in the tuning pegs are along the neck. If not, then set them to this position with a turntable or by hand. This will make it easier to insert the strings.

16. Measure the required string length

For convenience, immediately measure the desired length of the strings and cut off the excess so that it does not interfere. It is very simple to understand what margin will be enough: for braided strings this is one spacing between the pegs, and for all-metal strings it is 1.5 spacings. As a result, after tension, there will be 2-3 turns on the pegs for the 3rd-6th strings and 3-4 turns for the 1st-2nd.

If you are afraid of making a mistake, do not bite the strings right away. Hold off on this until you've pulled them all the way up.

For example, for the sixth string, proceed as follows: thread it into the hole of the sixth peg (closest to the nut on top of the fretboard), put it in the slot nut, slightly tighten and hold with one hand, and with the other, measure the distance from the sixth peg to the fifth - this will be the necessary stock. The rest can be safely cut off with wire cutters.

17. Stretch the bass strings

Insert the string into the peg so that only the tip 3-5 mm long sticks out of the hole and, slightly pulling it, rotate the peg counterclockwise, that is, towards you. Start the first turn over the end of the string.

Continue to turn the peg, but place the second and all subsequent turns under the protruding tip exactly to each other, avoiding overlap. Due to this, the end will be clamped between the turns, which will ensure reliable fixation and tension.

Please note: the strings should be wound onto the pegs from the middle of the headstock to its edges, but in no case vice versa.

Next, follow the same principle, put the fifth and fourth strings. Do not achieve full tension at this stage. Just make sure that the parts do not hang out and start to make a sound.

18. Stretch thin strings

Do the same with the bottom three strings. Insert into the pegs and, holding and pulling with one hand, twist the pegs with the other so that the first turn of the string is above the protruding tip, and all the rest are below it.

Turn clockwise (if you hold the guitar in the playing position and look from above) or at yourself. The strings must be inserted into the pegs from the inside out. That is, from the inside, and not from the outside of the headstock.

19. Check out the bridge

Press down on each of the bridge pins again and make sure they are firmly in place. Check how the strings fit on the saddle and, if necessary, adjust them so that each string is in its own groove.

20. Trim sticky ends

If you've left your string tips loose or haven't trimmed them at all, now is the time to do so. With the help of wire cutters, bite off the strings, but not completely, but so that 3–5 mm peeks out of the peg. They can be left as is, or gently folded down to avoid scratching or tearing the guitar case.

Don't break the strings by loosening them from side to side like a wire. From this, they will be damaged at the very hole and will be able to jump out of the peg. If there are no wire cutters, it is better to simply wind the ends of the strings around the pegs.

21. Tune your guitar

If you do not have absolute pitch, then the easiest and fastest way is to use a tuner - a separate device or an application on a smartphone. Simply pluck the string and, guided by the prompts, tighten or loosen it until you get the correct pitch. You can read more about the setup process in our instruction.

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22. stretch the strings

This step is optional, and if you're not in a hurry, you can skip it. If there is a performance or recording ahead, it is better to immediately stretch the new strings a little so that they keep the system better and then do not have to spend time on tuning.

To do this, alternately grasp each of the strings with both hands and gently, without jerking, slightly pull them, moving along the neck. Do not overdo it! Especially with thin strings, as there is a risk of breaking them.

23. Tweak your guitar tuning

Recheck the tuning of the guitar with the tuner or otherwise after the strings have been stretched. Most likely, you will have to raise the system by half a tone. If you skipped the previous step, then the adjustment will need to be done after a while.

The guitar will stay in tune better if it catches the right pitch when the string is pulled rather than loosened. If you missed and twisted, loosen the string and slowly pull it up to the desired note.