How do you change guitar strings perfectly?

Answer 1

I'm a repair guy in a music store. This is what I do. The first thing that will make this 10 times easier is a string winder. This lets you crank and uncrank the strings extremely fast, and you can even get some that have specially designed string cutters built in (best things I've ever used, don't use scissors, use wirecutters) for when you need to clip off the remains, and "shovels" to help remove the bridge pins. Next, take off the strings. There's no special technique. Just unwind the pegs, take out the bridge pins, and throw out the string. Next, you want to take care of the fretboard. While the strings are off, this is the only opportunity you have to cure the fretboard. You can use lemon oil or valve oil (available at your music store) among other things to wipe down the frets and restore moister to it. Put the oil on the cloth, NOT the wood itself. If you don't take care of it, over time the fretboard can dryout and crack. Next, take a string (in no particular order) and put the end of it, usually a ball shape, in the corresponding pinhole at the bridge. Then put the bridge pin back in with the cutout groove facing to the soundhole so the string does not go on backwards. Before putting another string in another pinhole, take that string and pull it to the headstock with considerable tension. You want to wrap the string around the post a few times before putting it through the hole, this keeps tune better (You have to wrap with the string going to the outside, this is how the tuning machines are built). These are rough estimations I've made for the amount of wraps for each string before putting it through the post-hole: Low E-string-1 time, A-string-1.5 times, D-string- 2 times, B-string- 3 times, High E-string- 4 times. Remember to keep tension while wrapping them around. Now you can put the string through the post-hole, but after you put it through make sure the string comes out on top of the wraps, then pull it as hard as you can to reduce excess slack (maybe even use needlenose plyers). Then, keep tension with a finger pressed down on the string at the first fret and wind the string to pitch, hopefully with a string winder, and this keeps it looking nice and clean. Then what you can do, which not many people are aware of, is hold the string at the 7th fret, then jerk and pull it up. Pull hard, don't be shy. Continue to do this on the 5th and 3rd fret, then tune it back to pitch. You'll find it go down quite a bit in pitch. This breaks in the string, because usually with new strings you have to tune every 5 minutes until they wear in. Repeat that process for all the strings, then when you're done, clip the strings as close to the post-hole as you can. Optional: Some people like to get a string polish and use it right after the new strings are on. I recommend Dunlop '65