How to Restring a Guitar

             A humorous and slightly useful process analysis essay I wrote for AP English class... enjoy!

            The ability to restring a guitar is a profoundly useful tool, provided that one ever manages to find themselves in a situation that would necessitate one such skill.  Times when it could be considered appropriate to flaunt this aptitude include times when a string breaks on a guitar, if one works in the business of instrument repair, or if one would simply enjoy the opportunity to practice honing their guitar restringing talents.

            The first step when embarking on this journey is to acquire the appropriate set of strings for the task at hand.  For example, an acoustic guitar generally uses bronze or brass strings, an electric guitar uses nickel or steel, and a ukulele uses nylon strings.  These can be purchased online or at an appropriate musical retail outlet for around five dollars per set.

            After obtaining both a guitar and matching strings (see previous), it will be of paramount importance to initially release the strings from the included packaging.  This can be accomplished with the aid of tools including but not limited to; scissors, knives, fingers, chainsaws, etcetera. 

With the strings freed from the oppressive bonds of confinement, hopefully without damage to either the strings or our ambitious guitar restringer, gently set the strings in a safe, dry location away from small children.  The most dangerous part of the task at hand is yet to come.  Always be cautious when dealing with the exposed strings as the ends of thin metal wires can cause puncture wounds resulting in pain and/or spillage of bodily fluids, an event to be avoided at all costs.

The exact method of securing the strings to a guitar varies somewhat depending on the nature of the guitar’s hardware.  For example, some difficulty can be found in locating the retaining holes in the bridge if one expects them to be on the top and they are in fact of the string-through variety and, confusingly, on the bottom.

In general, however, strings should be inserted, with the thinner end grasped between forefinger and thumb, through each of the six holes in the bridge, in order of descending string diameter.  The very widest of the strings should be on the left, assuming that the guitar is held with the headstock facing vertically, or opposite to our determined adventurer.  If aforementioned intrepid entrepreneur is left handed, they should reverse the order of string arrangement.

With the strings drawn through their respective holes in the bridge, they should be arranged parallel to the neck of the guitar, over top of the frets until the strings lay overtop of the headstock at the far end of the instrument.  Ensure that the small steel rings at the ends of the strings are fitted snugly within the bridge; otherwise the winding stage will continue until our unfortunate restringer perishes from dehydration or boredom.

 With the strings hopefully secured by the bridge, one should then thread the ends of the strings through their corresponding tuning peg holes in the headstock.  After pulling the strings taut, they must make a small bend a few inches past the tuning peg and withdraw the string until the bend is flush with the tuning peg.  Exact measurement is unnecessary; however, too much extra distance will cause unnecessary expenditure of energy and possible carpal tunnel syndrome.  Too little distance can and will result in tuning difficulties at best, and a frightening explosion of metal wire and a great deal of frustration at worst.  So avoid that.

Now, gently pulling the strings in the center of the neck away from the fretboard will hold them loosely and ready for winding.  Regardless of whether tuners are all positioned on one side of the headstock, as with a Stratocaster, or on both sides, as with a Les Paul, the tuning peg should be twisted in a counterclockwise direction until the strings are fairly taut and a pitch is audible when struck.

If, at any point, a string should decide to escape its tuning peg, reattach the string as before and make a mental note to learn slap bass or flamenco for retaliation purposes.  In the event that the string’s rebellion should cause bodily harm to the user, gently set down the guitar, scream in pure agony until satisfied, stop drop and roll, apply first aid if necessary, and resume the task at hand with a newfound determination.

Unfortunately, not all tuning arrangements are so simple to manage.  The worst and most common alternate tuning layout is the floating tremolo bridge, also called a Floyd Rose tremolo.  While such a layout allows for superior tuning stability and epic dive bombs once properly set up, it will be freaking impossible to restring on your own, and should be instead taken to the appropriate instrument repair services rather than risking the tremendous consequences solo.

With the strings now attached and wound, the guitar is nearly ready to be used.  Before tuning, however, new strings should be stretched out for tuning stability over time.  This can be accomplished by pulling the strings firmly at several locations along the neck.

Now that the strings have been broken in suitably, all that remains is tuning.  This is accomplished by using a tuner to match the pitches of the strings to the notes E, A, D, G, B, and E, in order from highest diameter to lowest diameter.  If, by this point, you have miraculously avoided any catastrophic failures, you should still possess the appendages, if not necessarily the skill, to finally use your completely restrung guitar.

Fin