How to string an acoustic guitar. How to tie nylon strings

And so old nylon strings on your classical guitar They have served their purpose, and the time has come to replace them with newer and clearer ones. The methods of attaching strings on classical and acoustic guitars are fundamentally different. Therefore, when buying new strings, make sure that you bought strings specifically for a classical guitar. We have already talked about the variety of strings for classical guitar in one of our articles called.

Attention! When tuning and replacing strings, try to hold the guitar with the front soundboard away from you, since the total tension force of all 6 nylon strings of a classical guitar can reach up to 50 kg, and if a string breaks, it can damage your face or eyes.

This step-by-step instruction will help you easily and quickly change the strings on your guitar.

We remove the old strings.

If, when removing old nylon strings, it becomes necessary to cut the string, then use a special tool (nippers) for this, and be sure to loosen the tension of the strings in advance. Sudden changes in string tension can damage the neck, and a string that is bitten under tension can injure you or scratch the guitar. To tighten or loosen the tension of the strings, it is convenient to use a special “Stringwider” spinning machine, with which it is convenient to quickly turn the pegs. Removing the old strings is not a difficult process in itself, and I don't think it will take you much time.

Guitar care.

After you remove the old strings from the guitar, you will need to wipe the dust off the body of the guitar with a soft flannel and rub the polished surfaces of the guitar with a special polish (except for the matte finish). It is recommended to clean the guitar fretboard with a special conditioner containing lemon oil.

Fastening the strings to the tailpiece (bridge).

Before you start installing new strings, take a piece of construction paper and place it on the back of the tailpiece. This will help prevent accidental scratches on the body of the guitar. It is most convenient to install the strings in pairs next sequence: 1-6 / 2-5 / 3-4.

Take the string and insert it into the hole in the tailpiece, leaving a 4-5 cm long end for tying a knot. Then wrap the tail of the string around the string as if you were trying to tie a knot.

Next, wrap the tail of the string around the string 2-3 times, i.e. make a double knot or braid as shown in the picture. Then grab the tail of the string with one hand and gently pull the main string with the other hand. The braid will tighten and you will get a strong and beautiful knot.

Attention! Very important point! The tip of the string must be pressed against the bridge in the area of ​​the back wall below the sharp edge of the bridge. This is shown in the figure (side view). If the tip of the string is pressed from above, then under the force of tension the knot will be untied and the string will be released.

Attaching strings to pegs.

The picture shows the attachment of nylon strings to the tuning mechanisms of a classical guitar.

After installing all the nylon strings, the guitar is tuned using a tuning fork or digital tuner.

Adviсe:

Carefully and accurately place the strings on the stand and pegs.

The tighter and neater the loops and winding are, the faster you can tune the strings to tune.

Happy guitar playing!

The need to carry out work to replace guitar strings arises if the sound produced is not ringing enough. A dull and short sound may be the first signal that new strings should be installed. Resolving this issue may involve some difficulties, so it is recommended to become a little more familiar with the technology of the work.

The process of installing strings on classical and electric guitar may differ slightly. In both cases, it is necessary to adhere to a certain sequence of actions.

Features of changing strings on a classical guitar

There are two ways to install strings on a classical guitar. Regardless of which one is chosen, at the initial stage it is recommended to get rid of the old material. Simply cutting off the old strings can loosen the tension on the neck. This may damage the item. Among other things, this method is traumatic. To keep the neck under tension at all times, it is recommended to change the strings one at a time.

The video shows how to correctly change the strings to acoustic guitar:

Another important issue that will have to be resolved in this case is the correct choice of strings. It is not recommended to use steel variations of products. They can put excessive pressure on the neck of the neck, which eventually causes cracks and bends. All this has a negative impact on the sound of the instrument.

Method No. 1

In this case, the strings are pulled over the edge of the nut. Initially, the sixth string is threaded through the nut from the inside out. After this, a loop is made and it is passed through the second half of the string.

It is very important here to ensure that it is well pressed to the deck. Otherwise, the string will stick out, which will lead to its weakening during further use.

At the next stage, the strongest knot is tightened so that the string can be gradually tightened for tuning. The fifth and fourth strings are installed in a similar manner. The installation method for the first three products is slightly different.

So, the third string is threaded through the nut, and then passed through the loop three times. Such measures ensure that it is firmly fixed as firmly as possible and will not slide off during the game. After this, the string is tightened into the strongest possible knot. The procedure is then repeated with the second and first strings.

Method No. 2

Here the strings are installed through the edge of the neck of the neck. To allow this question, you need to rotate the peg until the hole appears. Then the string is threaded through it once.

