How to Restring Your Guitar

kuztunes.blogspot.com

Tim VitulloENGL 202C

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ATTENTION!Important Safety Precautions

Wire cutters and other materials used may be sharp and can puncture skin if not used properly.

Strings and other small parts may be edible by small children. Keep these materials out of reach.

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Table of Contents

Front MatterIntroduction 4 Diagram of Guitar Components 4 How Do I Know Whether My Strings Need to be Replaced?

5 Necessary Materials 6 What Kind of Strings Should I Purchase? 9

Flat Top DesignHow Do I Know Whether My Guitar is a Flat Top Model? 10 Preparations 11 Removing Old Strings 12 Installing New Strings 14 Tuning the Guitar 20 Conclusion 25

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Front Matter

Introduction

Since their introduction into the world in the 12th century, guitars have evolved in many different ways. Walking into a music store now yields a limitless variety of shapes, colors, sizes, and specifications. The twentieth century brought what is thought by many to be the greatest advance in the guitar’s history – the electric pickup. The electric guitar can be heard on almost every popular recording since its conception in 1931. As a result of advances in mass production and outsourcing, electric guitars are now affordable for anyone to purchase one without breaking the bank and begin learning how to play the instrument.

Arguably the most important part of the instrument – the guitar is nothing without the strings. Making sure that the strings are properly wound is important to ensuring that the guitar will stay in tune and provide a comfortable playing experience. This is especially important for beginners and young players with smaller hands. As mentioned above, the variety of guitar manufacturers and models leads to significant differences in the methodology for properly stringing an electric guitar. This guide details one popular type: “flat top” design (common in Gibson brand guitars). Don’t fret (pun intended) – the process is very easy and fast after performing itrestringing a few times.

Diagram of Guitar Components

Flat Top Design

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www.photobucket.com

String Numbering System

www.source440.com

How Do I Know Whether My Strings Need Replaced?

There are two scenarios that require the owner to change their guitar strings.

1. One or more strings are broken.2. The strings have corroded.

One can tell if a guitar string is broken by first looking for any noticeable breaks in the string itself. These commonly occur at the bridge. Sometimes the break in the string is not visible for various reasons. One can tell that the string is broken in this case if it no longer holds any tension; it is loose and cannot be tightened anymore by winding the respective tuner.

Over time, electric guitar strings corrode, or deteriorate, as a result of oxidation reactions. The mechanics of these reactions are unimportant, but the rate at which they occur is catalyzed by residual oils left on the strings from one’s fingertips. Corroded strings will be black in color and feel rough to the touch (as opposed to the ribbed, polished feel of new strings). Corroded strings will also sound dull when played through an amplifier.

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Necessary Materials

One (1) electric guitar

One (1) pack of guitar strings

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One (1) digital guitar tuner

One (1) ¼” guitar cable

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One (1) pair of wire cutters

Note: It is helpful to purchase a pair of wire cutters that can also be used as needle-nosed pliers like the ones pictured above.

One (1) string winder

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What Kind of Strings Should I Purchase?

Just like guitars themselves, manufacturers offer a staggering number of different types of guitar strings to choose from. Strings come in a variety of materials, diameters, and prices. For beginners that have never purchased a set of strings, brands such as Ernie Ball, D’Addario, and Dean Markley all sell affordable and high quality strings. First time buyers should also look for packages that have nickel, wound strings. The size of the strings contained in the package is determined by the first (the thinnest) string diameter. Beginners typically purchase either 0.09 or 0.10 (commonly referred to as “9’s” or “10’s”, respectively) sizes (or “gauges”). For a high quality pack of strings, the reader should not pay more than ten dollars, although prices of other brands are significantly higher.

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Flat Top Design

usedgibsonguitars.co.uk

How Do I Know Whether My Guitar is a Flat Top Model?

Flat top guitars are characterized by bridges that run parallel to the guitar body. The strings on flat top guitars never intersect with the body. The figure below shows the bridge of an Epiphone Dot semi-hollowbody guitar. This style is common on most flat top guitars.

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Preparations

Begin by sitting down on a stable surface (chair, couch, bed, etc.) with plenty of room to movre your arms and the guitar freely without bumping into another object.

Place the guitar flat with the strings facing upwards on your lap.

Have all tools close by for quick access.

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Removing Old Strings

Most guitars are purchased with strings already on them. Should your guitar happen to already be unstrung, proceed to the next heading (Installing New Strings). Otherwise, follow these simple steps to removing your guitar strings.

Step 1. Loosen All of the Strings

Begin by unwinding each tuning peg by hand to unravel the attached string. Leave the strings attached to the tuning peg. Make sure that there isto leave a large amount of slack in each one before proceeding to the next.

Step 2. Cut the Strings from the Guitar

Use the wire cutters to cut only the five thickest strings near the middle of the neck, as shown in the figure below.

Note: It is very important not to cut the top string. It will hold the bridge in place while replacing the bottom string.

