Advanced Guitar Repair

Here is a step by step to help you do a restring like the pro’s! First, completely loosen all of the strings. Note: on a guitar with a “floating” bridge, it may be advisable to keep tension on all the strings, beside the one being changed.

Then I seesaw my wire cutters across my finger and lift out the pins. Be careful not to damage the bridge, top, or pins. Then untie the string at the tuner post.

Then it’s time to clean all that dust off from in front of the bridge and tuner posts. Try sweeping off that dust instead of grinding it into the finish! If your fingerboard is dry it might like some oil. Wipe off excess with a dry rag.

Press a small arch into the string to aid its entry into the bridge. Make sure the ball end is against the bridgeplate (inside of top) and press the pin past the string and snugly into the bridge. Note: unless the string is pinched between the bridge and pin, the pin should be pressed to be a little tighter than it needs to be to keep from falling out. Ideally the string will be unrestricted in the slot with the pin firmly installed. Avoid really “wedging” the pins unless you want to crack the bridge.

Additionally, a little graphite from a mechanical pencil will help strings slide through the slots and will keep it in tune more consistently.

Next: working from the outside, going towards the middle string, I pull the string through the tuner post marking 1 ¼” of slack that is pulled back towards the fingerboard as I fold the string (note detail of pics). By hand or with a string winder turn the tuner button while guiding the slack beneath the fold. Apply tension and cut off the excess. Repeat.

Lastly, you might prefer to stretch the strings (to accelerate tuning stability). I stretch the largest first (pulling the string away from the 12th fret) to feel the string settling and more gingerly stretch the treble strings. Tune it one last time and that’s it!