How to correctly restring your acoustic | Guitar.com DIY 

I’ve only had a couple guitar lessons over the years, my boyfriend has been playing heavily for 15 years. Neither of us can change strings. He’s so frustrated from trying countless times over the years with billions of different techniques, he refuses to try. I watched this video and even though I don’t really have guitar experience and was super nervous, I thought I’d give it a shot for him. I DID IT!!! First time I’ve EVER changed strings and I did it correctly! Thank you so much for this fantastic tutorial, it’s the best out there!!!

As a 64 year old novice guitarist I found this video clear and helpful and the fact that Matt is so personable was a bonus. Thanks Matt!

Great tutorial. One question: when am I supposed to smoke a joint? Before starting? (this is my hunch) Or, does one take a break somewhere near the midway point, and smoke it? These are the kinds of things many guitar players need to know. Kindest regards from sunny Florida.

This is closest to perfect I’ve ever seen. Very clear and easy to follow instruction, helpful tips, random but helpful bits of information, taught me things I had no idea about even though I’ve had to restring a few guitars in my time playing before seeing this video. Plus Matt was really easy to understand in every sense of the phrase. Thank you!

There are hundreds of videos and/or web pages on how to restring a guitar. This is the first one that was perfectly clear. Thank you so much for posting

This was by far the best acoustic guitar restring instructional video on RU-vid. Matt was able to explain things thorough, yet concise and that's what I appreciated most about this DIY - easy to follow & lessened the stress

How fast he tunes it at the end gives me anxiety 😂😂😂. I would be moving those pegs as SLOWLY as humanly possible. I’ve been cut my a string

As a drummer about to change strings on my wife's Taylor, this was enormously helpful. Using the same strings and quick wind tool will make me feel like I know what I'm doing! 😊 Excellent video mate!

This video is giving me the confidence to restring my guitar. Very simple and easy to follow.

Been restringing guitars horribly for 2 years, and it's just crazy how much better it holds tune with this method and how it eliminates an issue I've had with my open strings rattling

Thanks! I just restrung my own guitar for the first time and this video really helped me! Easily the clearest and most concise video on this process.

First time seeing that amount of wraps

This video was a godsend man. Helped me re-string my old acoustic first try! I can't thank you guys enough!

the best video about restringing a guitar, it's my second time changing strings and with your help i did it perfectly :) you explain so well!

This is THE best string changing tutorial on here, thank you so much!!

Thank you so much for the help. I had the hardest time going through 2 other tutorials and breaking 2 sets of strings. Your tutorial was actually easier and more clear to follow along. You're awesome dude!!!

Clear and concise instructional video! Thanks

great video! i watched a couple others where i struggled to change the strings but this one laid it out nice and easy! thanks!!

Frankie I've been playing and gigging for sixty years now (HOW LONG??? Yup. Sixty. Started out wanting to be Hank Marvin). I've restrung everything from a double ball-ended headless bass through cigar-box guitars and resonators to my dear , dear Eric Clapton Strat. Never had the courage to tackle a pegged acoustic, so Matt's lesson is worth its weight in gold. I also learned the correct way to wind on; I've been told all sorts of questionable dodges over the years, but Matt's makes THE most sense. So, first we tackle our little acoustic-then on to the Ibanez twelve string. Wish me luck!

I used to bring my guitars to the music store always to get them restringed. Before I tried it twice and always had breaking strings. Today I watched this video , tried it again and... no broken strings ! Thanks for this video !

Best video I've seen on RU-vid (by a mile) on how to restring a guitar.

Excellently demonstrated the correct way of restring the acoustic guitar. Thank you.

STELLAR Presenter and Clear /Concise run through! Truly Appreciate this how it’s done video. Saved to my favorites!

Thanks for the great instructions 🎉❤

Honestly, thank you. I was so nervous to do this. Fantastic, chill walk through-video. Thank you! ✌🏼❤️

Matt, you are awesome, Dude! I thought I knew how to string a guitar, but you schooled me! Those pegs always gave me trouble and kinda frightened me when I restrung them. Now with your trick I am confident and wow! that was easy! Thank you, sir. I am now a subscriber.

Great tutorial with all the information to restring for the first time. Thank you.

Thank you Matt, I've always pulled the string tight from machine end snd then would on, but now, thanks to you, I can see its far better to leave a few inches extra to wind on to the peg and string has then got much greater support. 🙏

Great video. It's be awhile since I've restrung my old guitar and this made it very easy.

The best video I've seen so far; Great tips. Thanks 👍

Amazing tutorial,well explained and easy to follow!finally my guitar it's been cleaned and stringed properly !

I love this measurement technique for slack... Great idea

I often restring my guitars but this video was refreshing for the setups of my acoustics, thanks !

I wish I'd watched Matt first, before watching some other person. I pretty much jacked up my first guitar restring--but it'll have to do for now. The second one I did with Matt, was much easier to visually and audibly understand. Thanks, Matt! :-)

Thanks Matt great video...I cant believe how long Ive been doing it the wrong way. Appreciate your help!

You are my go to guitar restringing guy. See you again next time sir

Fantastic! This is very helpful. Thank you.

