Changing guitar strings — when, what to buy, and where to learn
The strings that came on your new guitar will need changing eventually. The First Guitar roadmap puts your first change at about three months in, when the sound turns dull.
But string maker D'Addario recommends judging by sound, tuning and feel rather than by the date. Strings wear at different rates depending on how much you play and where.
When to change them
| String condition | What to do |
|---|---|
| Sound dull and lack fullness; hard to keep in tune | Change them |
| Look dirty or feel rough, but still sound fine | Change them or keep them — either is fine |
| Sound bright, hold their tuning and look clean | Not time yet |
By time, about 3 months is typical for guitar. Bass strings cost more but last longer, so 4–6 months is usual.
Source for these criteria: D'Addario, How Often Should You Change Your Guitar Strings?
What to buy — gauge and price
| Instrument | Standard beginner gauge | Set price (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Electric | 009 or 010 | — |
| Acoustic | 011–012 (light) | A light 012 set: about $8–10 |
| Bass (4-string) | 045–105 | $22–25 (two to three times a guitar set) |
- At first, buy the same gauge you have on now. The smaller the number, the thinner the string.
- For acoustic, buy a spare set at the same time. Then when a string breaks, you can change it right away.
- There are also long-life strings: coated strings, and flatwounds for bass (duller, easier on the fingers and much longer-lasting). For your first set of bass strings, go with bright, standard roundwounds.
How it differs by instrument
- Acoustic — pull out the bridge pins to remove the strings. Because they're steel, new strings keep going out of tune for about two days.
- Classical — there are no pins; the strings are tied to the bridge. New nylon strings keep stretching for more than a week, so tune up every day. The tuning pegs stick out from the sides of the headstock, so it's easy to get confused about which way to turn them.
- Electric — a fixed bridge is fairly easy to restring. A locking tremolo (Floyd Rose) takes 30 minutes per string change, which is one reason it isn't recommended for beginners.
- Bass — the length of string you wind onto the headstock is different from guitar, so the first time it's quicker to learn by watching at a music store.
Where to learn
For your first change, watch it done at a music store, or follow a video slowly. Do it with a setup and it's all done at once — a local music store setup is $50–110, plus the strings if they change them. What a setup is is covered in the setup guide.
Making strings last
After playing, wipe the strings once with a dry cloth to remove moisture. It's the maker-recommended way to prevent rust.
New strings keep slipping out of tune for a few days. Spend just 30 seconds with a tuner before each time you play.