Instructions on Changing the Strings on an Acoustic Guitar

How to Change Acoustic Guitar Strings

Changing the strings is simply a fact of life for guitarists. Even the best strings will eventually wear out, rust, go dull or break. You can read our post about When to Change Your Guitar Strings for more information on this standard guitar maintenance.

Until guitar strings are invented that last forever — or until you’re famous enough to hire someone to do it for you — every guitarist should know how to change guitar strings. This guitar restringing guide is for anyone about to put new strings on for the first time or needs a refresher.

Before You Change Guitar Strings

So you’ve got your new acoustic guitar strings and are ready to get to work, right? Not quite. There are a few other things you need to do and know before you start changing strings.

• Set the guitar on a flat surface to work such as a table. Place a towel or sheet underneath the guitar to prevent scratching.
• Use a stack of books with a towel over it to balance the neck so it stays level and the guitar doesn’t tip as you work.
• Gather your supplies. You should have two sets of new strings so there are spares in case you accidentally break any while changing them. (Trust us, it will happen eventually.) We also recommend a wire cutter and a string peg winder or a set of pliers. While these tools aren’t required, they will make changing the strings a lot easier and safer.
• In most cases, you should change the guitar strings one at a time, finishing each string before moving to the next. This is to maintain tension in the neck and prevent warping.
• The only time you should remove all the strings at once is to do a thorough guitar cleaning and polishing (frets, fretboard, body, etc.). Start adding the new strings as soon as you are done with your other maintenance so the neck doesn’t go un-tensioned for too long.
• Be careful. The end of a new string is sharp, and it can easily scratch, cut or puncture your skin. It’s hard to play guitar with your fingertips covered in bandages.

Restringing an Acoustic Guitar

Now we’re finally ready to begin. Follow the instructions below to change the strings on an acoustic guitar:

1. Start with the low E string and begin reducing the tension in the string by turning the tuning knob using your fingers or the string winder. Pluck the string as you start turning to make sure you’re going in the right direction.

2. When the string is loose enough, remove the guitar string from the tuning knob post. (Some people cut the old strings when they’re loose, but we prefer to not have any more sharp ends around than necessary.)

3. Very gently remove the bridge pin with a guitar tool or non-abrasive set of pliers and pull the string from the bridge pin hole.

4. Insert the new string in the open bridge pin hole and insert the bridge pin by pressing it firmly.

5. Hold the bridge pin in place with your thumb and pull the string until the string ball end contacts the bridge pin. You can put a small bend in the string just above the ball end before inserting it into the hole to make sure it catches properly.

6. Gently pull the string over the bridge and nut to the tuning knob post and insert the string into the post.

7. Manually pull the string as far through the post as you can, then pull it back a little bit — no more than the space between the nut and the first fret — so there’s some extra to wrap around the post. Be aware that too much extra, especially on the lower strings, can cause the post to bind up before your new string is tight enough.

8. Begin turning the tuning knob so that the post rotates in a counterclockwise direction when looking at the post from above. Be sure the string winds "down" the post. (The post should rotate in a clockwise direction for the G, B and high E strings.) The string should also be in the correct notch on both the bridge and nut — you don’t want your A string to be anchored where the D string is supposed to go.

9. Turn the tuning knob and increase the tension in the string slowly and carefully to reduce the risk of breaking the string.

10. We recommend using a quality guitar tuner when tuning your strings for the first time to make sure you do not tune the strings too tight.

11. Once the string is in tune or close to it, use your wire cutters to clip the end of the string so it doesn’t flop around or scratch you.

12. Repeat this process for every string.

13. Once you’ve changed all the strings, go back and tune the guitar again. In addition to the strings stretching, removing and adding each string causes tension changes that will alter the remaining strings. (Remember that it could take a few days for the strings to fully settle.)

Want to see these steps in action? Click here to watch this video from D’Addario showing you how to change guitar strings.

Getting the Right Guitar Strings

If you’re going to be changing your strings anyway, it’s a great time to try out a new style. Read our guide on How to Choose the Best Acoustic Guitar Strings for expert advice. We have a huge collection of acoustic guitar strings at discounted prices you can find new sets to experiment or get more of what’s tried and true.