How to Restring Guitars

There are many benefits to keeping your strings fresh. Better tone quality, better right and left hand finger response, wider range of dynamics possible and more range of tone to mention a few. Besides, your guitar looks and feels better. A guitar with clean, new strings practically begs to be played.
Change with the same gauge of strings as you used before. Your intonation may be off if you use a heavier or lighter set than you currently use. Most electric guitars come with extra-light or '9's'. Acoustic guitars tend to come equipped with light strings. You can experiment with other gauges but this might entail a setup of your guitar to accommodate the change in tension. A trip to your local guitar shop might best be advised.
See our selection of Electronic Tuning Products to help you tune you guitar Guitar Tuners

3 Types of Electric Tuners:

Standard
Slotted
Locking
The most common type of tuner.
Continue below to find out how to string Electric, Bass and Acoustic guitars.

Instead of a hole in the side of the post there is a slot, the hole is right down the center.
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Created to lock the string securely in the tuning machines post hole and eliminate slippage.

How to Restring With Standard Tuners

Step 1 -Remove old string – when re-stringing a guitar, you can save yourself some later readjustments by changing only one string at a time.
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Step 2 - Be sure to clip the old string winding off so you don’t damage anything when removing the old string from the bridge area.
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Step 3 - Insert new string through tailpiece or tremolo block.
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Step 4 - Remember to pull the string all the way through the tailpiece/tremolo. You’ll also want to keep it taut as you measure the string length at the tuner.
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Step 5 - Here’s the pro’s trick to find the right string length to get the proper number of wraps around the tuner: hold the string like this with your left hand fingers – right at the tuner.
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Step 6 - Use you right hand to reach over and grasp the string at the fifth fret. Pull the string up into your palm, keeping the string between your index and middle fingers. Remember to let the string slide through your left fingers, and then hold the spot when the string looks like this.
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Step 7 - Make a 90 degree bend in the string where your left hand has marked the spot.
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Step 8 - Put the string through the tuner and start tuning it up – remember to keep good tension on the string as you tighten. This will help stretch the strings as well as keep it seated in the nut.
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Step 9 - The wraps on the tuner should look like this. Make sure you have 3 good wraps around the post.
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How To Restring with Slotted Tuners

		Step 1 -Remove old string – when re-stringing a guitar, you can save yourself some later readjustments by changing only one string at a time.
(enlarge)

		Step 2 - Be sure to clip the old string winding off so you don’t damage anything when removing the old string from the bridge area.
(enlarge)

		Step 3 - Insert new string through tailpiece or tremolo block.
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		Step 4 - Remember to pull the string all the way through the tailpiece/tremolo. You’ll also want to keep it taut as you measure the string length at the tuner.
(enlarge)

		Step 5 - Here’s the pro’s trick to find the right string length to get the proper number of wraps around the tuner: hold the string like this with your left hand fingers – right at the tuner.
(enlarge)

		Step 6 - Use you right hand to reach over and grasp the string at the fifth fret. Pull the string up into your palm, keeping the string between your index and middle fingers. Remember to let the string slide through your left fingers, and then hold the spot when the string looks like this.
(enlarge)

		Step 7 - Make a 90 degree bend in the string where your left hand has marked the spot.
(enlarge)

		Step 8 - Put the string through the tuner and start tuning it up – remember to keep good tension on the string as you tighten. This will help stretch the strings as well as keep it seated in the nut.
(enlarge)

How to Restring with Locking Tuners

		Step 1 - Remove old string – when re-stringing a guitar, you can save yourself some later readjustments by changing only one string at a time.
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		Step 2 - Insert new string through tailpiece/bridge or tremolo block. Remember to pull the string all the way through the tailpiece/tremolo. You’ll also want to keep it taut as you pull the string through the tuner.
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		Step 3 - Put the new string through the hole on the tuner and pull it tight.
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		Step 4 - Tighten the locking knob.
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		Step 5 - Tune up the new string.
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		Step 6 - Clip the new string 1/8” from the hole.
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How to Restring A Bass Guitar

		Step 1 - Remove old string – when re-stringing a bass, you can save yourself some later readjustments by changing only one string at a time.
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		Step 2 - Insert new string through tailpiece/bridge. Remember to pull the string all the way through the tailpiece. You’ll also want to keep it taut as you measure the string length at the tuner.
(enlarge)

		Step 3 - Here’s the pro’s trick to find the right string length to get the proper number of wraps around the tuner: hold the string like this with your left hand fingers – right at the tuner.
(enlarge)

		Step 4 - Use your right hand to reach over and grasp the string at the fifth fret. Pull the string up into your palm, keeping the string between your index and middle fingers. Remember to let the string slide through your left fingers, and then hold the spot when the string looks like this.
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		Step 5 - Clip the string end.
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		Step 6 - Push down on the string and bend it over like this…
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		Step 7- Start tuning it up – remember to keep good tension on the string as you tighten. This will help stretch the string as well as keep it seated in the nut.
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		Step 8 - The wraps on the tuner should look like this. Make sure you have 3 good wraps around the post.
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How To Restring an Acoustic Guitar

		Step 1 - Remove old string – when re-stringing a guitar, you can save yourself some later readjustments by changing only one string at a time.
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		Step 2 - Remove the bridge pin and take out old string.
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		Step 3 - Insert new string into bridge.
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		Step 4 - Seat the bridge pin by pushing it firmly into the hole while tugging on the string.
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		Step 5 - Here’s the pro’s trick to find the right string length to get the proper number of wraps around the tuner: pull the string straight and hold the string like this with your left hand fingers – right at the tuner.
(enlarge)

		Step 6 - Use your right hand to reach over and grasp the string at the fifth fret. Pull the string up into your palm, keeping the string between your index and middle fingers. Remember to let the string slide through your left fingers, and then hold the spot when the string looks like this.
(enlarge)

		Step 7 - Make a 90 degree bend in the string where your left hand has marked the spot.
(enlarge)

		Step 8 - Put the string through the tuner
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		Step 9 - Start tuning it up – remember to keep good tension on the string as you tighten. This will help stretch the strings as well as keep it seated in the nut.
(enlarge)

		Step 10 - The wraps on the tuner should look like this.
(enlarge)