Awesome mate, never strung a guitar before but watched your video and all done. Great tutorial. Thanks heaps.

wow what a feeling. I just replaced the strings on my Ovation guitar watching step by step video is great help ty

Wow am so happy the video has helped me so much

Thanks for taking some of the mystery out of the job. I've never enjoyed replacing strings but after watching you, I would feel a bit more confident. Don't need to do it right now though!

Those Elixer strings are awesome!! I've had mine on my Yamaha FG830 acoustic for 5months and still sound incredible and no oxidation!

Thank you so much! I finally put on new strings after breaking previously snapping a few of them. I didn't know you had to measure and pull them back.

Brilliantly demonstrated 🙌

Thanks Matt, great video.

My stepson plays the guitar and I don't know the first thing about them, but this video was quick and simple, which is a sure sign the person making it knows their stuff! Great watch and I'm sure the guitar were about to restring will be played a hell of a lot once its got all 6 strings tuned. Thank you!

Looks as though you've done this more than once!! Thanks for the huge help in the step-by-step guide.

Thx very clear tutorial

thank you, your tutorial helped alot!

The best video on this out there, thank you.

Great tutorial, thanks!

Great job, this video is really helpful for me

best demo ever!

Thank you! This video was very helpful!

Thanks for the great tutorial 🪕

Great video thank you 👍👍👍

So good, all very understandable and helpful tips! The Guitar looks and sounds so nice now thanks

Thank you. This video really helps 👍👍

Really satisfying honestly

Wow! Great lesson! I 'll be trying my hand at this soon!

Helps a lot . Thanks!

Really helpful - thanks for this

A very important lesson. Thank you very much❤❤❤❤❤❤

Best darn video yet. Simple instructions thx man.

Thank you for this video. Vey Informative and well explained!!!

Good thing I decided to watch a video before trying to restring the D string that I broke while tuning lol. I didn't realize that I was going into the wrong octave, and overtightened and SNAP. I have the strings to replace it, but I was gonna give it a go without any instructions, as it seemed straight-forward enough. Not at all. It's not difficult, but you have to know what you are doing. Thank you for this

You are amazing!! This video was everything I need to save money and help me and others out in the future!! Thank you so much!!

Great video. Was able to do it right first time. All RU-vid how-to videos should be this good. Thanks!

Thank you! Huge help.

This is so satisfying to watch.

Finally a good tutorial

this is the most accurate video of how to change strings, thankk you very much!

Thanks for the help bro

Thanks for the tutorial of changing acoustic guitar new strings

Thanks so much for this Matt, I managed to restring my wife's guitar for her which was well overdue and she's very happy with it now! Cheers for the clear instructions, meant I didn't make mistakes which otherwise would have been very easy. Much appreciated! :)

Duuude! You are excellent. Picked up some restringing tips from you that I never knew. Great video. Keep Rockin'.

If there is one thing I have learned through watching videos on how to correctly restring a guitar it is that no two individuals agree on how to correctly restring a guitar. From guitar novices whose egos outweigh their knowledge to seasoned pro guitar techs and musicians, there is no consensus. My solution to this is to string instruments the way that has always worked for me and to block recommendations from RU-vid channels offering such advice (the same way I block anything with the words 'secret', 'hack' or 'ASMR' in the title).

I like that scraping sound

Great video!

Thanks for help. Easy to understand. Keith

it literally took me an hour to figure out the technique you used to string the last two strings! Now I can restring like a pro!

Thanks it helped a lot🎶🙏

i finally restring my guitar for the first time . your tutorial helped me a lot , thank you :)

Straight to the point! Nice one mate 🍻

Very nice tutorial thanks from. Africa

Thank you! Now I am confident that I can string a guitar from watching this easy to follow lesson you've created.

I'm 51. I have always wanted to learn acoustic guitar. I was gifted an Eleca. My first lesson is to get string onto it. Thanks for the vid. It is a huge help.

great tutorial

best restring video around, thank you .)

really helpful, thanks

A super super good tutorial 🙂

thankyou. just what i needed

Thank you so much!!!!❤

Thx a lot my uncle just gifted me with my first Acoustic , and this helped me clean it for the first time thx a lot!!!!!

Good techniques shown here. I have noticed even the cheap plastic pegs come pre-slanted. And my local guitar center lacked anything made of bone. I used your technique of checking the peg and string position from the inside before going to the machine heads. I also used the technique you showed of pre-measuring the slack and then holding tension. I use a slightly less complicated technique to maintain the tension while tightening. I basically thumb the string against the nut of the machine head, so as it tightens I get nice even coiling that naturally lines up the pole. I also liked the idea of aligning the machine head holes with the long axis. It really helped get that first winding solid after bending the end of the slack to keep the string from slipping out. My acoustic seems louder now, probably because the end of the strings are making solid contact between the peg and against the body in the inside due to the pegs' slant alignment. I've always found the number of windings doesn't matter much except on electric guitars where less seems better. But on an acoustic four or five seems to make it more stable.

Nice classic Big Muff in the background ;) I have one of those and I love it. Good tutorial, thanks.

thank you very much. best tunning video on youtube.

Great video! Thank you! This is very helpful! What tuner are you using?

Many excellent tips. Many mistakes to avoid that I've seen in other videos.

Thank you dear