How do I change guitar strings?

Strings are consumable and they wear out much sooner than most players think. Dull, dead, hard-to-tune strings are one of the commonest reasons a guitar stops sounding good.

Safety

What you'll need

• A set of strings of the right type and gauge
• A string winder and wire cutters
• A bridge pin puller for acoustics (optional)
• Fretboard oil for unfinished boards (optional)

Step by step

1. Buy the right type.Acoustic guitars take bronze or phosphor bronze strings, electric guitars take nickel or steel, and classical guitars take nylon and must never be fitted with steel strings. Matching the previous gauge avoids changing the setup.
2. Change one string at a time.It keeps the neck under roughly constant tension and, on an electric with a floating tremolo, stops the bridge losing its position entirely.
3. Slacken and remove the old string.Wind it loose with a string winder, unwind it from the post, and cut it if that is easier. On an acoustic, ease the bridge pin out with a puller or the notch in the winder rather than levering it with pliers.
4. Clean while the string is off.Wipe the fretboard under where the string was, and the bridge and headstock. This is the only convenient moment, and grime builds up there faster than anywhere.
5. Seat the string at the bridge first.On an acoustic, the ball end goes into the hole and the pin holds it with the groove facing the string; pull the string gently until you feel the ball seat against the bridge plate. On an electric, thread it through the bridge or body.
6. Leave the right amount of slack.About two to three finger-widths of slack past the tuning post gives roughly three or four neat winds — enough to grip without a huge untidy pile.
7. Wind downwards on the post.Each turn below the previous one, working down towards the headstock. It creates a downward break angle over the nut, which improves tuning stability and tone.
8. Keep tension on the string while winding.One hand pulling the string gently taut, the other winding. Slack winds slip afterwards and are the main cause of a guitar that will not hold its tuning after a string change.
9. Bring it up to roughly pitch, then move on.Approximately in tune, then do the next string. Fine tuning happens at the end when all six are on and the neck has settled.
10. Stretch each string.Pull it gently away from the fretboard at several points along its length, then retune. Repeat two or three times until it stops going flat.
11. Cut the excess.Leave a few millimetres past the post and cut the rest. Long ends catch on things and are genuinely hazardous to eyes and hands.
12. Retune several times over the first day.New strings settle. Expect to retune repeatedly for the first few hours of playing before they hold.
13. Change them regularly.Every one to three months with regular playing, sooner if you play a lot or have acidic sweat. Wipe the strings down after every session and they last considerably longer.

Tips

• One string at a time keeps the neck tension steady and the bridge in place.
• Wind downwards on the post, keeping tension on the string with your other hand.
• Wipe strings down after playing. It roughly doubles how long they last.

Common mistakes

• Winding the string on loosely — The windings tighten under tension after you have tuned it, so the string effectively lengthens and the guitar goes flat repeatedly. Keeping the string taut while winding prevents it.
• Fitting steel strings to a classical guitar — Classical guitars are built for the much lower tension of nylon strings. Steel strings can pull the bridge off or warp the neck, and the damage is expensive.

If it doesn't work

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