Guitar tips

How to add new strings

A simple and effective way to replace your guitar strings.

Howto: Strings installation on electric guitars.

Depending on how your guitar tuning pegs are installed you’ll need to wind either clockwise or anticlockwise.
The instructions provided below are for a right handed guitar, with the lower section of a 3 up 3 down tuners.

1) Line up the tuner’s hole so that it is in parallel with the strings (or guitar neck).

2) Thread the new string through the hole.

3) Allowing approximately 5 cm (2”) of slack, turn back the leftover string (anticlockwise) in parallel with the neck.

4) By holding the slack string vertically (90^o from the guitar neck) slide the leftover string under the slack section and return it over the slack string, now pull back the remaining string (towards the guitar headstock) low by the side of the tuning peg.

5) Now start winding the new string on your guitar

Once you tuned that guitar string, you will need to gently stretch it so that it will get nice and tight at the tuner’s end and avoiding going flat while bending the string. To stretch your strings do the following:

6) Grab the new guitar string (I prefer doing this in the middle of the beck and bridge pick ups) by putting you 4 fingers under it

7) Place your thumb (from the same hand) on top of the string and gently twist (pivot) your wrist away from the headstock a couple times.

You should note that the string will de-tune (go flat).

8) Retune that string and play your guitar. 

9) All that it is left to do is to cut the excess string.

If after a short while your string sounds flat, repeat steps 6 and 7.

Tip: If you find that every time you pick up your guitar to play, it sounds tuned sharp, instead of de tuning the stings, first try to stretch the string /s. This works well especially with guitars that have a tremolo installed. 

Guitar cleaning and maintenance

This video shows the procedures for Taylor acoustic guitar but you can apply the same rules on a electric guitar too.

How to polish, clean and oil your guitar. This video will show you how to remove old or worn out strings, what type of polish to use, how to apply it, how to clean the fret board using using 0000 wire wool. Using oil type and how to apply it.

Making a guitar “Stage Ready Set Up”

This video shows another way to calculate the length of strings overlap for a correct amount of windings and the way to stretch the strings so to minimise out of tuning during playing. Making a guitar “stage ready”.