Guitar strings do not last forever, they sometimes break or even wear out over time and at some point you are likely to have to replace them.
When changing a string, first of all make sure you have a replacement ready to put on. At the adjusting end of the string, undo it until it is totally loose and untwist it from the tuning peg. At the other end, remove the bridge peg to take out the wire. You may need to use a tool such as a pair of pliers to do this as bridge pegs are usually fixed quite rigid. While the string is removed, you can use this opportunity to clean these areas which are difficult to get to with the string in place.
When you undo your new string, you will see there is a little ball on one end of it. The purpose of this is to show you which end of the string is to be attached to the bridge. Are you still with me so far? Good! You need to insert this end of the string into the hole of the peg, and at the same time put the bridge pin back in making sure the curved indentation is lined up properly with the string. When you slide in the pin, pull very gently on the string without bending it. You should feel the ball settle into the right place. Should the pin come out when you pull the string, you will know it's not in correctly and you must start again.
So, your string is successfully attached at the bridge end and you are happy that it is secure. Lead the string up to the head of the guitar and hold it tightly so there is no slack visible. You now need to pull the string about two cm or one inch beyond the tuning peg, then fold it to a ninety degrees angle so that it is pointing towards the tuning peg. The tuner should be turned so that the folded wire will go directly through the hole. Thread the wire through the hole up as far as the bend and put another fold in the end poking out of the other side. This fold will stop the wire from coming out of the hole until you have it adjusted to the correct tightness.
This is where an inexpensive string winder comes in handy but if you are not lucky enough to have this useful little piece of equipment, you can manually tighten the tuning peg slowly and evenly in an anti clockwise direction whilst using your free hand to maintain the tension on the string and stop any curling occurring. You can do this by pressing down on the fret board with one finger and at the same time pulling the string up with your other fingers.
On the first wrap around, you must ensure that the wrapped string goes over the folded part of the string thus stopping it from slipping out. On each and every following wrap, the string should pass below the end so each wrap sites under the previous one. The new string will need stretching up a little at first so stretch and tune several times until the sound is perfect. The bridge pin may pop up during tightening but this is normal so there is no need to panic. Just push it down into place again. When you are happy that the string is as it should be, cut off the remaining string leaving an excess of approximately a quarter of an inch. |
