How to Restring Your Guitar – Instructional Videos by D'Addario From WorkshopLive

See below for tips on how to string different styles of guitars:

Strat Style Body Electric Guitar

Step One
The first step to putting on guitar strings is to take them out of the package and straighten them out a bit so it is easier to work with them. Just unravel them and run your fingers through the string so it gets it ready to hold a lot of tension. I would recommend putting on strings one at a time so it is easier on you.

Step Two
Ok now that you've got your entire strings ready its time to put them on your guitar. On a strat you have to slide the strings through the back of the guitar. There should be a small white plate on the back on your guitar with little tiny holes. Just slide them through and they will come out of the bridge.

Step Three
Bring your string up to the tuners. Make sure that the string is in the incisions on the bridge and nut. Ok now there are also many different was to do step 3. I find it easiest to bend the string at 90 degree angle about 3/4 of an inch from the tuning peg. Make sure your pulling on the string slightly hard so the measurement comes out right.

Step Four
Now that you have that down slide the string through the hole in the tuning peg and start twisting the tuning peg slowly. I would tune it up a whole step, let it sit for a minute or two, then tune it up again, let it sit for a minute or two, etc. That way the string becomes comfortable with the tension and doesn't snap in two seconds.

Step Five
Now you must tune your string. It may become hard on electric tuners because they aren't used to the tinny sound so I would tune it by ear. After it's in tune sit down and play.

Acoustic Guitar

This is slightly different than putting new strings on an electric and it will be a little more difficult.

Step One
Open your pack of new strings and take out the 6th string. Remember, we are changing them one at a time. The envelope the string is in should be labeled with a string gauge -- .054 is a common gauge for the sixth string in a set of light gauge acoustic strings. Slide your fingers through them so that they become comfortable.

Step Two
If you have an acoustic with string pegs, place the ball of the string into the peg hole and pull up and towards the sound hole until it catches in a slot or groove. This may take a few tries. Once the string catches, put the string peg back into the hole, placing the grooved portion of the peg over the string. Electric guitarist will be feeding the string through a hole in the body of the guitar or the tail piece (end stop, bridge, etc.) depending on your particular guitar.

Step Three
Once you have the ball end of the string in place, pull the string over the bridge of the guitar, then the nut of the neck, and up past the tuning peg. Now I would make a 90 degree angle at the string so it winds easier. Make the angle about 3/4 of an inch above the tuning peg.

Step Four
Cut the end of the string off about a half an inch past the bend in the string. Feed the bent end of the string through the hole in the tuning peg and begin to wind it, all the while keeping tension on the string so it doesn't have any slack. Once you have the string started you can take out your string winder, slide it over the tuner and wind the string until it is tight.

Step Five
Next, take off the string winder and finish tightening the string until it is in tune. Repeat this process for each string until they have all been changed.

Heavy Tremelo - Floyd Rose, etc

Ok this is probably one of the hardest guitars to restring so don’t get discouraged.

Step One
Reset all fine tuning screws located on the bridge to a middle position. Loosen the "string-lock screw" located at the back side of your bridge using an allen key. The string-lock screws are the screws that run parallel to the body of your guitar. After several counter-clockwise turns, the string should pop free from the bridge.

Step Two
Using an allen key, loosen the "nut clamping block" (the part of the guitar where the neck meets the headstock) that covers the sixth and fifth string. Once the nut clamping block is loosened, you should be able to extract the string from the guitar.

Step Three
Now, take your replacement string, and using wire cutters, clip off the ball at the bottom end of the string. Put the freshly clipped end of the string into the saddle of the bridge. Examine the other strings to see where exactly the new string should go. Push the string down into the saddle as far as possible. You may have to further loosen the string-lock screw.

Step Four
Using your allen key, gently but firmly tighten the string-lock screw to hold the string in place (be careful not to over-tighten!) Be sure the string stays secure in the saddle while doing this. Feed the string under the loosened nut clamping bolt, and under the "string retainer" (the bar on the headstock that runs parallel to the nut).

Step Five
Feed the string through the tuning peg, leaving some slack in the string. Then make a 90 degree angle about 3/4 of an inch above the tuning peg and wind it until it becomes in tune.

Gibson Style Bridge

This is one of the easier bridges to work with.

Step One
The first step to putting on guitar strings is to take them out of the package and straighten them out a bit so it is easier to work with them. Just unravel them and run your fingers through the string so it gets it ready to hold a lot of tension. I would recommend putting on strings one at a time so it is easier on you.

Step Two
Ok now that you've got your entire strings ready its time to put them on your guitar. Ok now feed the string into the saddle and then on the actual bridge you will see little incisions in it. Pull on the string gently until all the string comes out. Make sure that the string is in the incision in the bridge.

Step Three
Bring your string up to the tuners. Make sure that the string is in the incisions on the bridge and nut. Ok now there are also many different was to do step 3. I find it easiest to bend the string at 90 degree angle about 3/4 of an inch from the tuning peg. Make sure your pulling on the string slightly hard so the measurement comes out right.

Step Four
Now that you have that down slide the string through the hole in the tuning peg and start twisting the tuning peg slowly. I would tune it up a whole step, let it sit for a minute or two, then tune it up again, let it sit for a minute or two, etc. That way the string becomes comfortable with the tension and doesn't snap in two seconds.

Step Five
Now you must tune your string.