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Contrary to common belief, when re-stringing an acoustic guitar we don't want to simply remove all the strings and then replace them. The neck of an acoustic guitar has tension from the strings pulling on it, and if we remove all the strings at once, the relief from the stress can cause warping of the neck. And besides, it makes it much harder to get back in tune, because we are left without a good starting point for tuning the new strings. By removing and replacing the old strings one at a time, alternating from Low to High, we keep fairly even tension on the neck and are able to tune each new string as we go, keeping the guitar as a whole in tune.

Now that the fundamentals of re-stringing an acoustic guitar have been covered, and providing that we have already purchased our new strings, we are ready to begin re-stringing the guitar.

Begin as follows:
Unwind the Low E string from the machine head (or tuner), turning the machine head in a clockwise direction to loosen or detune. Remove the string from the machine head's eye hole and pull the string through the eye hole in the bridge that the string runs through, removing the string from the guitar. Wind the string into a circle wrapping the last six inches or so around itself to hold shape. Take the new Low E string out of the package and uncurl it so it becomes straight. Place the old Low E string in the package the new Low E string was removed from for convenience. Pull the needle point end of the new string through the same eye hole in the bridge that the old string was removed from, pulling tightly enough to seat the string in the bridge. Thread the needle point end of the string through the Low E machine head until there is about four inches of slack above the neck while pushing the string straight down on the neck at the fourth fret. Start winding the machine head in a counter-clockwise direction until the tension of the string becomes tight. Tune the Low E string to the A string directly below it. (Pulling on and bending the strings are common ways to work the slack out of the strings so they will stay in tune.)

Repeat the string replacement process in this order:
Low E
High E
A
B
D
G

Re-stringing an acoustic guitar can be monotonous and a little sustained, but it really is a simple process. Following the method provided here will have those strings pleasantly singing their tune.

Learn more about this author, Jeffrey Moore.
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