Replacing a Guitar String Takes About Five Minutes Once You Know the Order
To put in a guitar string, you loosen the tuning peg at the headstock until the old string goes slack, unwind it completely, remove it from the bridge, thread the new string through the bridge hole, pull it up to the tuning peg, wind it around the peg post in a downward spiral, and tune it to pitch. The whole job takes five to ten minutes. The hardest part for beginners is winding the string evenly so it doesn't slip, but that comes with one or two tries.
You will need wire cutters (or scissors in a pinch), the new string, and nothing else. You do not need to remove all the strings at once—replace them one at a time so the neck stays under tension and the truss rod does not shift.
Key Takeaways
- Always loosen the tuning peg first; never pull a tight string out of the bridge, or you risk cracking the headstock.
- Wind the string around the peg post in a downward spiral so it wraps neatly and does not slip when you tune up.
- Leave a small amount of slack in the string before winding—about two finger-widths of extra length—so you have room to wrap it around the post.
- Tune the string up slowly and listen for it to settle; new strings go flat quickly in the first hour, so retune after a few minutes.
- Cut the excess string at the headstock only after the string is wound and tuned, not before.
Loosen and Remove the Old String
Turn the tuning peg counterclockwise (when looking at the headstock from the front of the guitar) until the string is completely slack. You should be able to move the string side to side with no resistance. This step is critical: if you try to pull the string out while it is still under tension, you can crack the headstock or bend the bridge.
Once the string is slack, unwind it completely from the tuning peg post. Then go to the bridge—the piece of hardware at the bottom of the guitar body where the strings anchor. On an acoustic guitar, the string goes through a hole in the bridge and is held by a bridge pin (a small wooden or plastic peg). On an electric guitar, the string usually threads through a hole in the bridge or bridge block. Pull out the bridge pin if you have one, then slide the old string out of the bridge hole.
Thread the New String Through the Bridge
Take your new string and insert the ball end (the small metal sphere at one end) into the bridge hole. If you have a bridge pin, push it back in to hold the string in place. The pin should sit snugly in the hole and rest on top of the string's ball end. On an electric guitar, straightforward thread the string through the hole until the ball end catches on the other side.
Pull the string up toward the headstock so it lies flat along the fretboard. There should be no kinks or twists. If the string is coiled or bent, straighten it gently with your fingers before moving to the next step.
Insert the String Into the Tuning Peg
At the headstock, locate the tuning peg for the string you are replacing. The string should pass through a small hole in the peg post (the metal shaft that sticks out from the tuning peg). Insert the string through this hole, leaving about two finger-widths of slack between the bridge and the peg. This extra length gives you room to wrap the string around the post without running out of material.
If you do not leave enough slack, you will not have enough string to wrap, and it will slip when you tune up. If you leave too much slack, you will have excess string hanging off the post, which looks messy and can cause tuning problems. Two finger-widths is the sweet spot for most guitars.
Wind the String Around the Peg Post
Hold the string taut with one hand and turn the tuning peg clockwise (when looking at the headstock from the front) with the other hand. As you turn, the string will wrap around the peg post. The key is to wind it in a downward spiral—each wrap should sit below the previous one, moving toward the base of the post. This keeps the wraps neat and prevents them from overlapping or crossing over each other.
Wind slowly and keep tension on the string with your other hand so each wrap sits snugly against the post. You should end up with three to four wraps around the post before the string reaches pitch. If you wind too fast or too loosely, the string will slip and go flat as soon as you stop turning the peg. If you wind too tightly, you risk breaking the string or stripping the peg.
Tune the String to Pitch
Once the string is wound, continue turning the tuning peg until the string reaches the correct pitch. Use a tuner—a small electronic device that listens to the string and tells you whether it is sharp (too high), flat (too low), or in tune. Most tuners clip onto the headstock or sit on a table and pick up vibrations through the air. Tune slowly and stop when the tuner shows the string is in tune.
New strings stretch and go flat quickly in the first few minutes. Retune after two or three minutes, and again after ten minutes. The string will stabilize after about an hour. If the string still goes flat after that, check that the bridge pin is seated properly (on acoustic guitars) and that the string is wound evenly around the peg post with no overlaps.
Cut the Excess String and Check Your Work
Once the string is tuned and stable, use wire cutters to trim the excess string at the headstock. Cut about one inch above the peg post so there is a small tail but not so much that it looks sloppy or gets in the way. Do not cut the string before it is wound and tuned—you need that extra length to work with.
Pluck the string a few times and listen for any buzzing or rattling. If the string buzzes against the frets, the action (the height of the string above the fretboard) may be too low, but that is a separate adjustment. If the string sounds clean and holds its pitch for at least a few minutes, you have done it right. Repeat this process for any other strings you need to replace.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if the string breaks while I am winding it?
Stop when ready and remove the broken piece. Start over with a fresh string. Breaking usually means you wound too tightly or too fast, or the string was defective. On your next try, turn the peg more slowly and keep your hand relaxed.
Can I replace all the strings at once?
You can, but it is harder for beginners. Removing all the strings at once takes tension off the neck, which can cause the truss rod to shift and throw off your action and intonation. Replace them one or two at a time instead, leaving the others in place to keep the neck stable.
How tight should I wind the string around the peg post?
Wind it snugly but not so tight that you strain turning the peg. The string should not slip when you tug on it gently, but you should be able to turn the peg smoothly without forcing it. If the peg is hard to turn, you are winding too tightly.
Why does my new string keep going flat?
New strings stretch as they settle. Retune every few minutes for the first hour. If the string still drops in pitch after an hour, check that the bridge pin is seated properly, the string is wound evenly with no overlaps, and the tuning peg is not slipping. A slipping peg usually means the string was not wound tightly enough.
Do I need to clean the fretboard while the string is out?
You can, but it is not necessary. If you want to, use a soft, slightly damp cloth and wipe along the frets and the wood between them. Do not soak the fretboard or use harsh cleaners. Let it dry completely before putting the new string in.