How to Replace Strings on a Classical Guitar

Video Transcript

Hi, my name is Tim Ambrosuis. I'm a professional guitar tech. And I'm going to show you how to change a string on a classical guitar. First what you're going to need to do is loosen the string that you are changing. This time we're going to do the low E string. Easiest way to do it is going to be to clip it up here by the nut. So you don't have to spend a lot of time pulling this long string through this headstock. Then just unravel it from the bridge. A lot of time with a nylon string guitar, it's going to be a tie end. So you're not going to have a ball end like an electric or a regular acoustic. So what you need to do is slide the string through. As you can see when the string goes through, you'll see the tail end of the A string is going to be underneath or above your E string. So you pull the string through so that when you go to wrap it back around again, the A is going to be underneath the E string. When you tighten it down it's going to help it hold a tune better. Then what you want to do is, wrap the string around itself, pull it tight. Make sure you have that end locked in there and then you're going to wrap it around itself. Do this a couple of times. Pull it tight and then just pull the string tight. Now with a classical, the tuning pegs are a lot thicker than on your regular guitar. So, you need to measure out a lot more slack then you do on a regular guitar. We're doing this post here. Measure about 2 and a half posts maybe 3 posts length. You can mark that with your finger. Bring it back, run it through the tuning machine. Now with your string in place, with your two E strings your wraps are going to go out. We're on the low E string so we want the wrap to go out like that. You see on these strings how they all go in. You want to make sure they go out after you do your first wrap. Your first wrap you want to go to the inside of the guitar. You'll wind it half way around and it'll be on the inside from where the string is coming out of the other end of the tuning machine. After you get to that point, then you want to bring it back in, then you want to bring it on to the inside of the guitar. So, that's going to help lock the string in place. And you'll see, once you get back around to the other end, how it's on the inside. So, it'll help lock it into place. With a classical you're always going to have a lot more wraps then you do on a regular guitar. This one will come out to be like 3 or 4. Get your tuner, and you just want to tune it up to pitch. Now you'll find with nylon string guitars, that nylon string is going to take a little while to stretch out and hold a tune. So, I'll tune it up to pitch there and pull on it just a little bit, not to much. Tune it back up to pitch and it's just going to continue to fall out of tune for a little while. You're going to have to tune it up, for a little while and then it is going to finally hold a tune. Last thing you need to do is clip the tail end of the string off. And then clip the excess string off up here.

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