Steps to Changing Electric Guitar Strings

Changing electric guitar strings is easier with some tools at hand:

• A pair of wire-cutters to cut the strings.
• A pair of pliers to help you get the ends of the old strings out of the tuning pegs so that you will not cut your fingers.
• A string winder to speed up the loosening and tightening of the strings.

How to remove old guitar strings:

1. Loosen the sixth string (low E) with a string winder.
   
   
2. When the string is totally slack, cut it in near the bridge and near the tuning peg so that you do not have to pull the whole string through them. It also reduces the chance of scratching the paintwork of your guitar when removing the string.
   
   
3. When cutting the string, make sure that the string has no tension. Otherwise, it can be dangerous. If necessary, use the pliers to carefully work the end of the string out of the tuning peg.
   

How to put on guitar strings:

1. Open your new set of electric guitar strings. Find the sixth string and remove it from its package. You will notice that it has a ball end and a plain end. Feed the plain end of the new string through the hole in the bridge. Draw it through until the ball end comes to rest in the bridge.
   
   
2. Pull the string up towards the head of your guitar and slide it through the hole in the tuning peg. Leave some slack in the string as that is going to turn into windings around the post. Hold it in place with your index finger at the tuning peg.
   
   
3. Turn the turner in a counter-clockwise direction to wind the new string using the string winder. The string will start to wrap round the post. Take the free end and bend it upwards so that it is out of your way.
   
   
4. Keep turning the tuning peg and keep the string tight with your other hand. As it tightens, check that the string is in line with the groove on the nut and at the bridge end. Make sure that there are two to three full coils of string wrapped around the tuning peg so that it will be stable. Try to make the coils as neat as
   possible.
   
   
5. Bring the string into approximate tune so continue to tighten the string with the tuning peg while checking the pitch. You also need to stretch the new string as it may have trouble staying in tune. Pull it about one inch away from the surface of the guitar. The string will probably have gone flat. Re-tune the string then
   repeat the process, until it no longer falls out of tune.
   
   
6. Once the string is in place and in tune, trim the excess string protruding from the tuning peg with a pair of wire-cutters.
   

Once you had changed the sixth string, repeat the above steps for each remaining strings on your electric guitar. Although changing electric guitar strings may seem difficult and time-consuming at the start, it will be part of the necessary maintenance after you have done it a few times.