Snapped Guitar String

[AngelofHarlem01]

I was tuning my Fender Strat a few minutes ago and the last string snapped and made a nice zig zag cut across my hand and wrist, who knew it could hurt so bad lol . Anyway, I've never had to restring before so I was wondering if it's very difficult or if i should take it into the shop and have it done since they said they'll fix it free, what do you think?

[Muad'zin]

Restringing should be the easiest thing and you should learn to do it cause strings break quit often or need replacing after a while. With some practice you can do it in a few minutes, which will beat going to a shop every time.

Just remove the pieces of the broken string. With me they tend to break near the bridge so the ball end sometimes remains in the floating bridge of a tremolo. Put a new string through the correct holes, fasten them to the tuners and tune away using the tuning device I assume you have. When its in tune pull on the string so it starts to get out of tune again. New strings can have some slack so you need to do this a few times until you notice it no longer gets out of tune. Then start tuning all strings since a strat has a floating bridge and the loss of tension of one string broken means they all will get out of tune. Then you should be set.
Remember that you need to replace old strings, even if they haven't broken, cause older strings tend to lose tone and could get contaminated with rust and sweat and grease from your fingers. Most professional guitarists change strings for every show. Edge is rumored to have his guitars restrung every time he's finished playing them after a song. No need to go through those extremes. Once every few months will serve you well. Remember that because you have a strat with a floating bridge its better to change strings one at a time then to remove them all and then restring them.

Maybe others have some useful tips.

[AngelofHarlem01]

Wow thanks sooooooo much Maud'zin this really helps a lot, I'm gonna go try to do it. Thanks again!

[AngelofHarlem01]

ok whew so i finally got the string in but had a difficult time winding it around the tuner, so it looks kind of messy..is that ok?

[Muad'zin]

For a first time it should do. As you'll do it more often practice will make perfect. Nothing goes 100% right at first. Nobody plays like Steve Vai when they get their first guitar and nobody changes guitarstrings effortlessly like Edge's guitar tech Dallas Schoo. For the next time its best if you put the string through the hole and as you wind the tuner it coils itself nicely upwards. It would be preferable if no part of the string winds itself over other parts of the string. If that happens there is a higher risk of the string breaking there. This is my mistake as I should have told you to hold the string tight while you tune. I'm just not used to explaining this through an indirect medium like this. Let me do it again as best as possible.
If you put the string through the hole through the tuning mechanism let a piece stick out, max of 10 cm for the thinnest, max of 20 cm for the thickest on a strat. The further away to the end of the guitars head the shorter the excess should be. The excess string can be safely cut of when finished, although there are some who leave it on. Your choice. Doing it this way you also prevent that to much string will wind itself around the tuner and run the risk of winding over other parts.
Right hand holds the string tight. Just hold it somewhere over the fretboard so the part between the tuner and your hand is tensed. Naturally your left hand winds the tuner (reverse if you are left handed ). The first time the tuner goes round and the excess part of the string crosses the string you're holding make sure the excess string goes underneath your string. That way while you hold it tight it will wound itself upwards as desired. Then its just a matter of winding it up until its tight and the stretching/tuning can begin.

[Muad'zin]

I'm a dumbass who needs to take a guitar in hand before he starts explaining. When you wind the tuner the string should not coil upwards but downwards. And this: The first time the tuner goes round and the excess part of the string crosses the string you're holding make sure the excess string goes underneath your string. should be The first time the tuner goes round and the excess part of the string crosses the string you're holding make sure the excess string goes OVER your string.

[AngelofHarlem01]

lol you're not a dumbass, you taught me how to string a guitar and that's something I really appreciate everything, you've helped me a lot One day I'll be a guitar stringing pro lol.

[gareth brown]

when I first learnt how to re-string my guitar I thought it was the coolest thing and I used to love doing it, now it's a chore

[the rockin edge]

Originally posted by gareth brown
when I first learnt how to re-string my guitar I thought it was the coolest thing and I used to love doing it, now it's a chore

same here, i just restrung my guitar. it just bugs me now when i have to do it.