It's easy to learn how to string a guitar. The guitar video demos below will help if you don't want to read these instructions. It will also help a lot if you look at how the old strings are set on the guitar and just try to copy how those were placed.
There's a little ball at the end of each string, similar to a small fishing weight. This end goes into the bridge -- by threading it through a slot on a tail piece (electric), or placing it in a hole and sealing the hole with a small wooden peg (acoustic). Look at the old strings on the guitar before you remove them to see how it was done.
Guide the string through the slot (or plug it into the hole with thw wooden peg) and then stretch it across the guitar body up to the nut. Thread it through the corresponding slot in the nut, and then slide it through the correct hole in the tuning peg.
To string the the 6th, 5th, or 4th string (the thickest ones on the guitar) thread the string through the hole in the correct tuning machine and then begin twisting the tuningpeg in a counter-clockwise direction. Once the string is tight and in tune, there should be at least two or three coils of string around the tuning machine.
String 6 gets strung on the tuning peg closest to the nut
String 5 goes to the tuning peg in the middle
String 4 goes to the highest peg on that side of the headstock.
To string the upper three strings-- the 3rd, 2nd and 1st:
Attach the balled end of the string to the bridge, thread it up through the nut, slide it through the peg hole leaving some slack as before, and then, tighten the peg turning in a clockwise direction.
String 3 goes into the highest peg on that side
String 2 goes into the middle peg on that side
String 1 goes into the lowest peg on that side
Some more tips on how to string a guitar:
The strings must be neatly secured to the tuning machines and set into the grooves on the nut. If you mess this up, your guitar will not play right!
Once all strings are securely fastened and tightened, do not tighten them beyond the tension needed to get them in tune. Excessive tightening will just break the string, sending one end flying out. You don't want to get poked in the eye by a snapping guitar string, (trust us, it hurts), so use caution when tuning and never tighten the string beyond the tension needed to give the string its proper pitch.
when removing old strings, loosen them first and then just unwind them until they can be removed. Or use the handy device shown in the video. Watch the guitar videos below for extra help with stringing an electric or acoustic guitar.
