How to Restring an Acoustic Guitar

How to Restring an Acoustic Guitar

1) Removing the Old Strings
1) Firstly turn the machine heads clockwise to make the strings slack and then remove the strings from the tuning pegs.	2) At the bridge pin, push the string into the body of the guitar. Do not worry if you can not move the string as sometimes they can be tight. If so go to step 5.	3) You should be able to remove the bridge pins easily. You may need a Bridge Pin Puller to remove the bridge pins if they are tight.	4) Now carfully remove the old strings from the holes. Remember which hole the thickest string was in. Please recycle old guitar strings.	5) Use the bridge Pin puller to lever out the bridge pins if they are very stiff. Place the pins to one side.

2) Give the Guitar a Good Clean
Without the strings is now a great time to get the polish out and give your guitar a thorough clean.	If you have some lemon oil, put this on a cloth and rub into the finger board to nourish the wood.	Make sure you clean both sides of the frets as this is where a lot of dirt builds up.	Now give your guitar a thorough polish.

3) Putting New Strings on an Acoustic Guitar
With all the new strings, at the ball end make a 45° bend. This will help the string stay in place.	Take the thickest string and push the ball through the hole that used to home the old thickest string.	Take one of the bridge pins that you removed earlier. Note it has a slot cut in it, this should house the string and the slot should face toward the neck.	Push the bridge pin firmly into the hole with the thickest string. Only use enough pressure to push it into place. Do not try to jam it in and do not use glue.	Do the same with the remaining strings, gradually going from the thickest string to the thinnest string.
Once all the strings are in place, gently pull on each one to make sure the ball is at the bottom of the bridge pin.	Start with the thickest string. Draw it over the saddle and over the top nut to the machine heads	Pass the string through the tuning peg (from the inside to the outside) and pull it some-what tight.	Pass the string around the back of the tuning peg and under itself.	Now fold the string over top of itself.
Turn the machine head anti clockwise to tighten the string.	Push the remainder of the string down.	Now take a pair of wire cutters. Here we use the Planet Waves Pro Winder, which has a built in string winder, cutter and bridge pin puller.	Snip off the exess string.	Do the same for the remaining 5 strings, gradually working from the thickest to the thinnest.