Stringing Your Classical Guitar

Web Resources for buying Classical Guitars and related items

How to String Your Classical Guitar

A clear step-by step tutorial with pictures on how to string your classical guitar.

When should you change your guitar strings?

There is no definitive answer to this question. You have to pay attention to your strings. When you have a new set of strings notice how bright and vibrant they sound. As your strings wear they will get a dull sound. If you play for an hour every day you probably should be changing your strings every one to two months. If you play eight hours a day you will be needing to change them weekly..

The natural oils of your fingers will shorten string life. You should always wash your hands before playing.

If your strings show signs of wear such as black spots where the frets are then they need to be changed. the metal bass strings will even show signs of corrosion. That is a sure sign to change your strings.

note: It is very important that you use only classical guitar strings. They are nylon and metal wound. Never use folk/rock guitar strings this will damage your guitar. I prefer using strings made by D'addario.

After you have removed the old strings it is an opportune time to clean the guitar. Use a soft cotton cloth to wipe it down thoroughly; Inspecting for cracks and any problems like loose frets. I recommend you use a very light coat of a polish specifically made for guitars. I use Martin Guitar Polish.

These are the strings I use. They are good quality and at a great price. Although I wouldn't consider them to be concert quality strings they are more than adequate for everyday play or practice. If the amazon link isn't showing to the left of this then here is a quick link to them on Amazon.com EJ45 Pro Arte Classic

CF Martin Professional Guitar Polish – MATGP

Ernie Ball Polish Cloth


Changing The Guitar Strings


Here are the locations of the six strings and their names. The paper sheath that the strings are wrapped in say what string it is.The sixth string is the thickest and the first string is the thinnest. I will show you how to do the sixth string.
Remember we are doing the sixth (E)string here. This is the thickest string. Feed it over the bridge then though the hole and feed it though so about two inches of string is sticking out .

Take this two inches of string and curl it up over the Bridge base then tuck it under the string.
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Insert this end under the string. Under the loop you just created. It should look like this.

Curl it around again and tuck it under again. This double loop insures it will not come loose. For the three thickest strings you do this double loop and the three thinnest strings you should triple loop.

(Next Lesson: Stringing the tuning pegs)


	50 Easy Classical Guitar Solos

Need to string up an electric or folk guitar? Check out this great site. It has a great video showing you how to do it. If you or someone you know is ready to start playing guitar, check out this growing, high quality site. Everything for the new guitarist: first chords, reading music, easy songs, theory, much more. Start-Playing-Guitar.com

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The Dictionary of Guitar sheet music terms and symbols

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