Changing your classical guitar strings might seem daunting at first, but it’s a fundamental skill every guitarist should learn. Whether you’re a complete beginner or looking to refine your restringing technique, this guide will walk you through the process step-by-step, ensuring your nylon-string guitar sounds its best.
Gathering Your Supplies
Before you begin, make sure you have everything you need for a smooth string change. Here’s a quick checklist:
- New Classical Guitar Strings: Nylon strings are specifically designed for classical guitars. Ensure you have the correct set.
- String Winder (Optional but Recommended): A string winder tool can significantly speed up the winding process at the headstock.
- Wire Cutters: For trimming excess string after restringing.
- Tuning Fork or Electronic Tuner: To tune your guitar to standard pitch after stringing.
Step-by-Step Guide to Restringing Your Classical Guitar
Follow these steps to replace your classical guitar strings effectively:
1. Removing the Old Strings
If you have old strings on your guitar, you’ll need to remove them first. You can either unwind them at the tuning pegs or use wire cutters to snip them for quicker removal. Be careful not to scratch your guitar’s headstock or bridge during this process. Once loosened, you can usually pull the strings out from the bridge tie block and the tuning pegs.
2. Attaching the New Strings at the Bridge
Classical guitars utilize a tie-block bridge, which is different from steel-string guitars. Here’s how to correctly attach the strings:
- Insert the String: Take your new E string (the thickest string, also known as the 6th string) and insert the plain end through the bridge hole, coming from the soundhole side of the bridge. Pull it through so you have a good length to work with on the other side of the bridge.
- Create a Loop: Bring the string end back over the top of the bridge towards the soundhole. Create a loop around the string itself.
- Tie the Knot: Tuck the string end under the loop you just created and pull it tight. This forms a knot that secures the string to the bridge. Repeat this knotting process one or two more times to ensure a secure hold. For the thicker bass strings, you might want to do this three times for extra security.
- Repeat for All Strings: Follow the same process for all six strings, starting with the E string, then A, D, G, B, and finally the high E string. Ensure each string is properly seated and knotted on the bridge.
3. Stringing at the Headstock and Tuning Pegs
Classical guitars have slotted headstocks, and stringing them requires a specific technique:
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Thread Through the Peg: Locate the correct tuning peg for the string you are working with. For the E string (6th string), it’s usually the lowest peg. Insert the string end into the hole in the tuning peg.
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Wind the String: Begin winding the tuning peg to take up the slack in the string. As you wind, guide the string around the tuning peg post. For most classical guitars, you’ll wind the string outwards, away from the center of the headstock. However, observe your headstock layout. If winding inwards prevents the string from touching the wood of the headstock between the nut and the tuning post, that might be preferable.
Note: In this image, you can see how the strings are wound around the tuning pegs of a classical guitar headstock.
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Maintain Tension and Neat Coils: As you wind, keep some tension on the string to avoid slack and aim for neat, overlapping coils around the tuning peg. Neat coils help with tuning stability.
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Trim Excess String: Once the string is reasonably taut and you have a few winds around the peg, use wire cutters to snip off the excess string end. Leave a little bit of string extending past the tuning peg hole – don’t cut it too close.
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Repeat for All Strings: Repeat steps 1-4 for all six strings, moving from the thickest to the thinnest.
4. Tuning Your Newly Strung Guitar
After stringing all the strings, it’s time to tune your classical guitar. Use a tuning fork, electronic tuner, or a tuning app to tune to standard pitch (E A D G B e from thickest to thinnest).
- Initial Tuning: Nylon strings stretch significantly, especially when new. You’ll likely need to tune up the strings repeatedly as they settle. Tune each string up to pitch, then go back and check them again.
- Stretching the Strings: To speed up the settling process, you can gently stretch the strings. Grip a string in the middle and gently pull it away from the guitar body, along its length. Don’t pull too hard; a gentle stretch is sufficient. Retune after stretching. Repeat this process a few times for each string.
- Fine Tuning: After stretching and initial tuning, your strings should be closer to staying in tune. Continue to fine-tune your guitar to standard pitch. You will likely need to retune several times over the first few days as the new strings continue to stretch and settle.
Considerations for Classical Guitar Strings
Headstock Contact and String Winding Direction
As mentioned earlier, when winding strings around the tuning pegs, consider the string path from the nut to the tuning post. Ideally, you want to avoid the string kinking or pressing hard against the wood of the headstock.
While generally, winding outwards is standard, if winding inwards helps to prevent string contact with the headstock, that’s perfectly acceptable and sometimes even preferred. The goal is a smooth string path for optimal tuning and to avoid any potential buzzing or string breakage issues caused by unnecessary friction.
Nylon String Stretch and Tuning Stability
Nylon strings are known for their elasticity and can take some time to fully stretch and stabilize. This is why new nylon strings often require frequent retuning, especially in the initial days after stringing.
Stretching the strings gently as described above, and persistent tuning, will help them settle in faster. Be patient, and within a short time, your new classical guitar strings will hold their tuning much better, allowing you to fully enjoy playing.
By following these steps, you’ll be able to confidently string your classical guitar and keep it sounding its best. Regular string changes, typically every 1-3 months depending on playing frequency, are essential for maintaining optimal tone and playability on your classical guitar.