The next step of installation is to push the string through the hole around the collar, after which the loose string can be tensioned as with a standard tuning.

Replacing strings on an electric guitar

In this case, you should also initially get rid of the old strings. It is best to do this in pairs - remove the sixth string together with the first, the fifth - with the second, and so on. This will avoid possible bending of the neck. The strings are installed in the same order.

At the initial stage of installation, the string is threaded into a holder, the design of which is determined by the features of a particular model. After this, it is threaded into the peg leg. In this case, the optimal length is set. To resolve this issue, the guitar should be placed on your lap and adjusted. Here you need to make sure that the string does not jump out of the peg.

Replacing strings on an electric guitar with a Floyd Rose tremolo:

Tension is carried out by rotating the peg. It is very important to choose optimal quantity turns. If there are too many of them, it will have a negative impact on the response of the case. Ultimately, the sound deteriorates. An insufficient number of turns may cause the string to slip during operation.

Safety precautions

It is necessary to emphasize that when replacing guitar strings, all safety conditions must be observed. Otherwise, such a procedure can lead to injury.

When replacing, the guitar should be positioned with the top of the guitar facing away from your face. The maximum tension force of the string can reach fifty kilograms, so if it breaks, you can damage your eye.

When removing old strings, you also need to take some precautions. If the material will simply be cut, it is best to loosen the tension first. Provided that if it falls too sharply, it can lead not only to damage to the bar, but also to injury.

Using a special string winder when replacing them can significantly speed up this procedure. Moreover, this will allow you to tension the strings as accurately as possible. If they are installed carelessly, this may lead to damage to these elements when playing.

During installation, it is necessary to place the strings on the stand and in the pegs as carefully and very carefully as possible. It should also be noted here that tight loops help reduce and minimize the amount of time required to set the strings in tune.

It is important to remember that new strings will last for some time after installation. This risks causing the guitar to be constantly out of tune. Subsequently, this will be less noticeable and the sound will stabilize.

In order for new strings to last for a long period of time, it is necessary to very carefully monitor the condition of the guitar nuts. In particular, you should pay attention to the slots at the top. If a guitar string gets stuck in this hole, it will damage it, resulting in the need to replace this element.

If the wood of a guitar is the flesh, then the strings are the blood that allows the instrument to flow with life. When the strings of your instrument cease to delight you with their euphonious, rich sound, then actual question: How to change strings on a guitar?

When purchasing a new instrument, it is recommended to immediately change the strings. This is due to the fact that guitar strings wear out, and it is almost impossible to predict how long the guitar has been hanging on the counter and what strings are on it. It also happens that the strings lose the brightness of their sound. Most often, it all starts with the fact that thick strings stop sounding richly and lose some of the low overtones, the sound becomes washed out. Today it is not a problem, whether it is metal strings for an acoustic guitar, electric guitar, or bass. But what to do with a pack of strings in your hands? How to string a guitar?

How to change strings on an acoustic guitar

To do this, we gradually weaken the tension of the strings by rotating the pegs so that, God forbid, we do not injure ourselves with a string that “shoots” or bursts due to changes in internal stress. After the string tips are removed from the bridge tuning heads, the buttons (pins) that hold the strings on the other side of the instrument are removed. The buttons are reached using a stringwinder, or simply any tenacious tool, for example, a screwdriver or a coin.

• When the strings are removed...

A guitar without strings can be serviced: clean the fingerboard, wipe dust in hard-to-reach places, tighten and lubricate the pegs (if the pegs are open), and replace the top or bottom saddle if necessary.

• How to string a guitar?

After this we move on to installing new strings. It's not so simple anymore.
The strings are installed in a certain order to avoid possible distortion of the guitar neck. First, the third string is installed, followed by the fourth, and so on: second, fifth, first, and the sixth, thickest string completes the string installation process.

Each string is taken and placed on the bridge pin so that the string fits into the groove and the ball rests against the end. Next is the hairpin along with guitar string is inserted into the corresponding hole in the acoustic guitar stand and pressed.

A simpler option is to first lower the string into the hole, which is then closed with a button (pin). When fixing the pin, you need to press on it with sufficient force so that it is not pulled back by the tension of the string; on the other hand, you should not overdo it, because overdoing it can damage the instrument.

Now the free end of the string is threaded into the hole of the corresponding peg from the inside (between the rows of pegs). In this case, it is necessary to leave a small margin of length in order to later wind the string onto the peg (enough to last for 2-4 turns in the future). We bend the free edge of the string (if necessary, you can pre-shape it a little if it gets in the way) and hold it with your finger. Carefully rotate the peg, the turns are placed below the free edge of the string one after another without overlapping. As a result, the string should no longer hang freely on the fingerboard. Here it is important to ensure that the string does not run into the groove for the adjacent string on the top nut.

