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Typical Guitar Strings

Perhaps one of your strings broke while you were shredding on some Slayer. Or maybe you’re just getting sick of all the grease build-up from those late night pizza orders. In any case, I’ve put together a simple guide for changing the strings on your electric guitar. Please note, this guide is not compatible with a Floyd Rose Bridge. If you don’t know what that is, (a) do you have a wammy? (b) does it lift your bridge up when you press down on it? If you answered no to either of these questions, you do NOT have a floyd rose. Here is the guide.

Also: Some guitar models will require you to remove the cover on the bottom of the guitar. Others, such as the Les Paul, give you full string access on top of the guitar. So have tools ready as you may need to spill your axe’s guts.

Step 1: Remove old string
The first step is to, obviously, take the old strings off. Loosen the sixth string (the fattest one) first. You will come back to the other ones later. Strum the string as you loosen it to make sure that it’s not being tightened. Once it’s loose enough, unwind the string from the tuning peg and pull the string out from the opposite side. Do this by grabbing the bulb and pulling it out through the bridge. TIP: I find it easier/safer if I cut the string with some pliers before I pull it off.

Never take more than one string off at a time. You can seriously damage the neck of your guitar if you are hasty about relieving the pressure!

Step 2: Clean your guitar
Using a rag with a little bit of warm water, wipe down the newly exposed part of the neck. You will appreciate doing this while the strings are off.

Step 3: String the new string
Feed the sharp end of your new string (the thickest one you have) back through the bridge (and through your body if the guitar is designed so). Rotate the tuner so that the hole is going the opposite direction of the string (perpendicular). Leave some slack on the string before you thread it. Finding the right amount of slack depends on your guitar, so just estimate. I would recommend a couple of inches.

Now bend the string where you plan to thread it, so that the string makes a right angle. The sharp end should be perpendicular to your guitar. Now bend it again slightly after the first bend (see picture).

Bending your new string

Step 4: Tightening the string
Now its time to tighten that sucker up. Turn the tuner in a counter-clockwise direction. As you turn the peg, make sure that the string is falling into place on the fret board and bridge. Note: If your guitar has 3 pegs on one side and 3 on the other, you will change direction for some strings. The third, second, and first strings should be tightened clockwise.

How you wrap the guitar string is a personal choice. I suggest that for the first loop that the string makes, push it above the exposed string. After that, put all of the coils underneath the exposed string. This will help keep your guitar in tune. Most important here is that the string gets wrapped around the peg at least 3-4 times.

Step 5: Tuning and finishing touches
After the new guitar string has been tightened, bring the string into tune. Always tune up. If the string plays sharp, drop the tune way down and gradually tune it back up. Next you will want to stretch the new string out. This will help to keep your guitar in tune. Grab the string using your entire hand, and gently pull away from the pick guard approx 1 1/2″. Re tune the string, repeat stretch, and re tune. Using pliers, cut the excess string from the tuning peg. Leave at least 1/4″ of excess string - I recommend a half an inch for the first couple of days.

Congratulations! You’ve changed 1 electric guitar string! The good news is that you know how to do it now, so the next 5 will go a lot faster.