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How to restring a steel
string acoustic guitar
By Team 3
Table of Contents
iii
Introduction ................................................................................... v
Chapter 1: removing the strings .................................................... 3
Chapter 1 ...................................................................................... 3
When to change your guitar strings .............................................. 4
Recommended Items for restringing a guitar ................................ 5
How to remove guitar strings ........................................................ 6
Chapter 2: Stringing the guitar .................................................... 15
Chapter 2 .................................................................................... 15
How to attach string with peg ...................................................... 16
Proper string length ..................................................................... 17
How to wind string and tightening direction ................................. 18
Rechecking Work ........................................................................ 20
Index ........................................................................................... 21
Introduction
v
Introduction
Welcome fellow guitarist! We are glad to see you make the step towards
total guitar maintenance. This manual will teach you how to restring your
steel string acoustic guitar. It is important to note that there is not just one
way to restring a guitar. In fact there are many ways and different steps to
complete this process. This manual will teach you one correct way to
restring a guitar with ease.
The manual teaches you:
 When to change your strings
 What you will need to change your strings
 How to change your strings
You can look back at this manual any time to support you on
learning to restring a guitar. Good luck and enjoy!
Chapter 1: removing the strings
Guitar and String diagram
When to change guitar strings
Recommended items for restringing a
guitar
How to remove guitar strings
Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Acoustic Guitar diagram
String Diagram
Hello, here is a brief guitar diagram and string diagram to help
throughout the process restringing your guitar. Refer back to the
diagram if you are unfamiliar with the vocabulary in the manual.
3
4
Restringing A Guitar
When to change your guitar strings
Being a musician means being unique and having your own style,
because of this some guitarist like worn in strings and others like
fresh strings on their guitars. This makes it hard to know when the
best time to change your guitar strings is. While there is no hard
or fast rule as to when to change your guitar strings there are a
few signs that let you know it’s time to change your strings.
 Dirty- the guitar strings have been on long enough to
become discolored. This is often caused by skin and oils
from your hand dirtying your strings.
 Dull- the sound of your strings isn’t as sharp and clean as it
used to be. It doesn’t mean it makes flat notes but just not
as bright as new strings.
 Duration- it is becoming harder to keep your strings in tune
due to excessive wear.
Chapter 1
5
Recommended Items for restringing a
guitar
1. Wire cutters- common household item that is necessary to
complete the restringing process
2. Steel Acoustic Guitar Strings- make sure you get acoustic
steel strings because they are not interchangeable with other
guitar. Whether you get light, medium-light, or medium is all
preference
3. Guitar string winder- not necessary but very useful to
assist in changing strings. Strongly recommend getting one
for future use
4. Microfiber towel- any towel or cloth will work. This will be
used to clean your headstock and frets where you would
normally not be able to clean due the overlaying strings.
6
Restringing A Guitar
How to remove guitar strings
Warning! Before starting the string removal process, first find a
location for you to lay down your guitar safely. Focus on not
putting excessive pressure on either the neck or body of the
guitar.
1. Loosen the strings by turning your tuning knobs clockwise
(this is if your guitar was correctly strung previously). Loosen
your strings from low to high( E-A-D-G-B-e)
Loosening strings from Low to High
Chapter 1
7
2. Either loosen the strings enough to unwind by hand from the
machine head or loosen the strings then cut them above the
rosette (hole in middle of guitar) and proceed to removing
string halves from machine head.
Unwinding by hand from machine head
Cutting strings above rosette
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Restringing A Guitar
3. The strings should be hanging by the string pegs, remove all
the strings and string pegs. If peg is stuck- It helps to push
the strings in the peg holes while pulling peg out. Also note
that most string winders have a peg lever to help remove
pegs safely.
Removing each strings peg and guitar string
Chapter 1
9
4. All the strings should be removed at this point along with
guitar pegs. Gather all used strings and wind into a circle to
reduce mess
Coiling used strings
5. Wipe down all the parts of the guitar that were previously in
accessible by strings. This includes the headstock, neck,
and the area near the bridge. Also keep pegs in a safe spot.
Wiping neck of guitar
10
Restringing A Guitar
Wiping area near bridge
Wiping Headstock
Chapter 1
11
Keeping pegs together
6. Everything should be wiped down and at this time check to
make sure all your machine head nuts are tight (these only
need to be hand tightened)
Hand tightening machine head nuts
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Restringing A Guitar
This concludes the removal process of your guitar strings. Feel
free to look back over the steps if you feel you overlooked any of
the steps.
Chapter 2: Stringing the guitar
How to attach string with peg
Proper string length
How to wind string and tightening
direction
Rechecking work
Chapter 2
Chapter 2
1. Assemble your new strings. Notice you will be stringing in
the order from lowest to highest (E-A-D-G-B-e)
New strings in order for stringing (54->12)
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Restringing A Guitar
2. Place the E-string in the peg hole making sure the peg slit is
facing the bridge of the guitar. It helps to apply slight tension
on the string to help seat the string on the bridge.
Placing E-string in peg hole while applying tension
Chapter 2
3. Run the other end of the string in the hole in the machine
head. This is the time to measure out the length of the
distance of 1 ½ machine heads and cut the extra slack.
Warning! By cutting too much string you risk not having
enough slack. This will make your new string useless
Measuring and Cutting the E-string at 1 ½ machine head
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Restringing A Guitar
4. Pull the slack out of the string so that only a small length of
string is left trough the machine head. You want to bend this
piece of string so that it catches on the loop. Then while
holding the string you want to tighten your tuner by turning it
clock wise. Continuing tightening until no more slack
remains, making that each new loop is underneath the
proceeding loop.
Warning! By tightening your strings clockwise you risk the
chance of stringing your guitar on the outside of the
headstock which can damage your upper bridge.
Finished E-string
Chapter 2
19
5. Proceed to do these exact steps to the next five strings are
finished. Your finished guitar should look like this:
Finished strung guitar
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Restringing A Guitar
Rechecking Work
Make sure that the strings are properly seated in both the upper
and lower bridges. That all the string pegs are properly seated
and the strings a strung from the inside of the headstock.
Finished guitar headstock
Chapter 2
21
Finished guitar bridge
Index
22
Restringing A Guitar