Guitar String Secrets from a Pro

It’s very important to have your guitar fitted with the correct strings – it can make a huge difference to how the guitar sounds, and how easy it is to play. For beginners, I recommend lighter gauge (thinner) strings, which are easier to press down and make a sound until your fingers get stronger.

Have a look at how high the strings are from the fingerboard. This distance, known as the action, makes a big difference in how easy it is to press the string down, and get notes to sound out properly. Many beginners struggle with guitars with too high an action, making learning more difficult. If you’re not sure if your guitar is set up properly, it’s well worth a trip to your local music store to get your guitar given the once over.

How Do I Know When to Change The Strings on My Guitar?

Most players change their strings when they become lifeless and dull, or when the strings fail to stay in tune. Older strings tend to go out of tune easier. The timing of this depends on many other variables, as you get into the guitar you will develop your own time frame for changing strings.

If you’re going to set up the intonation on your guitar (an advanced technique) I’d also recommend putting on fresh strings.

If you break a string, it’ll depend on the length of time all the strings have been on the guitar as to whether you change the whole set. It’s better to replace them all at once to ensure a consistent tone, but it may be more cost effective for you to just replace the broken one. If your strings are old, then replace them all for a fresh sounding and easier to play guitar. If the strings are fairly new, it’s up to your ears and personal preference as to whether you replace them all, or just the broken one.

Pro Guitar Tip

Guitar strings pick up a lot of acid and dirt that is produced from our hands sweating as we play. If you clean your guitar strings with a cotton cloth after playing, this helps retain a bright tone, and prolongs string life. The level and type of use will affect the life of your strings – if you’re playing regular performances then you’ll need to replace your strings more often. Wiping down your strings after playing will extend their life, which means less cost, and fewer string changes.

Why Do My Strings Keep Breaking?

If you have trouble with strings breaking regularly, you may have one of the following problems:

Check where the strings break. More often than not it’ll be at the bridge of the guitar, but they can also break at the nut. Check to see if the areas of the guitar that the string contacts are smooth, as there could be a rough or sharp section which is causing your strings to break.

You may be playing the guitar too hard for the gauge strings you’re using. Try replacing your strings with a heavier gauge. For example, if you’re currently using 10-46 gauge strings on your electric guitar, swap to a set of 11-49 gauge strings and see if that helps.

How to Re-string a Guitar – The Right Way

So, you’ve broken a string, or your guitar strings look more like rusty old fence? It’s time to learn how to change them – the right way. There are many pitfalls with re-stringing a guitar that can leave you with an out of tune instrument, or even an injury, so take care and pay close attention.

Firstly, a warning – we’re dealing with wire at very high tension, so be careful. If a string snaps it can cause eye damage or cut through skin.

Ok, the first stage is to loosen the tension on all the strings. I recommend playing the string while you start loosening it, to check that you’re turning the tuning peg the correct way. There’s nothing worse for you or your guitar than assuming you’re loosening a string when you’re actually tightening it until it breaks. I also recommend buying a string-winding tool, which is a great time saver.

Step 1: Electric Guitar

There are two different common types of electric guitars.

a) Fender Type

Most Fender style electric guitars have the string pulled through the bridge, and the end ball on the string holds it in place. When you remove the strings, make sure that you have all 6 of the little ball ends out of the bridge holes. There’s nothing worse than putting a new string in and realizing that there is a string ball stuck in there. You may wish to hold the guitar up to the light and look through the holes to check everything is clear. Ensure you remove all the strings from the tuning pegs, and pull them out of the guitar through the back of the bridge.

b) Gibson Type

When taking the strings off most Gibson style guitars it’s easy to see the ball ends of the strings as they are hooked through the bridge on the face of the guitar. Some of the bridges on these style guitars are held in place by the string tension, so it may be better to only replace a few strings at a time, rather than all at once. Place new strings through the appropriate hole (sharp end first) and pull through until the ball of the string is tight against the bridge.

Step 1: Steel String Acoustic

Steel string acoustics have small plastic pins that hold the strings into the bridge of the guitar. Loosen all the strings and take them off the tuning pegs. Now it’s time to remove the pins and the strings. There are a few different techniques if they don’t pull out easily. If you purchased a string winder, you can use a section of it to pull out the pins.

If you don’t have a string winder, either carefully put your hand in the guitar and push them out from the inside, or use a teaspoon to lever the pins out. Be very careful as you don’t want to scratch your guitar.

