In this video we're going to look at how to change a string on your guitar. As a guitarist
changing strings is something you do fairly regularly. Sometimes they snap, sometimes
the strings just wear out and might last a couple of months or so, depending on how often
you play. So we'll look at how to replace one. Now we're going to look at replacing
this first string, the thinnest one. Now we've got our set here and we'll see this tells
us a number, that's number ten, it tells us that's not the number of the string, it tells
us the gauge of the string, the thickness. So we're replacing it with a gauge ten string.
If you're not sure what gauge your guitar has it's worth just popping down to your guitar
shop, finding out what strings they put on it initially and making sure you buy the same
set. Ok, so let's get started with replacing the string. Let's say for example this string
has accidently snapped. So I'll just loosen it a bit. We've snapped it. Ok, so first things
first you need to clear the guitar of the old string, so there's one part, I've just
pulled that out from the bridge there, and there'll be another part of the string up
here, and this being wound around andthe end could be quite sharp as well. So it comes
ready wound, so you need to just quickly unwind those and you see there's a ball on the end
there. That's what's going to clamp it in place. So I'll start just by poking the end
of the string through the hole in the bridge. There we go, pull it through, see that the
ball end of the string there is going to hold it in place. Ok it's going to need to ride
over that saddle but we'll come to that later on. So the next part is to thread the string
through the machine head. And it's best to have the whole pointing this way towards the
body just so that you can thread the string through without any resistance to begin with.
So that's through, now it's best to have a little bit, a little bit of slack on this
side so just so you've got some winding to do. If you pull it right through like so when
you come to wind it up you won't be able to wind it very far and it could even pull itself
back through under the tension. So we need to make sure we've got just a little bit of
slack. And that should be enough. I'll show you, it's about so much. Now the thin strings
it can help to pull the end round and go through the hole once again. So before we pull it
too tight, because what we'll just check this end, make sure we've got tension, got plenty
of room there. Now when you pull it, that's it, cos you're going to bend the string after
that, you could actually break it. There we go, and, we're done. Now, that's basically
on. It's tight enough for you to be able to work with now. And it means you can do it
up yourself now without it jumping out. So here's the string winder, it's a useful device
to have. And I'm just going to wind around. That's actually going in the wrong direction.
Notice that on this guitar for correct set up all the strings are on the inside of the
poll pieces there (3:33) so make sure that you wind it in the right direction. And use
your right hand just to maintain the tension. I'm a bit of a perfectionist I quite like
the strings to go underneath the previous wind that we've done there. So I might just
do it with my hand to start with. There we go as it's starting to wind underneath the
first wind that we put on, it's starting to wind underneath now, I can put it on like
so. And quickly wind with the string winder. String winder is very useful device, this
is actually quite hard work if you do it by hand. By the time you've done six strings
you can get quite, quite tired hands, quite tired wrists. So it's a useful tool to have.
And there we go, it's done, most of the work in very quick time. Now, quick look over here.
See that because I wasn't really paying attention to this end of the guitar, we're not sat in
the saddle properly, so we just need to lift that over if it's too tight, just undo the
machine head a little bit again, that wasn't too tight so it was nice and easy. So now
we can simply tune up. So there's just a couple of small checks to do once you've got your
string on. We can give it a tug. Now obviously metal is bendy and it will just change its
pitch if you don't give it a tug. So this lets it settle in, lets it settle into the
tension that's going to be at for its life on your guitar. So just a little bit of a
stretch there. Don't go too hard, you don't want to accidently snap it again. Just, just
a little bit of resistance, once you feel that resistance, that's enough, that's enough
of a stretch. That's probably pulled it ever so slightly out of tune. [music] So you can
just tune that back up again. And last of all we've got this potentially, potentially
sharp bit of metal that we need to cut off just to make sure that we're not stabbing
people as we walk past them with out guitars. So here we go. Pair of pliers. And there we
go, job done.