Some guitarists fix the strings on the pegs before winding them using knots. This method is not bad, but it significantly complicates the process of removing the strings the next time you replace them. At the same time, when carefully winding the strings in the manner described above, creating loops seems like a pointless waste of time and may serve more as a means of complacency than to have any real benefits.

However, we will show you how to tie a simple knot. Perhaps at first it will be more reliable to use exactly this option shown below in the diagram.

How to change strings on a classical guitar

Replacement is a little more complicated due to a different method of attaching the string to the bridge of the guitar. However, there are a number of ways to successfully and efficiently install strings on a classical guitar.

Some simply cut with ordinary scissors, and then remove the remains of the strings and pegs and nuts. It would be safer to simply rotate the pegs to gradually release all the strings in the headstock and then pull out the loose strings, and then further remove them from the stand of the classical guitar. It is advisable not to loosen the strings one by one, but to try to gradually loosen all the strings in parallel, so that due to voltage changes, not a single string breaks.

• When a classical guitar no longer has strings

Now that your guitar is left without strings, you can service it, clean it, and penetrate into those places that were difficult for you to reach due to the presence of strings.

• Installing new strings on a classical guitar

Never try to put metal strings on a classical guitar!!! This will certainly lead to deformation of the guitar neck and render the guitar unusable.

Nylon classical guitar strings do not have balls at the end and are more like just pieces of fishing line. Installation of such strings also begins with fixation in the bridge area. At the same time, the fastening of the fourth, fifth and sixth strings differs from the fastening of thinner (first, second and third) strings. As a result, nylon strings with metal winding are installed as follows.

Each string is pulled through the bottom sill and extends outward to a length of about 10 centimeters. Next, a simple loop is made through which the tip of the string is passed. In this case, you should keep the string pressed to the soundboard, otherwise the string will stick out as a result, become loose and may come undone over time. As a result, we have a simple knot that should be tightened. To do this, we strongly pull the edges of the string in different directions. The harder we pull, the less likely it is that the knot will one day fail. However, do not over-tighten the strings to avoid string breaks and excessive pressure on the nut.

The unwound strings (first, second and third) require a little more complex locking. The beginning of the operation coincides with that described above: we stretch the string through the bridge to a length of about 10 centimeters. But then the method has differences: a loop is made through which the tip of the string passes three times. This allows you to secure the string more securely and prevent it from slipping in the future. The knot, accordingly, is tightened as tightly as possible.

As a result, we get the following picture, which indicates that the strings are securely fastened to the bridge. To double check, simply pull each string towards the fingerboard. After this, you can clean up the mess and cut off the protruding ends. Just do not cut the tails at the root, because then there is a risk that the string will come undone.

When all the strings are secured to the nut of the classical guitar, you should secure the free edges of the strings in the tuning mechanism located in the headstock area. The first string (the thinnest) and the sixth (the thickest) are attached to the bottom pegs (closest to the nut and strings), the center strings (third and fourth) are attached to the topmost pegs (closest to the tip of the guitar neck).

Next, we pass the end of each string through the hole of the peg for a length of about 10 centimeters (this is a reserve in case the string is damaged at the point of fixation), wrap it around the sleeve and thread it through the hole again (to fix the string during winding). We also recommend that you first rotate the tuning mechanism so that the holes of all tuning pegs are visible on the front. In this case, you will be better able to see what you are doing, which means it will be easier to cope.

After this, we rotate the handles of the pegs until a slight string tension is achieved, i.e. when it no longer jumps out of the grooves of the upper threshold. We carry out this operation with each string and only after that we carefully tune the instrument. Once replaced, the nylon strings on a classical guitar will continually go out of tune for several days. The knots take time to fully tighten, but the strings have a certain elasticity and should just sit. Thus, at first you will have to adjust the strings quite often, especially if you have classes and, especially, active performances in your plans.

I have an electric guitar or bass guitar and I still don’t understand how to change the strings

You're probably wondering why this article doesn't say a word about tuning guitars? We will certainly look at this issue in our next articles.

If after reading this material you still haven’t been able to figure out how to change the strings on a guitar, then we look forward to seeing you in our store, where a qualified sales consultant will help you update the strings on your instrument and also share many other useful tips.