You may wish to take the opportunity to clean your guitar and fingerboard now it’s string free. Guitar shops sell different types of guitar and fingerboard cleaning products that you can use with a cotton cloth to make your guitar look and feel like new.

Place your new strings in the appropriate hole and replace the pins.

While you’re pushing the pin down, it’s a good idea to pull on the string to create some tension so the ball of the string locks in place.

Don’t worry if you break one of the pins, they’re easy to replace and you can buy them at most music shops. It might be a good idea to carry a few spares in your guitar case to be prepared. I am still yet to break one after 20 or so years, though!

Step 2: Attach the Strings to the Tuning Pegs

This is the same for all types of guitars (except classical guitars). The most important thing here is to make sure that the strings are pulled up on the correct side of the tuning peg. Line up all the holes in the tuning pegs so that they’re all facing down the neck of the guitar. Start by pulling one string through the tuning peg, leaving enough slack so you can get several string rotations on the tuning peg.

I like to give the string one rotation around the tuning peg before tightening. This saves you time and also helps to make sure you have enough string slack.

Now hold the string in place with your right hand on the peg so the string cannot slip and then turn the peg ANTI-CLOCKWISE to tighten. On some Gibson-style guitars, the peg is underneath, so turn clockwise to tighten. As you start tightening the string, let the first rotation go above the hole (where the sharp end is), and the rest under the hole. This helps hold the string in place. I like to bend the remaining string upwards so that it’s out of the way, which also helps to avoid the string slipping. It’s a good idea to get several rotations on the peg – a minimum of 2+ wraps for the bass strings and 3+ for the lighter strings – as this will help the string stay in tune.

Step 3: Bring the Strings up to Tension

STEP 3: BRING THE STRINGS UP TO TENSION

I recommend tightening one string at a time. As the string gets tighter, you should start to use a tuner so you don’t go over the pitch you’re tuning to – refer to the tuning lesson. If you’re not sure how much to tighten the string, try playing some notes up the neck and see if the tuner picks the pitch you are aiming for, this helps indicate how far you have to go. Once you get the string to the pitch you’re after, it’s important to stretch it in by pulling on the string, or strumming the guitar really hard. You’ll hear how the string has gone out of tune, so re-tune the string and repeat until the string remains in tune.

Use some small wire cutters to remove the ends of the strings. Be very careful not to cut yourself on the sharp string ends, or scratch your guitar. Leave a few mm on the ends just in case the strings slip.

The last step is all about safety – make sure you pick up all the old strings. They can be deadly for bare feet, and are often hard to see on the floor. Enjoy the bright fresh sound your new strings have, and rock on!

String Locking Guitars

I don’t recommend the Floyd Rose locking tremelo style of guitar for beginners. This system locks the strings into place by using small clamps at the bridge and the nut. The concept allows you to use the whammy bar like crazy, and the strings will hold better tuning. However, if you break a string, all the strings go out of tune and they’re much more difficult to change anyway. If you’ve got this style of guitar and need some help changing strings, ask your local guitar shop for some help learning.

Classical Guitars

To replace the strings on a classical guitar is a slightly more complicated technique. I will provide a detailed description though you may wish to get some more guidance in person if you’re unsure.

Classical guitars are strung with ‘nylon strings’.

Re-stringing a Classical Guitar

Remove the old strings on the guitar. If you remove all the strings at once make sure the bridge doesn’t fall out.

To avoid this you may wish to change one string at a time.

If you’re only replacing one string, then remove the broken parts of the string.

Take to opportunity to give your guitar a clean using a soft cotton cloth.

A lot of dirt and oil from your fingers can build up on the guitar fingerboard so give it a good clean.

Start by connecting the string to the bridge of the guitar.

Thread the string through the hole so that about 2 inches of string are out the other side of the bridge.

I like to use the figure 8 method as the strings stay in better tune.

Take hold of the short end and loop it back around the rest of the string.

Now loop it over and under itself twice to form a figure 8 pattern.

Pull the long end of the string so that the figure 8 pattern locks into place.

The last section of the figure 8 pattern should be over the edge of the bridge with the left over string out of the way, and the string locked in place. Now repeat this for the rest of the strings.

The three bass strings usually have a thin section on one end that is used to thread through the bridge.

Make sure that you use this section of the string and not the other end.

Ok you’re now ready to connect your strings to the tuning pegs.

The image shows me connecting the B string to its tuning peg.