How to change guitar strings?

Guitar strings don’t only need to be changed when the break, but they also need to be changed when they get older; they lose their sound quality and become dull.

Most well made guitars improve with age, but guitar string’s do not, as they age their intonation and tone are affected by the buildup of oils from the fingers along with sweat and dust causing the strings to sound dull and become difficult to play as well as being prone to breaking.

When you fit new strings the tone improves, becoming brighter and it’s easier to play with less stress on the fingers and stays in tune longer.

Some things to keep in mind when changing your guitar strings

If you don’t replace your strings correctly, your guitar will be hard to tune and will detune easily.

There is a variety of string brands available, it’s a matter of personal tasted which brand you find the best.

String Composition

Electric and Acoustic guitar strings are made with a central core of metal, usually high carbon steel that has wire wound around it. The type of wire wrapped around the core determines the sound of the guitar.

Some types of guitar strings are:

• Nickel, usually used for electric guitars
• Stainless Steel gives a brighter tone
• Phosphor Bronze gives a warmer tone and is usually used on acoustic guitars
• Nylon is usually used on classical guitars and ukuleles

String Gauge or diameter

Guitar strings usually come in sets, although you can purchase individual strings if required. These sets are referenced by the diameter of the first or smallest string and the last string, so an example of a set of string sizes would be 009-042.

Beginners usually start with lighter strings as they are easier to play and reduce the pressure on your fingers. As you get used to playing, you can increase the gauge of the strings to suit your musical taste and style

Replacing your Guitar Strings

Unless you have a very cheap or old guitar it is safe to remove all the strings at once

• First, remove all the strings
• Polish your guitar to remove any dirt or grime
• Then, secure the 6th string tailor bridge of your guitar
• Place the string through the tuning peg and align it with the nut slot
• Pull the string through until you have about 5cm or 2 inches of distance to the fret board when you pull it away. This will give you about 3 revolutions of the tuning peg
• Bend the string towards the right and pass it under the string to form a loop
• Bend the string sharply upward and hold it in place while turning the peg in a clockwise direction. Ensure the winding goes downwards and using a guitar tuner, turn the peg to get the correct pitch
• Pull the string outwardly at the midway point to stretch it and then retune it repeating until it stays in tune after repeated stretches
• Cut the string excess so it leaves a small tail that is out of the way
• Repeat for the remainder of the strings

An acoustic guitar, as well as electric guitar, needs the strings replaced on average every three months to ensure your continued playing pleasure and avoid any breakages when playing.

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