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Step 3. Remove Strings

Unwind the cut strings by hand from the tuning pegs and unthread the other portion from the bridge (as shown in the figure below. Dispose of these strings in the garbage.

You are now ready to begin replacing your guitar strings.

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Installing New Strings

Step 1. Remove the strings from the package and lay them out in order.

Guitar strings will come individually packaged within the exterior packaging. Each string is of a different diameter, and this measurement will be labeled on the individual packaging. The strings should be strung in order of largest to smallest diameter. With the guitar flat on your lap, the largest string will be inserted into the slot closest to your chest and decrease in diameter as they progress further away. See the figure below for more information.

Step 2. Insert the sixth string into the bridge.

Make sure that the string is pulled all the way through so that the stopper on the end of the string rests firmly against the bridge. Follow the diagrams below for the order with which to place the strings as you progress.

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Step 3. Thread the string through the appropriate tuning peg.

Now, take the string from the previous step and insert into the proper tuning peg. Follow the diagrams below for the order with which to place the strings as you progress. Make sure to leave some excess string on the other side of the tuning peg.

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Step 4. Fold up the excess string parallel with the tuning peg.

This step is important to make the winding process neat and simple. Make sure that the excess tip is upright

Step 5. Wind the string once around the tuning peg by hand.

The purpose of this step is to stabilize the string so that both hands can be used to wind. If the string does not stay still after this is done, continue winding the string until it does so.

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Step 6. Use the string winder to ravel the string counter-clockwise until it is taught.

Make sure that you hold the string taught while winding. This may require you to reorient the guitar (as shown in the below picture). Use the non-winding hand to guide the string and perform a neat alignment along the tuning peg.

Note: If not enough excess is left, the tuning peg will not be tall enough to wind the entire string. If this problem is encountered, simply unwind the string, pull more of the string through the tuning peg and repeat Steps 4 - 6.

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Step 7. Remove the leftover string.

Follow the instructions in the “Removing Old Strings” section above to remove the last of the old strings. The string that was just installed can now hold the bridge in place.

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Step 8. Repeat steps #2 - #6 to install the rest of the strings on the guitar.

You are now ready to begin tuning your guitar.

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Tuning the Guitar

A new set of strings will require stretching and multiple “tune-ups” to get it ready to play. The following steps will walk you through the process for proper procedure to complete these tasks and finish the restringing process.

Step 1. Sit the guitar upright in playing position so that the strings face outward from your body.

Step 2. Plug the 1/4” guitar cable into the guitar output jack and the input jack of the tuner.

Make sure that the tuner is resting in a place that it is easy to read and does not require you told hold it in your hands – you will need both hands to tune the instrument. Refer to the below setup.

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Step 3. Turn the guitar volume to maximum.

Guitar volumes usually contain increments from one to ten. The knob should be turned clockwise until it cannot turn any further. This setting corresponds to maximum volume.

Step 4. Turn the tuner on.

Lights or sounds may be signs that the tuner has been successfully activated. Refer to the owner’s manual for more information.

Note: The tuner should be set to 440Hz and the mode is set to “Chromatic.” If this is not the case, consult the owner’s manual for the tuner and change these settings to reflect this.

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Step 5. Tune the strings.

First, begin by plucking the sixth string and examine what the tuner reads. This string should be tuned to “E.” If the tuner shows that the string is flat (the pitch is lower than the desired note), tighten the string by turning the tuning peg counter-clockwise. If the tuner shows that the string is sharp (the pitch is higher than the desired note), loosen it by turning the tuning peg clockwise. Do this until the tuner indicates that the string is in tune.

Repeat this for each string. In decreasing order of string thickness, the letters should spell out “A, D, G, B, E,” with the pitch getting progressively higher each time.

Note: All tuners represent sharp, flat, and “in tune” differently. Consult your owner’s manual to better understand how to recognize these different scenarios.

The guitar string is “in-tune.”

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The guitar string is flat. The guitar string is sharp.

Step 6. Stretch the string.

Lay the guitar flat on your lap with the strings facing upwards. Now, grab the sixth string at the fifth fret (count from the nut towards the body) and tug upwards firmly five times to stretch out the string. Then, repeat Step 5.

This short process should then be repeated until the tugging on the string no longer causes the string to go out of tune.

Step 7. Repeat Step 6 for each of the remaining strings.

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Step 8. Remove the excess string tips with the wire cutters.

This is an optional step. Some players like to keep the ends dangling from the tuning pegs while others prefer a more neat and polished look. Neither decision has an effect on playability.

Congratulations!You have successfully changed the strings on your guitar.

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Conclusion

From this point, practice will allow one you to no longer rely on this guide and decrease the amount of time it takes to restring a guitar. Experimenting with different types of strings and tunings can provide new challenges, but the process is still the same. This procedure is one of the most important and common aspects of good guitar maintenance. By following these steps, proper string installment will increase the longevity of the guitar and enhance the overall playing experience.

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