Note: This guide assumes you are replacing strings on a Dreadnought acoustic guitar. Electric guitars are a little different, but many of the principles apply.
Method 1: Remove the old strings and pegs
1Determine how to restring the string. There is ongoing debate as to whether each guitar string should be removed and replaced individually, or whether all strings should be simply removed and all new strings installed again. It will be up to you which method you should use.
• By replacing the strings one at a time, you retain most of the tension the neck is accustomed to, so the guitar string tension and the string tension remain balanced.
• Removing all the strings at once allows you to clean and wipe the guitar fretboard without lifting the guitar strings or having to clean around them. The fretboard will collect skin oils, skin, and dirt (which can impair the tone and acoustic sound of your guitar).
2 Take out the strings. Loosen the strings so they are no longer tense. You can then cut them off with pliers, or continue to loosen them with the tuners until you can pull out the tuning tuner holes.
• An inexpensive tool called a tuner is very useful for changing strings and can be found in any music or guitar store.
3Remove the string pins. This knob-looking thing (usually white or black) holds the strings inside the guitar. You can remove the pegs using a pin puller, which comes in a variety of styles and is available at any music or guitar store. The pegs can be quite difficult to pull out, especially if they are new or on a new guitar. You can occasionally try to pull them out from the outside with pliers. Although this is an acceptable method if you are extremely careful, there is usually no need to proceed to this step.
• Another method is to use a hard object such as a coin to push the pegs out of the inside of the guitar. When you do this you push the string further into the guitar, sometimes this will help push the pegs out by wrapping the ends of the strings around and inserting them with the pegs. Once the pegs pop out, you can pull the strings out of the peg holes.
4 Pull the strings out of the string pin holes.
5 If you wish, you can clean the guitar at this time. This includes cleaning the body, fretboard, back of the neck, and headstock. Whenever possible, use a suitable cleaner purchased from a guitar or music store. Never use furniture polish, glass cleaning spray, or other common household cleaners. If you don't have any supplies, simply dampen a deerskin or lint-free cotton cloth slightly and clean your guitar. The oil on your hands can quickly accumulate on your guitar fretboard, forming a thick layer of gunk.
• If you must use water, pour a very small amount of water into the cloth (it should be almost impossible to tell if the cloth is wet). Excessive water will damage unsealed wood.
Method 2 Replace the strings
1 Prepare new strings. Some strings have bulbous metal tips at the end that differentiate the tone by color.
2Determine your string changing order. There are many different theories as to which order strings should be replaced. Some guitarists start with the thinnest strings and work their way up to the thickest strings. Others start with the thickest strings and work their way up to the thinnest.
• A favorite method is to put in the thinnest string first, then the thickest, then alternate with the next thinner string and the thicker string, in order 1, 6, 2, 5, 3, 4. This alternating thickness pattern will maintain a more even tension across the neck from left to right, making later tuning issues less problematic, especially on older guitars.
3 Place the ball ends of the strings into the string peg holes, and then reinsert the pegs. You also control the strings at the same time. It's helpful to pull the strings upward toward the headstock, as this tension prevents the pegs from falling out.
4Stretch each string. Once each string is in its respective peg hole, you can pull it up to the appropriate tuning tuner and thread the end through the tuner hole. Remember, you will be tightening the guitar's tuning knobs to the right. If the tuners on your guitar are on the opposite side of the headstock, you can pull the strings between the two rows of tuning tuners and out.
5 Thread the string through the hole and tighten it. You may want to leave a little slack in the strings so that there is extra string to wrap around the tuners. Otherwise, you will quickly wear out the strings and the strings will relax when you play the guitar.
• Unfortunately, this process requires trial and error and every string is different. Just remember that if you have too much string left you can cut it off, but you can never add more strings after cutting them off.
6. Bend the strings upward (at a 90-degree angle to the guitar), then turn the tuners so that the strings wrap around the tuner frame several times. You'll need a lot of winding (a tuner is also quite useful for this step). As you tighten the strings, make sure that each subsequent turn is underneath the previous one and that the wound turns do not overlap each other. This ensures that the string loops look neat, extends the life of the strings, and prevents the guitar from going out of tune.
• Never tighten the strings to their normal pitch, but lower them a few semitones. You have to make it tight enough to stay in place and have enough tension on the bottom tuners to prevent them from popping out, but it's not time to "tune" it yet.
7Repeat this process to install other strings.
8You can now tune your guitar (see how to tune your guitar).
9. Use scissors to cut off the excess strings, leaving only about 0.5 cm of reserve. Cutting the strings too short will cause this reserve to back up to the wound string and create slack in the strings.
Tips
• To allow for the exact length of the string roll, insert four fingers between the fretboard (twelfth fret) and the strings you want to install.
• Another method for removing string pegs involves using round old shoelaces. Use the shoelace to form a loop and then wrap it around the pegs. Make sure the laces fit snugly in the space between the saddle pins and the bridge, pulling on both ends to tighten the circle. With some patience, the pegs will come off without causing as much damage as a peg puller.
• After you change your guitar strings, you will need to tune them more often for a while.
• Use a guitar pick to quickly tighten excess strings, eliminating the need to cut them. Hold the string between your thumb and the pick, place the pick under your index finger, and pull quickly. The strings will curl without cutting.
• Another helpful tip for pulling out pegs is to use a small teaspoon. Place the teaspoon face down on the bridge with the tip of the teaspoon at the edge of the pegs for leverage. Apply slight pressure on the key handle to lift the pegs. To err on the side of caution, you can place a terry cloth between the bridge and the spoon.
• If your pegs are very tight, you can cover the peg you want to pull out with a cloth and then use pliers to try to pull it out. This will avoid the scratch-like marks left behind by repeatedly using pliers to remove the pegs.
warn
• You do not need to remove the tuning pins from inside the guitar. The peg puller has a semicircular cutout that slides under the peg so you can gently pry it out.
you need to prepare
• Scissors
• Guitar strings
• Guitar tuners
• Lint-free cloth
• Guitar