You’ve bought a classical guitar. Beautiful, shiny, like a brand-new car. You immediately begin to adore it, and it becomes one of your greatest passions. Days pass, weeks pass, months pass, but you don’t change the strings and have no intention of doing so, fearing you might ruin the purity of your divine guitar. Then you discover that everyone changes their strings frequently, and some even change them twice a month. You start to wonder, distressed, if the time has come for this change…
But hey! There’s no need to worry! Replacing the strings on a classical guitar may seem like a complex and tedious task, but it’s actually quite simple, and it won’t ruin anything. On the contrary, it will improve everything! If you want to know how to do it in the best way, follow these steps.

1. Knowing When It’s Time to Change the Strings

Before putting new strings on your classical guitar, you need to know if it really needs a string change. Strings are like car tires: just as you replace tires after driving many miles, you’ll replace guitar strings after many hours of playing. Most guitarists typically change their strings every 3 months (approximately 100 hours of playing). However, if you’re unsure, know that if one or more of the following signs appear, you should change them without hesitation:
1. The strings have become stiff, dirty, or discolored.
2. The guitar goes out of tune easily.
3. The sound has lost its original brightness.
All this happens because, as you play, your fingers sweat and a layer of grime forms on the strings and the fretboard. Take advantage of the time when the strings are off to clean the frets, as it’s difficult to do so with the strings tightened.

2. Gather the Necessary Tools

To complete the task efficiently, you’ll need a few items:
1. A string winder, which helps loosen or tighten the strings in seconds.
2. A wire cutter to cut the old strings.
3. A clean soft cloth.
4. The new strings.

3. Remove the Old Strings

First, to reduce tension, you need to loosen the strings, as if lowering their pitch. You can do this manually or with a string winder to save time. Once loosened, you can cut them with the wire cutter and remove them by pulling them out of the bridge and headstock.

4. Clean the Guitar

At this point, use the cloth to clean the instrument. Pay particular attention to the neck, cleaning both horizontally and vertically, as dirt tends to accumulate near the frets. Remember not to leave your guitar in overly humid, airy, or sunlit places. The best choice is always to store your guitar in its case after each use. This will prevent dust from settling between the frets, on the bridge, or the headstock.

5. Thread the New Strings Through the Bridge

Insert the third, second, and fourth strings through their respective bridge holes, leaving about 10 centimeters (4 inches) of string on the side facing the neck, and wrap it around itself once to form a loop. Thread the string’s end through this loop three times (creating three knots). Tighten the loop securely. For the fourth, fifth, and sixth strings, follow the same procedure but thread the end of the string through the loop and knot it around itself only once.
To be extra safe, you can knot the fourth, fifth, and sixth strings three times as well, but it’s not necessary.

6. Insert the New Strings into the Headstock

There are two ways to insert strings into the headstock. First, turn the tuning pegs so that all the holes face you. Insert the string’s end into the hole and wrap it around the post facing the guitar body. The first method involves pulling the string over the post and threading its end through the loop formed between the taut string and the excess sticking out of the hole. Hold the end steady and begin turning the tuning peg to tension the string. Use the string winder for faster tuning to achieve a provisional pitch.
In the second method, after inserting the string end into the hole and wrapping it around the post, reinsert the end through the hole a second time and pull it from underneath to create a knot around the post, securing the string. Then, as in the first method, turn the tuning peg to tension the string to a temporary pitch.

7. Stretch the Strings

Before tuning the guitar definitively, you need to “stretch the strings.” This is the most crucial step to ensure the instrument stays in tune, and it applies to all stringed instruments. To stretch the strings, pull them away from their resting position. Press each string against the first fret with your left hand to keep it from slipping out of the nut, and use your right hand to pull the string along the entire fretboard. Be gentle to avoid breaking the strings.

8. Tune the Guitar

Once all six strings are properly installed and stretched, the last step is to give them a final tuning. There are two main methods for this: using a tuner (which can also be found online for free) or a YouTube video that plays the desired tuning.

BONUS: How to Make Strings Last Longer

The simplest way to extend the life of your guitar strings is to wash your hands before playing. If you eat greasy snacks and start playing without washing your hands, your strings won’t last long. There are also special string-cleaning products available online or in music stores. After playing, it’s a good habit to wipe the strings with a dry cloth to remove sweat and dirt.

Now you’re ready to enjoy the bright sound of your classical guitar again. If you’re an extreme enthusiast who plays six hours a day, you’ll need to revisit this guide soon. But if you play around an hour a day or less, you won’t need to worry about changing the strings for quite a while.