YOU’RE GOING TO NEED AN ACOUSTIC GUITAR (I’LL BE CHANGING STRINGS ON MY YAMAHA FS-850), A RAG (OPTIONAL), YOU’RE CHOICE OF STRINGS (I’M GOING TO BE USING MARTIN SPs — .012-.054), AND PLIERS THAT HAVE WIRE CUTTERS ON THEM. USING A CLEAN WORKSPACE MAKES THIS JOBS A LOT EASIER.
LET’S GO OVER SOME BASICS
HERE IS A CLOSE-UP PICTURE OF WHAT IS KNOWN AS THE BRIDGE OF THE GUITAR (YELLOW ARROW). THIS IS WHERE THE STRINGS ARE HELD FIXED INTO THE GUITAR BY THE BRIDGE PINS (BLUE ARROW).
HERE IS A CLOSE-UP PICTURE OF WHAT IS KNOWN AS THE ‘HEAD’ OF THE GUITAR. THE STRINGS ARE ATTACHED TO THE HEAD BY THE TUNING PEGS (YELLOW ARROW). THE PEGS ALSO ALLOW THE STRING TO BE TUNED. THE STRINGS ARE GUIDED INTO THE TUNING PEGS BY SMALL GROOVES ON THE ‘NUT’ OF THE GUITAR (BLUE ARROW). THE STRINGS ARE AS FOLLOWS FROM LEFT TO RIGHT-LOW E, A, D, G, B, HIGH E.
NOW THAT WE KNOW THE PARTS OF THE GUITAR THAT PERTAIN TO STRING CHANGING, LET’S GET STARTED. SINCE THERE ARE SIX STRINGS, I WONT BE SHOWING YOU HOW TO CHANGE ALL SIX, HOWEVER, I’LL SHOW YOU HOW TO CHANGE THE LOW E STRING AND THE HIGH E STRING. CHANGING THE REST IS JUST RINSING AND REPEATING WHAT WE’VE DONE ALREADY.
THE FIRST STEP:
LOOSEN THE LOW E STRING BY TURNING THE TUNING PEG. THE DIRECTION OF TURNING MAY VARY DEPENDING ON HOW THE STRINGS WERE PREVIOUSLY INSTALLED. I PREFER FOR THE STRINGS TO BECOME LOOSER BY TURNING THE TUNING PEGS TOWARDS ME, AND TIGHTER BY TURNING IT THE PEG AWAY FROM ME. YOU CAN CHECK WHICH WAY TO TURN THE PEG BY LISTENING TO THE SOUND OF THE STRING AS YOU TURN IT.
THE SECOND STEP:
REMOVE THE STRING FROM THE TUNING PEG.
THE THIRD STEP:
MOVE DOWN TO THE BRIDGE AND REMOVE THE BRIDGE PIN THAT HOLDS THE LOOSENED STRING INTO THE BRIDGE. ONCE THE PIN IS REMOVED, REMOVE THE STRING. NOTE — THE PIN MAY BE DIFFICULT TO REMOVE, DON’T FRET (GET IT?), RELAX AND WORK THE PIN OUT. YOU MAY NEED SOMETHING TO WEGDE IT OUT. THE LAST THING YOU WANT TO DO IS BREAK THE PIN IN THE BRIDGE.
THE REMOVAL OF THE REST OF THE STRINGS FOLLOW THE SAME THREE STEPS. SOME GUITARISTS REMOVE A STRING, AND IMMEDIATELY REPLACE IT WITH THE NEW ONE. PERSONALLY, IM INDIFFERENT, AS LONG AS THEY GET CHANGED, BUT IN ORDER TO SHOW YOU THE LOW AND HIGH E STRING REMOVAL AND INSTALLATION, ILL REMOVE THEM ALL, AND SHOW YOU THE INSTALLATION OF THOSE TWO. DISPOSE OF ALL SIX STRINGS PROPERLY IN THE TRASH, CAREFUL NOT TO POKE YOURSELF.
WITH THE STRINGS OFF, THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO USE A RAG AND CLEAN THE GUITAR, INCLUDING THE NECK AND BRIDGE.
TIME TO INSTALL NEW STRINGS.
THE FIRST STEP:
YOU MIGHT HAVE NOTICED THAT THERE IS A GROOVE CARVED INTO THE BRIDGE PINS. THIS MAKES ROOM FOR THE STRINGS WHILE THE PINS HOLD THE STRINGS DOWN INTO THE BRIDGE.
INSERT THE LOW E STRING INTO THE BRIDGE HOLE FOR THE STRING ABOUT AN INCH. FOLLOWING THIS, INSERT THE BRIDGE PIN WITH THE GROOVE IN THE BRIDGE PIN FACING THE STRING SO THAT THE STRING CAN REST IN THE GROOVE. PUSH THE PIN DOWN WITH MODERATE PRESSURE WHILE PULLING ON THE STRING TO MAKE SURE IT’S PROPERLY SEATED. YOU WANT THE KNOB AT THE END OF THE STRING TO SIT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PIN. ONCE SEATED PUSH ON THE PIN AGAIN TO MAKE SURE IT’S SEATED, DO NOT PRESS TOO HARD. THIS CAN DAMAGE THE INSTRUMENT.
THE SECOND STEP:
MOVE TO THE HEAD OF THE GUITAR AND INSERT THE LOW E STRING INTO IT’S TUNING PEG. MAKE SURE TO LEAVE ENOUNG SLACK IN THE STRING IN ORDER FOR THE STRING TO BE TIGHTENED. I PREFER TO HAVE ABOUT THREE INCHES OF SLACK BETWEEN THE STRING AND THE GUITAR NECK.
WRAP THE STRING AROUND ITSELF SO THAT WHEN YOU SPIN THE TUNING PEG, THE STRING WILL WRAP AROUND ITSELF HOLDING IT THERE.
TIGHTEN THE STRING, NOT TOO TIGHT THOUGH.
DO THE SAME THING WITH THE HIGH E STRING.
WRAP THE STRING AROUND ITSELF JUST LIKE THE LOW E STRING AND TIGHTEN THE TUNING PEG.
THE THIRD STEP
AFTER ALL THE STRINGS ARE ON THE GUITAR, SNIP THE EXCESS STRING.
