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How to Properly Restring an Electric Guitar

Who else wants to learn how to properly restring an electric guitar?

It’s no secret that learning how to properly restring an electric guitar can seem intimidating.

It can be difficult to even know where to begin!

Figuring out how to remove the strings, how to put them back on, and how to re-tune them can be confusing.

Plus, people often wonder if they could break something and are often concerned about whether they should change their strings themselves or not.

Worry not!

Today we’ll lay out the easiest and quickest way to properly restring an electric guitar.

Remember to take it easy, go step by step, and don’t worry.

It’s very unlikely that you’ll do any damage to your guitar.

Best of all, once you’ve changed the strings on your guitar a few times you’ll feel like an expert and wonder what all of the worry was about.

Check it out!

Image by IronAgeGuitar from Pixabay

How to Properly Restring an Electric Guitar: Removing Your Old String

Starting with the low E string is best.

Only change one string at a time so you don’t mix them up.

Changing one string at a time also means your bridge won’t need adjusting after you’ve changed your strings.

So, starting with the low E, the thickest string.

Step 1:

  • First, loosen the string as much as you can by turning the tuner on the headstock of the guitar. 
  • Next, pull the string out of the post hole. You may have to unwrap it from the post a bit before it will come off.
  • Finally, pull the string through the bridge of your guitar until it’s free. 
    • You may need to push it through the bridge first by grabbing it by the bridge pickup and pushing it towards the bridge. 
    • Once it’s through, just grab the ball end and pull it free.

At this point, you’ve successfully removed the string and are ready to replace it.

Image by Terri Sharp from Pixabay

How to Properly Restring an Electric Guitar: Restringing Your Guitar

This step is pretty much the reverse of the previous step.

If you get confused, look at the other strings that are still on your guitar.

Follow the pattern of how they’re wrapped and you should be fine.

Step 2:

  • First, get your new string and unwind it.
  • Next, take the end that doesn’t have a ball attached to it, and string it through your bridge.
  • Pull the string all the way through until the ball end stops it at the bridge.
  • Then, wrap the string around the post once before inserting it into the post hole.
    • This helps to securely anchor the string and prevents it from slipping.
  • Next, start tightening the string using the tuner until it picks up the remaining slack.
    • Make sure the string is being wound in the proper direction and it is being wound below the string that’s already wound on the post.
  • Stop when the string is taught. 
    • You can tune it to pitch at this point, but it’ll go out of tune until the string is stretched properly.
  • Now you can repeat this process until you’ve replaced each of the strings on your guitar.
Image by Кирилл Ермилов from Pixabay

How to Properly Restring an Electric Guitar: Tuning Your Guitar

Now that you’ve changed all of your strings, you’re ready to stretch out your strings and tune up your guitar.

Step 3:

  • Start by tuning your low E string to pitch
    • Don’t worry if it drops out of tune again. That’s to be expected.
  • Tune the rest of your strings in the same order you changed them.
    • The idea is to get all of your strings in the ballpark of being tuned.
  • Stretch your strings by snapping them along the fretboard and body a few times.
    • This allows your strings to be stretched out all along their length.
  • Re-Tune your strings starting from the low E again.
    • Most likely, they’ll have gone out of tune and need to be adjusted as they stretch out to their final length.
  • Play! and re-tune as needed until they stay in tune on their own.

This shouldn’t take more than 5 or 10 minutes at the most.

Once they’re staying in tune, you’re all set and can clip the ends off of the string at the tuning post. 

Leave a few millimeters of string when you clip it so the string stays anchored.

Your strings will still need to be tuned up before you play since they’ll still stretch a bit, but it should only be a minor adjustment.

Image by rdur from Pixabay

FAQ

  • What is the proper way to string an electric guitar?
    1. Only change one string at a time.
    2. Loosen the string until you can pull it out of the post.
    3. Pull the string free of the bridge.
    4. Thread new string through bridge.
    5. Wrap and thread new string through tuning post.
    6. Tighten and tune the string to pitch.
    7. Stretch and re-tune the string until it stays in tune.
  • Can you restring an electric guitar yourself?
    • Absolutely, yes. It can seem intimidating at first but just like anything else it gets easier with practice.
    • Changing the strings on your electric guitar is a skill that’s well worth learning and will seem easy once you get the hang of it.
    • Remember that mistakes aren’t fatal and as long as you change one string at a time, you won’t damage your guitar.
  • Is Restringing an electric guitar easy?
    • It’s easy once you get the hang of it. You can’t really break anything, although you can knock some things out of what if you try to change all of your strings at the same time. Some bridge designs use the tension of the strings to keep the bridge in place, so as long as you change them one at a time you should have no problems.