Now that the instrument is without strings, it’s time to make a marafet for our pegs. Turning the tool over back side up, and if you have pegs of approximately the same type as mine, take a screwdriver and tighten all the screws until they stop. If the pegs are of a closed type, you first need to remove the cap and do the same.
On both acoustic and electric guitars, the tuning mechanisms, as well as other fastening parts, are always weakened by the resonance of the wood - this is normal. You can also immediately lubricate the rotating mechanisms with graphite paste or machine oil. Apply lubricant and rotate the pin ten times forward, then back, so that the entire worm mechanism is lubricated. Remove excess grease with a napkin.


Also, while there are no strings, you need to tidy up the neck and soundboard of the guitar, cleaning the surfaces from dirt and dust. Do not use alcohol to clean the fretboard; this should be done with special instrument care products. As a last resort, do this with a dry cloth, since the working part of the fingerboard is lubricated with special oil at the factory (at least it should)
Well, that's all you need to do before installing new strings.


Now we can install the strings.
String installation order: 3;4;2;5;1;6;
This installation order is required to avoid skewing the neck.
We take the string and place it on the tailpiece so that the string fits into the groove and rests with its barrel against the end of the tailpiece.


Then we insert the tailpiece along with the string into the hole and press it against the body, but not too hard so as not to break the guitar (I have heard of such a case)



Now that we have inserted the tailpiece into the body and have not broken the instrument, we thread the second edge of the string into the hole of the peg from the inside (between the rows of pegs)


We leave 8 centimeters of string at the exit and we can bite off the rest with wire cutters, or then remove the excess. We bend the short edge of the string, and holding the finger on the fingerboard under tension, we turn the peg until the string stops hanging from the fingerboard. There is no need to tighten too much just yet. I don’t tie any knots, (then it’s only more difficult to untangle them when replacing strings), I threaded the string into the hole, and underneath it down the remaining turns. The guitar will stay in tune normally, unless the pegs are broken, of course. There should be up to 4 turns on the tuner, there is no need for more, and there is no need to overlap the turns either, this will not make the guitar stay in tune better; on the contrary, you will then suffer with tuning.


That's all for installing the strings. As you can see, nothing complicated.
I wish you success!!!

Many amateur musicians, in particular those who learn to play the guitar, sooner or later face the need to change strings. This article dedicated to the guitar, how to do it as correctly and safely as possible, because in such a matter you need caution and concentration.

Types of strings

To understand how to install strings correctly, you first need to understand what types of strings exist. On this moment The world knows 2 types of running strings: metal and synthetic. The first ones are more rigid and require strong tension. It is recommended to install such strings on guitars that have an anchor (reinforced structure).
Installation metal strings on classical guitars may cause damage musical instrument, but they play much louder. Synthetic strings for classical guitar are lightweight and very comfortable for beginners. long time retain their performance characteristics. With such strings, your fingers hurt much less; there is no need to put a lot of effort into pressing the bar.

Installing strings

The process of installing both nylon (synthetic) and metal strings will be discussed on acoustic and classical guitars in order to clearly see how to string a guitar. First of all, you need to insert the string into a special hole and securely fasten it. Next, the second end of the string must be inserted into the hole of the corresponding peg, but not too much so that the string does not stick out.

Sticking strings used to be all the rage, but now there's nothing "cool" about it - just a torn case. The remaining piece of string just needs to be wound around the peg. After all the strings are installed and secured, you need to gradually begin to tighten one after another, thereby increasing their tension. To begin with, it is recommended to tension all the strings so that they stop rattling, and then tune each one individually. This will significantly speed up the process. Today there are many ways, for example, an online tuner or a regular tuner, a tuning fork, and so on. Another important tip: before you start tightening the strings, you can stretch them. This is done manually from the top mount to the stand. Installing metal strings is a little different. For example, they do not need to be secured from below with various knots, due to the presence of special balls (clamps) on the metal strings that perform the function of fastening. The metal strings need to be pulled a little tighter, and after a few hours the procedure must be repeated.

Useful tips

Here are some more tips on how to string your guitar. They must be tightened with the utmost care! The total tension force is about 50 kg, which is quite dangerous to health. In this regard, the procedure must be carried out slowly, carefully and securely fixing each string (thin ones have big chance tear or fly off the mount). Both nylon and metal can be wiped with special products so that they retain their performance characteristics longer.

How to decide the price

If we touch on the question of how much guitar strings cost, then we can say that everything depends on their quality and the manufacturer. For example, the cheapest ones cost about 90-100 rubles, nylon ones are even less. The price of high-quality metal strings is approximately 500-800 rubles.

Having answered the question of how to tighten the strings on a guitar, it is impossible to say with confidence that after reading this article, a person with a 100% guarantee will be able to carry out the installation without problems. Everything is learned in practice, everything comes with experience. Having information, it is important to be able to use it. Use it too!