The string saddle may try to also lift out, but do not allow it. Loosen off all the strings at least 3 or 4 winds and then cut all the strings around the 12th fret and remove them all and wind them into a coil. Wlnd the string around the tuning machine and tune to pitch. However, removing all the strings at once from certain guitars — depending on the bridge setup —can make restringing more difficult or require making adjustments to the instrument. Store Hours, If you have any questions, please call us at (800) 222-4700. (And of course, a new set of guitar strings.). (Handy!) But is there any truth to that? (When it’s just flapping and not making any discernible sound, it’s ready to come off. Phone Hours | In these instances, it doesn’t pose a risk to take all the strings off, it just might make your life a little bit harder to have to worry about the position of that bridge versus changing the strings one at a time and keeping the bridge in the same place. Get Directions | The 1st string (the thinnest string) is the hardest to change because it is slippier and more likely to unravel as you attempt to wind it up. This is where the strings are fed in through holes in the back of the guitar body and poke out through the bridge at the front. Keep doing it. Some even have pliers build in. A lot of archtop guitars are like this. We'll send you a series of lessons that will move you to the next level of your guitar journey. Randy - February 7, 2018 at 3:50 pm. If you have a floating tremolo bridge such as a Floyd Rose or Ibanez Edge bridge, the bridge retains its height by pulling against the tension of the strings; removing all the strings at once will cause the bridge to collapse into the body, which won’t damage your instrument, but it may make restringing more difficult, especially if there is a route behind the bridge to allow you to pull up on the bridge to raise the string pitch. If that’s the case, just bend it back a little to straighten out the kink and give the string a gentle tug to free it from the tuning peg. I find removing all the strings also allows me to do a good cleaning of the fretboard and the hard to reach areas when fully strung. How to change guitar strings – step #5: Remove the old string from the bridge end of the guitar. A: The short answer is that the odds of damaging your guitar are very low. This is where our approach can vary depending on the type of guitar. Q: Can changing the strings on my guitar by removing all of them at once damage my guitar? If you have kids around, take care. In the end, knowing how to change your own guitar strings will help you understand the mechanics of keeping a guitar in top working order. (These things are basically little pegs, with a groove running down the inside.). With over 28,000 articles and counting, inSync is your FREE resource for breaking news, reviews, demos, interviews, and more. To learn more about our cookie policy, please check our Privacy Policy. Now the other thing that people will say is that taking all the strings off your guitar all at once means that you’re going to have to do an entire new set up for the guitar. Changing strings on an electric guitar is a vital skill for any guitarist. 3. From the tweakiest techniques to the biggest ideas, our experts work hard to constantly supply inSync with a steady stream of helpful, in-depth demos, reviews, how-tos, news, and interviews. (It's free.). Take caution when handling the boiling water, but 10-15 minutes in a bath will cause oil and debris to detach from the strings. Join over 100,000 other guitar learners and subscribe to our guitar-tips-by-email service. In both cases, the old string should simply slide its way through the bridge once you’ve taken care to ensure that it’s loose and slack. So, the answer to the question of how much the guitar will be impacted by removing all of its strings depends on the guitar. But, if people have been telling you or dogging you about changing all the strings at once and telling you that it’s going to ruin your guitar, mess up your neck or throw your set up off, it just isn’t true. Do you prefer to change one string at a time for various reasons? Check Out These New Limited-edition Guitars from D'Angelico! Thread the new string through the string holder tube , and over the saddle pulling it tight towards the headstock. It looks like this: Guitars like Gibson Les Pauls on the other hand are ‘bridge-mounted’. After that, wash your hands before handling your guitar. Learn More. A: The short answer is that the odds of damaging your guitar are very low. Learn how everything fits together quickly, easily and effectively. Tell us about it down in the comments. Remove the strings. Learn how your comment data is processed. Loosen the string by turning the tuner and then remove the string. This is where our approach can vary depending on the type of guitar. The strings are held onto the bridge by a loop that’s been threaded through itself. Removing the strings is crucial as you do not want them to come into contact with cleaning products. However, depending on the type of bridge your guitar has, you might prefer to do it one way or another. Don’t worry about changing them one at a time (something I read online all the time but I think is just crazy!). Our step-by-step guide will show you how to change guitar strings quickly, correctly and safely. Is It Safe To Take All The Strings Off Your Guitar At Once? Important safety tip: the ends of guitar strings can be very sharp (especially if they were snipped with pliers). Want to know how to change guitar strings? Not only is wood tougher than people seem to think, you have a steel truss rod going the entire length of the guitar’s neck