A Beginner's Guide to Stringing an Electric Guitar

One of th

e most basic forms of maintenance for guitar players is replacing their strings. Changing strings is a fairly simple process if you have the right tools. For this job, you will need a new set of strings, a string winder (optional), and a pair of wire cutters.

To begin, place the guitar on a flat surface along with all of the needed supplies.

Make sure that you can easily access the string tuners. Begin by loosening the strings with your string winder, or by hand.

Once the strings are loose, begin to remove them from the tuner by sliding the string through the opening on the side of each tuner. Once this is complete, the strings should be freely hanging from the guitar.

Depending on the type of bridge on the guitar, you may be able to pull the strings through the opening at the bridge and remove them. In the example pictures, my student’s guitar has a bridge that is designed to lead the strings through the back of the guitar to remove them.

After you have removed the strings, use a microfiber cloth to wipe down any dust or dirt that may have accumulated on the fretboard or near the pickups on the guitar body.

When cleaning off the fretboard, it may be a good idea to use some oil on the frets. However, if you have a finish on the fretboard, there is no need for this step. I recommend using F-One Oil by Music Nomad.