How To Restring An Acoustic Guitar
Unwind the string by turning the tuner counter-clockwise
Using your guitar string winder, being unwinding by turning the tuner on the low ‘E’ string counter-clockwise. If the guitar was strung improperly you may have to turn clockwise to unwind. For this guide I will show you how to completely remove a string before moving on to the next string.
Remove the string from the tuner
Once the string is completely unwound you can remove the string from the tuner.
Remove the bridge pin and pull out the string
Once the string is completely loosened from the neck, remove the corresponding bridge pin and pull out the string.
Repeat steps 1-3 on each string until all strings and bridge pins are removed
Place the new string into the proper hole in the bridge
Place the bridge pin and pull up gently on the string
Place the bridge pin into the hole and pull up slightly on the string. This should secure the string and bridge pin in place.
Place the other end of the string through the tuner hole
Place it so the end of the string is facing away from the guitar. Pull the string tight enough to leave a few inches of slack in the string.
Pull the string behind the tuner then underneath the string
As seen in the picture, this will lock the string in place once you start tightening it.
Begin winding the tuner
Wind the tuner until you can easily pull the string and create a 2-3 inch space between the string and the body of the guitar.
Cut the excess string
Using pliers or string cutters simply cut away the excess guitar string from the tuner.
Repeat steps 5-10 until all of the guitar strings are in place
Make sure to pay attention to the string sizes and place them in order. It’s sometimes difficult to tell by looking at them, but the string sizes are often written on the package.