helping to reinforce it and ensure that it’s not going to bow forward or backwards for that matter. , Is a Wound G String or Wound 3rd String Right For Your Electric Guitar? Everything you love about Sweetwater in the palm of your hand. © 2014-2020 Stringjoy, LLC. Be sure to subscribe to our channel so you can keep up with more great stuff like this. © National Guitar Academy Ltd | All Rights Reserved, Going from holding the tension of six strings to having. Sweetwater Sound It’s not going to pose any issue, it certainly isn’t going to hurt in any case. If you want to learn how to change guitar strings there are a few tools you will need: A string winder, a set of pliers and a guitar tuner. In my opinion, yes. ✓ Learn 12 beginner-friendly versions of every chord. Take care to ensure the curved spoon back doesn’t dent your guitar. And, in some cases, the bridge on a guitar is not actually attached — the string tension holds the bridge in place. How to Record a Great Acoustic Guitar Sound in an Apartment, Iconic Guitar Tones: John Mayer's "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room". This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Make sure the string is slack before you try to remove it from the guitar! Now we’ve freed the string at the headstock end of the guitar, we need to free the other end, at the bridge. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our. We share ninja tips (for instant fun!) The final tip of the string may take a little persuasion as it is usually kinked in order to keep it in place. You can do whatever you want. Don’t forget that guitar strings are pieces of metal. Watch this video to see our step-by-step guide: It’s very important to do this. If you’re guitar had its own way, it probably would prefer to have no strings on it at all. The next step is to simply uncoil it from the tuning peg. If you want to know how to change guitar strings for your specific guitar you will need to pay attention here…. A lot of people think that it might cause the neck to bow backwards or something like that but, the truth is, your guitar’s neck is way sturdier than I think a lot of people realize. The best example I can think of is when you’re dealing with floating tremolos, like a Floyd Rose or even an Ibanez Edge. Required fields are marked *. Like most guitar players, you probably spend a lot of money investing into high quality guitar strings, but sadly, the crisp bell tones that come from new guitar strings is short lived. Believe it or not, this is the one most controversial issues in all of guitar. Now is the perfect time to get the gear you want with simple, promotional financing. Remove the low E string by unwinding it from the guitar tuning peg. Here’s our take: Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with more great videos like this one: Is it safe to take all the strings off your guitar when you’re changing them or is it better to change them one at a time and ensure that you have constant tension on the neck? These can be lifted out with your bare hands and won’t require any tools. It doesn’t matter what order you change the strings in, but if it’s your first time, we strongly advise you start with the 6th string (the thickest string), as this is the easiest one to change. Most of the time, do it one string at a time. This means the strings feed in straight through the bridge at the front. Now we’ve freed the string at the headstock end of the guitar, we need to free the other end, at the bridge. Once we’ve worked the bridge pin free, the string should lift out of the bridge quite easily. It’s the same with bass guitars: Some are ‘string-through’, some are ‘bridge-mounted’. Reply. With electric guitars, there are two main ways the strings can be threaded through the bridge: ‘string-through‘ and ‘bridge-mounted‘. They’ll always tell you the same thing, take the tension off the strings before you fly or if you’re storing it, a lot of times they’ll put no strings on it at all or strings under very little tension. Conclusion: It depends, and it isn’t that big of a deal. (No need to feed them through the back of the body.). Now, there are a few instances in which it might be better to change strings one at a time but it doesn’t have anything to do with safety or risking the guitar’s setup. Two points here: Interesting fact: Some bridge pins can be quite loose. The best way to prevent this is to put something like a cloth or towel under it while you lever the bridge pin out. Pliers (for bend string end) Step 1 - Remove Strings. This is always a good reason to have guitar string cleaner handy. All rights reserved. The other instance is when you’re dealing with a guitar which has a bridge that isn’t actually attached to the guitar itself. Sometimes called ‘pegwinders’, these little gadgets are cheap and useful. If you try and remove a string that is still tight it will spring off the guitar and possibly cut you or catch you in the eye. With a steel string acoustic guitar, the strings are usually fixed to the bridge using ‘bridge pins’. A lot of mandolins are like this as well. Slowly unravel it. Everybody takes one side or the other and they believe quite vehemently in whatever side that is. This model is one of our favourites. So, what do you think? Simply untie the loop. and allow them to cool and dry before putting them back on your bass. Exclusive deals, delivered straight to your inbox. That isn’t true either. Being music makers ourselves, we love geeking out on all things gear. we're open & shipping orders // see current lead times // free shipping on orders $20+ details. Learning how to change guitar strings is mainly learning how to stop strings unravelling and driving you insane.