How to Change Electric Guitar Strings: A Comprehensive Guide

Keeping your electric guitar in top condition is crucial for any player, and a key aspect of maintenance is knowing how to change your strings. Fresh strings can dramatically improve your instrument’s sound, tuning stability, and overall playability. Whether you’re replacing a single broken string or giving your guitar a complete refresh with a new set, this guide will provide you with the confidence and knowledge to change your electric guitar strings like a pro.

When Should You Replace Your Electric Guitar Strings?

There’s no hard and fast rule for how often you should change your electric guitar strings, but a common recommendation is every three months or after approximately 100 hours of playing time. However, this can vary significantly based on your playing style and environment. Factors like how aggressively you play, whether you use a pick, the amount you sweat, and even environmental humidity can affect string life.

The best approach is to regularly inspect your strings, ideally once a week. Look for signs of wear and tear such as:

• Corrosion: Discoloration or rust on the strings.
• Fraying: Strings unwinding or becoming rough to the touch, especially near the bridge and frets.
• Dull Tone: A noticeable lack of brightness and sustain compared to when the strings were new.
• Difficulty Staying in Tune: Strings that constantly go out of tune, even after proper stretching.

Even if you only notice minor wear, replacing your strings sooner rather than later is advisable. Fresh strings will revitalize your guitar’s tone and feel, making your playing experience much more enjoyable.

Essential Tools for Changing Electric Guitar Strings

Before you begin, gather these recommended supplies to make the string-changing process smooth and efficient:

• A Stable Flat Surface: A table or workbench where you can comfortably lay your guitar.
• Neck Support: A guitar stand or a soft pillow to support the guitar neck and protect it from damage.
• New Electric Guitar Strings: Choose your preferred gauge and brand of strings. Consider having extra single strings on hand for emergencies.
• Polishing Cloth: A soft cloth to clean your guitar’s fretboard and body.
• Wire Cutters: For safely clipping old strings and excess string length.
• Eye Protection: Safety glasses or goggles to protect your eyes from snapping strings.
• String Winder: A manual or electric string winder to speed up the winding process.
• Optional: Blue Masking Tape: Helpful for securing the bridge and tailpiece when replacing all strings at once.

Step-by-Step Guide: Restringing Your Electric Guitar

Follow these steps to efficiently and safely change your electric guitar strings.

Step 1: Prepare Your Guitar and Loosen the Strings

Begin by placing your guitar on your prepared flat surface. Position your neck support (stand or pillow) under the neck to elevate the headstock slightly. A stable workspace is crucial as many steps require both hands, and you need your guitar to remain secure and prevent accidental damage.

Step 2: Safely Remove the Old Strings

Safety First: Always loosen strings before clipping them. Cutting a string under full tension can be dangerous and potentially harm your guitar’s finish or, more importantly, yourself.

Replacing a Single String:

1. Using wire cutters, clip the string at the midpoint between the pickups and the bridge.
2. Carefully guide the longer portion of the string away from the guitar body.
3. Gently unthread the shorter piece of string from the tailpiece. Placing a polishing cloth beneath the tailpiece can prevent scratches to the guitar’s finish during this step.
4. Once the tailpiece end is removed, take the longer portion of the string and unwind it from the tuning peg at the headstock.

Replacing All Strings:

1. Repeat the single-string removal process for each string.
2. When removing all strings simultaneously, be aware that the bridge and tailpiece may become loose without string tension. To prevent them from falling off and potentially scratching your guitar, use blue masking tape to secure each side of the bridge and tailpiece to the guitar body.
3. Alternatively, if you don’t have masking tape, you can replace strings in sets of three. Change three strings while leaving the other three in place to maintain tension on the bridge and tailpiece. This “half-removal” method achieves the same stability as using masking tape.

Step 3: Installing the New Electric Guitar Strings

Installing a Single String:

1. Thread the new string through the corresponding hole in the tailpiece, ensuring the ball end is seated securely against the tailpiece.
2. Bring the unwound end of the string up towards the headstock.

Installing a Full Set of Strings:

1. For easier access, you can remove the tailpiece completely.
2. Thread the ball end of each new string into its respective hole in the tailpiece. Gibson string sets and most other brands are labeled to help you identify the correct string for each position (e.g., 1st string – high E, 6th string – low E).
3. Reattach the tailpiece to the guitar body.
4. Drape the unwound ends of all the strings over the nut and towards the headstock tuning pegs.

Step 4: Restringing the Headstock: Two Proven Methods

There are two common and effective methods for winding strings onto the tuning pegs: the Simple Method and the Z-Wrap Method. Both ensure tuning stability.

Simple String Winding Method:

1. Pull the new string taut and estimate the length needed to wrap around the tuning peg. Cut off the excess string, leaving approximately 2.5 to 3 inches beyond the tuning post.
2. Orient the tuning peg hole perpendicular to the guitar neck. Thread the string through the hole from the inside of the headstock outwards, leaving a small amount (about 1/16″-1/8″) protruding from the hole.
3. Bend the string slightly at the point where it enters the tuning peg hole.
4. Use a string winder to turn the tuning key, winding the string around the peg. As you wind, apply gentle downward pressure on the string. This ensures each new wrap sits below the previous one, creating a neat and stable winding. Crisscrossing wraps can lead to tuning instability as they can slip and shift.

Master Luthier Jim DeCola demonstrates the simple string winding method, applying downward pressure for stable wraps.

Z-Wrap String Winding Method:

1. Position the tuning peg hole perpendicular to the neck. Thread the new string through the hole from inside the headstock outwards. Unlike the Simple Method, do not trim the string yet.
2. Pull about an inch of slack through the tuning peg hole. Bend both the incoming and outgoing string segments clockwise around the tuning post, forming a “Z” shape.
3. Begin winding the string using a string winder, again applying downward pressure to ensure wraps are below each other.
4. Once the string is mostly wound and tensioned, use wire cutters to snip off the excess string extending beyond the tuning peg.

Master Luthier Jim DeCola demonstrates the Z-Wrap method, highlighting the initial Z-bend for string locking.

Step 5: Stretching and Tuning Your New Strings

The final, crucial step is stretching your new strings. Stretching removes initial slack and significantly improves tuning stability.

1. Grip the string with your thumb and index finger around the middle of the guitar’s body.
2. Gently pull the string upwards, away from the fretboard, and run your hand along the string’s length from the bridge to the neck. Allow the string to slip through your fingers slightly to avoid hand strain or injury if the string were to break.
3. Tune the string back up to pitch.
4. Repeat the stretching and tuning process several times for each string. You’ll notice that each time you stretch, the string will fall flat and require retuning. Continue until the string holds its pitch consistently after stretching.

Congratulations! You have successfully changed the strings on your electric guitar. Enjoy the improved tone and playability that fresh strings provide. For a more in-depth visual guide, explore this detailed video tutorial with Master Luthier Jim DeCola: Gibson Electric Guitar Restringing Video.

Need Additional Guidance?

If you have further questions or desire personalized advice, consider scheduling a free virtual consultation with a Gibson Virtual Guitar Tech. They offer expert one-on-one video consultations to assist you with any aspect of your Gibson family of brands instruments: Gibson Virtual Guitar Tech.