Changing Guitar Strings

I found a good how to article on changing guitar strings. Check it out.

Title: A Step-By-Step Lesson On How to Change Your Guitar StringsAuthor: Kathy UnruhArticle: Changing your guitar strings might make you feel a litteuncomfortable if you have never done it before, but it's reallyquite simple and should become a regular part of your guitarcare routine. Before you do anything, first take time to makesome personal observations such as: 1. Which way do you have to turn the tuning keys to tighten orloosen the strings?2. How are the strings aligned from the nut to the bridge?3. Which is the heaviest string (6)? Taking mental notes will probably save you some frustration andmake the job much easier. Below you will find some helpful steps to follow for changingyour strings. Once you've changed your guitar strings a coupleof times your confidence should begin to grow and you won't needto refer to these steps any longer. I like to remove all of theguitar strings in order to give my guitar a thorough cleaning,but you can remove and replace them one at a time if you prefer. Guitar Care and Maintenance Tools: - Needle-nose Plyers (to cut string ends) - String Winder - SoftCotton Cloth - Guitar Cleaning Polish (do not use furniturepolish, oils, or wax)REMOVING THE STRINGSAcoustic Steel String Guitar- 1. Using the string winder , begin slowly loosening thestring(s) until completely slack. 2. With the needle-nose plyers, carefully grab the string fromthe capstan (the part it winds around) and pull through the holeuntil it is free. 3. Taking the string winder again, use the cut-out at the end ofit to grab the pin at the bridge. Gently pull the pin until itcomes out of the hole. 4. Continue this process until all the strings are removed. 5. Clean guitar surface thoroughly. Classic Nylon String Guitar- Follow steps one and two above. When you come to step three,take your needle-nose plyers and carefully loosen the figureeight knot at the bridge. Pull the string free. Electric Guitar- Follow the same procedure as described for an acoustic steelstring guitar. However, if you have an electric guitar with amovable bridge you may want to take it to your local music storeand have them show you how to do it safely. If the bridge ismoved from it's correct position you will not be able to tuneyour guitar after restringing it. RE-STRINGING YOUR GUITARAcoustic Steel String Guitar-1. Bend the ball end of the string slightly and place it insidethe hole below the bridge. Some steel string guitars do not havepins. When this is the case, just pull the string throught thehole. 2. Line up the string with any grooves in the pin. Insert thepin into the hole, making sure it is secure. 3. Take the other end and insert into the hole on the capstan. 4. Pull the string through leaving a fair amount of slackbetween the capstan and the bridge. 5. Bend the string at the point it comes through the capstan tokeep it secure. 6. Watching out for your eyes, begin turning the key with yourleft hand. Once you get it started it may be easier to use thestring winder. (For safety reasons, you might want to cut offany excess string. I usually wait until after they're all on todo this). 7. As you are winding, apply some tension to the string withyour right hand to help keep it taught. Make sure you arewinding in the right direction! On the bass strings you will bewinding counter-clockwise (away from you). On the treble stringsyou will go the opposite direction. 8. Continue to wind each string until all the slack is taken up.Do not worry about tuning yet. 9. Cut off all excess string length. Classic Nylon String Guitar- 1. Put the string through the top of the hole found just belowthe bridge. 2. Pull about 3 inches through. 3. Bringing the string up over the tie block, pass it underneathitself at the original point of entry. 4. Come down over the tie block again and wrap the end of thestring around itself in a figure eight type pattern. 5. Insert the other end of the string down through the hole onthe capstan. 6. Wrap the string around the back and then underneath itself inorder to secure it in place. 7. As described above, begin turning the key with your left handwhile maintaining some tension with the other until all theslack is taken up. With a classical guitar you will windclockwise on the bass strings and the treble strings. 8. Keep the string as straight as possible as it continues fromthe capstan through the nut and down onto the neck. 9. You should not have any excess string length, but if you do,cut it off. Electric Guitar- Follow the same procedure as described for the acoustic steelstring guitar. If you need help re-tuning your guitar please see my free guitarlesson which covers this subject in detail. I hope you found this information to be helpful. Remember,establishing a good guitar care routine will insure many longyears of musical fun and enjoyment! About the author:Kathy Unruh is a singer/songwriter and webmaster of ABC LearnGuitar. She has been writing songs and providing guitar lessonsto students of all ages for over 20 years. For free guitarlessons, plus tips and resources on songwriting, recording andcreating a music career, please visit: http://www.abclearnguitar.com/free-guitar-lesson.html

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