how do I put new strings on my guitar?

mus · #1 April 10th, 2007

hey everybody,

I just bought new strings. I intended to put them on the guitar myself, but its the first time I'm trying to do it. I got me frustrated to the point that I was seriously thinking about throwing my guitar out of the window, go downstairs, and set fire to the remains of it.
How should I do it? On which side should I start? How do I get those fine little knots on the bridge-side, when my fingers are 20 times the size of the string and there is only like 2 cm left to my make a knot of? These are some of the many questions I have.
Can somebody explain in short how its done? Is there a relatively simple way? I would be very grateful

greetings, Eric

allthumbs · #2 April 10th, 2007

This lesson shows you how to tie nylon strings.
http://www.guitarforbeginners.com/restring.html

It is worthwhile to check out all the mini lessons here.
Brand new to playing the guitar?...read this first.
Brand new to playing the guitar?...read this first. - Guitar For Beginners & Beyond Forum

chuckswood2001 · #3 April 10th, 2007

most string companys have video's on how to change strings, google for the company that makes ur strings and see if they have these videos if not try another company

Chuck

wcostley · #4 April 10th, 2007

I have new strings too but have been putting off trying to restring for the first time because of the fear that I might end up going through some of the same frustrations you are. You have re-enforced my fear.
I did see a couple of video's on how to restring nylon strings on YouTube, I just typed in something like Re-stringing a classical guitar in the search box and it found the video's for me.
Good luck.
Skip ...

eddiez152 · #5 April 10th, 2007

mus,
Here this may help you. I tie my own. These strings and others are available, ask the guitar store.
http://www.guitarcenter.com/shop/pro...ull_sku=100764

Vic Lewis · #6 April 10th, 2007

There is absolutely nothing to be scared of when changing strings! I timed myself yesterday, I changed the strings on my squier Tele - strings go through the body. Total time to take old strings off and put new strings on? Just over 15 minutes.

There are two schools of thought re string changing - one, take them all off and clean the fretboard and all the places you can't get at with the strings on. Two, change them one at a time so you don't release all the tension on the neck at once. I subscribe to the latter school of thought - but it's about 50/50 either way. I take my bottom E (the thickest) string off first, put a new E string on, tune it to the 5th A string. Then I change the A string - tune it to the D string, retune the bottom E to the A string as well. Then the D string - tune it to the G string, then retune the A and E strings, and so on. This way, your guitar is going to be in tune - or close to in tune - by the time you've finished re-stringing.

You might want to leave it alone for a while though - new strings do tend to stretch, so you'll be re-tuning every few minutes until they settle down. I usually change my strings late at night, just before I go to bed - that way, they've got a few hours to settle.

So if you've only got one guitar, be prepared for it to keep going out of tune for a few hours - if you've got more than one guitar, put the recently re-stringed guitar aside for the night and play another guitar.

There are some good links up above - but the best one I ever had was from a guitar magazine, GuitarWorld, I bought it in June (maybe July) 2005 when I was on holiday in America....how to change a string in 60 seconds. I've actually done it in 43 secs....

But then again, I like to take my time changing strings - I plan ahead, and pick a day where I've got nothing else to do - that way, if the Mrs shouts me to help, well it's "oops, sorry, love, I'm in the middle of changing strings...." and it's at least an hour's job, so there's no chance of me helping with the washing-up......

Vic

wcostley · #7 April 10th, 2007

Hey Eddie,
The guitar store where I bought my new strings had ball end strings (they were actually a little cheaper too) and I realized they would be a lot simpler to install but with my analytical thinking I was sceptical of them not being as good as tie on's, or it seemed like everyone would use them, plus I wanted to know how to tie on my own strings so I could consider myself as a real guitar player, I guess it might be an ego thing but I still feel like there must be some reason why tie on's seem to be the norm for knowledgeable guitar players. WHAT IS THE REASON?
Skip ...

Dewy · #8 April 10th, 2007

No Idea why "real guitarists" tie their own. I had an issue with the high "E" slipping on me with my son's classical guitar... a pawn shop special. So... I tied them all to a pencil and let the pencil act as a stop.

As far as method... I remove all strings and clean the guitar every other time... seems necessary.

Mike8307 · #9 April 10th, 2007

As far as classical guitars this is a fine site with good pictures and a step by step process.

http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Musi...assicstr1.html

It's important to know how to restring your guitar. It WILL take you a considerable amount of time the first time, like anything else. But the more you do it the better you'll get at it.

eddiez152 · #10 April 10th, 2007

wcostley,
Some times the balls breakoff, and it doesn't look as pretty. Tying was there from the start.

Mike8307 · #11 April 10th, 2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by eddiez152

wcostley,
Some times the balls breakoff, and it doesn't look as pretty.

I hate when that happens...

wcostley · #12 April 10th, 2007

Thanks eddie, for the info about the balls breaking off, I asked the guy at the guitar store why, but he didn't seem to know or at least he said the ones with the balls worked just fine, glad I didn't listen to him.
Skip ...

busaclub · #13 April 12th, 2007

try this guy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBEM6R4ITCA

wcostley · #14 April 12th, 2007

I finally tackled putting new nylon strings on my guitar last night for the first time, I had to because it was plaging my mind, I was fearing goofing something up. I started out with the guitar on the bed on top of my wife's nice WHITE down comforter, - shortly after I had removed the base E string only, I noticed something red on the WHITE comforter, it turned out that it was a spot of blood, I hadn't realized that the wound string had poked my right ring finger about an eighth of and inch below my fingernail, I didn't dare try to get the blood out so I had to get my wife from the frontroom and confess to her what I had done, she wasn't too pleased about it but went right to work on attempting to get the blood out of the WHITE comforter, she wasn't able to get it all out, plus we found another spot too, I actually had put a band aid on my finger before I got her involved, I also found some blood on my guitar but it wiped right off, needless to say I was off to good start, my fear was coming true. I then spread an afgan throw on the dinning table and took my guitar in there, I then went back to work on installing the strings, I used Kirk's instuctions plus copying the way the original strings were tied on, I did one string at a time just going down the line from the base E to the high E, what I did different from the way my original strings were at the tuning pegs, was I used the Buster B. Jones (a great guitarist) method that I had found on youtube to eliminate all of the extra winding.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98tEv7xtgkI
I snipped off the excess string on both ends with a toenail clipper and ended up with real sanitary looking job, they sound great too, so all is well except for the faded blood spots on my wifes WHITE comforter.
I hope now that I've spilled some blood over the love of my guitar that the man in charge of things helps me to become a half way decent finger picker.
I sure miss the spell check Clancy.
Skip