Elec+Steel String Acoustic

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What You'll Need:

wire snips
pliers (maybe)
a cloth to wipe down guitar
guitar polish (optional)
a "string winder" (optional but recommended)

Some guitarists remove all the strings from their guitar at once, and then replace them - don't. The six tuned strings of a guitar produce a great deal of tension on the neck of the instrument, which is a good thing. Removing all six strings at once drastically changes this tension, which many guitar necks don't react well to. Additionally, if you have an electric guitar with a vibrato-style bridge, this procedure can create a whole host of other problems. Change your strings one at a time to avoid a variety of issues.

1) Begin by finding a flat surface on which to lay the guitar. Completely slacken the sixth (lowest) string of the guitar. If you're unsure of which direction to turn the tuner to slacken the string, pluck the string before you begin - the pitch of the note should get lower as you slacken the string.

FIG. 1.a: bridge pin.

Once the string has been completely slackened, uncoil it from the tuning peg at the head of the guitar. Next, remove the other end of the string from the bridge.

For a steel string acoustic guitar this is done by removing the sixth string 'bridge-pin' (see Fig. 1.a) from the bridge of the guitar. Commonly, bridge pins will provide some resistance when trying to remove them. If this is the case, use a pair of pliers, and gently coax the bridge pin out of the bridge.

For an electric guitar this is done by feeding the string out through the tremlo mechanism. Often this means out through the back of the guitar (see Fig. 1.b)

FIG. 1.b: back of

an electric guitar.

Discard the old string (Or keep it as a spare). Using your cloth, wipe down any areas of the guitar you aren't able to reach with the sixth string on the instrument. If you have guitar polish, now is the time to use it.

2) Uncoil your brand new string from it's package.

For a steel string acoustic guitar there is a small ball on one side of the string. Slide the ball-end of the string down a couple of inches into the hole in the bridge. Now, replace the bridge pin back into the hole, aligning the carved slot of the pin with the string (see Fig. 2).

FIG. 2: The new sixth string has been inserted. The groove in the bridge pin has been aligned with the string, and is about to be pushed gently down.

As you replace the bridge pin, lightly pull on the string (being careful not to crimp the string with your fingers), until you feel the ball slip into place. If the pin pops back out while very lightly pulling on the string, repeat the process. This may take a bit of practice, but you'll get a feel for it quickly.

For an electric guitar, now that there is a clear path through one of the holes in the bridge a new string can be inserted. Take the sharp end of the string, and feed it through this clear hole in the bridge block from the back of the instrument. Make sure that the string goes through the saddle that corresponds to the hole. Pull the string through until the ball end fits into the tremolo block (i.e. until you cannot pull it anymore).

3) Now, very gently pull the string up towards the headstock of the guitar, applying just enough force so that most of the visible slack disappears from the string. Pull the string about one generous inch past the tuning peg you will be feeding it through, and, using your fingers, crimp the string to a 90 degree angle, so the end of the string points in the direction of the tuning peg (see Fig. 3).

FIG. 3: The string has been crimped at a 90 degree angle, but not yet slid through the tuning peg.

Without yet feeding the string through the tuning peg, turn the tuner until the hole in the tuning peg will allow the crimped end of the string to slide straight through it.

Slide the string through the tuning peg until you hit the crimp in the string. At this point, you may again crimp the end of the string protruding from the tuning peg, in order to help keep the string in place as you tighten it (see Fig. 4).

FIG. 4: The end of the string protruding from the tuning peg has also been crimped in order to help hold the string in place while we begin tuning it.

4) Now, we'll begin tightening the string, to slowly bring it into tune. If you own a string winder (see Fig. 5), it will come in handy now. If not, consider purchasing one - they save time, and they are reasonably cheap.

FIG. 5: A string winder.

Begin slowly and evenly turning the tuning peg in a counter-clockwise manner. To help keep the excess slack in the string from acting erratically while rotating the tuner, use the hand not tuning the guitar to create artificial tension in the string. Gently press the sixth string against the fretboard with your index finger, using the rest of your fingers to lightly pull up on the string (see Fig. 6). Meanwhile, keep rotating the tuner with the other hand. Mastering this technique will save you a great deal of hassle when changing strings.

FIG. 6: While one hand tightens the tuner, the other hand creates tension in the string. Use your index finger, as shown here, to hold the string in place, while using your other fingers to lightly pull up on the string, which helps to reduce the slack in the string near the tuner, making your string wind tighter and more neatly.

As you begin to rotate the tuner, watch and make sure the wrapped string passes over the end portion of the string protruding from the end of the tuning peg, on the first wrap-around (see Fig. 7).

NOTE: it is normal for the bridge pin to pop up slightly while tightening the string. Use your thumb to push it back down into position.

FIG. 7: Make sure that on the first rotation, the wrapped string passes over top of the end of the string.

Immediately after the wrapped string has passed over the string end, guide the string so that on the next pass, it will wrap under the string end. All subsequent wrap-arounds will also wrap under the string end, each wrap going below the last. Avoid having strings physically lying on top of, or crossing over one another. Keep turning the tuner in a counter-clockwise manner, until the string has been brought approximately into tune. At this point, your tuning peg should look approximately like the one in Fig. 8 (there may be additional string wraps on the peg if you left more slack in the string initially).

FIG. 8: On the next (and all remaining) rotation, the wrapped string will coil below the string end protruding from the tuning peg.

5) Although the string has now been brought into approximate tune, you'll find that the tuning will be hard to maintain unless you take a moment to stretch out the string. Grab the string somewhere over the sound-hole, and gently pull upwards for several seconds (see Fig. 9).

FIG. 9: After bringing the string into approximate tune, gently pull up on the string for several seconds, and then re-tune the string. Continue until the string no longer goes out of tune.

Now check the tuning, and you'll probably find that the string has gone somewhat out of tune. Re-tune the string, and repeat this process. Do this several times, until the string no longer goes out of tune (or until the tuning changes only slightly).

6) Finally, we'll use a pair of wire cutters (or the equivalent) to trim the excess string. Simply take your cutters and snip off the end of the string protruding from the tuning peg. Try and leave about 1/4" of string remaining. Congratulations, you've just changed the sixth string of your guitar. It may have taken you a while, but with practice, the process will go much, much more quickly.

The other five strings will only get easier, as you continue to gain experience. The only part of the process that will differ as you continue to change the remaining strings is the direction you'll feed the strings through the tuning pegs for strings three, two, and one (see Fig. 10). As the tuners for these three strings are on the other side of the headstock, they'll need to be fed through the tuning pegs in the opposite direction as strings six, five, and four.

FIG. 10: Note that the direction the strings enter the tuning peg for strings three, two, and one is opposite than strings six, five, and four.

Because of this, the direction you'll turn the tuners to tighten the string is also opposite. If you own a guitar that has all six tuners on the same side of the headstock, then ignore this and put all six strings on in the exact same direction.

That's it!

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