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→Putting New Strings on
===Putting New Strings on===
Now for restringing...we are going to repeat the process in reverse. If you have a Floyd Rose style bridge, cut the ball ends off the string, and clamp them into the bridge saddles using an allen wrench - make sure you have them clamped nice and tight. If not, thread the non-ball-end part of the string through the appropriate hole in the rear side of the bridge. You should see it protrude through the bridge and saddle hole on the front side of the guitar. Pull it all the way through so the ball end is held firmly inside the bridge. ( If your guitar has a string tree, thread the string under the string tree.) Now thread Thread it through the appropriate tuner peg hole, and grip it on the other side with your left hand. Don't pull it totally tight yet. Put your right hand on top of the 12th fret, as though you are karate chopping the neck in half. Pull the string with your left hand until the string is tight, pressing against the thumb side of your right hand. You want the string to have a little slack before you start to wind the tuner. Hold the string in place with your left hand and use your right hand to pinch the string on the tuning peg, bending the string in a right angle on each side of the peg. This will help the peg "hold" the string while you wind it. Continue to hold it in place with your left hand and start winding the peg with your right hand. Make sure you are winding the correct direction - the side of the peg that the string comes off of should line up with the nut (this depends on the style of headstock your guitar has). Always make sure each new winding is lower (closer to the headstock) than the prior winding. Once you've made about 2 windings, you should be able to release the string with your left hand. Now use your right hand to maintain tension on the string. Grab the string with your right hand the same way you'd grab a pipe. Now take your thumb and put it on top the string, and rotate your wrist counter-clockwise. Your thumb holds the headstock side of the string close to the fretboard while the pinky side is further away from the fretboard. There should be light to medium tension on the string from your right hand thumb to the tuning peg. Make sure the string is in the appropriate nut groove and string tree if applicable. Start tightening the string by turning the tuning peg. Again, make sure each wind goes under the previous one. The tension should start forcing your right hand to turn clockwise. Once it is no longer needed to maintain tension, you can let go of the string. Now make sure you have a reference pitch or are using a tuner to prevent over-tightening. Sometimes when you get close to being in tune, the string will slip. This can either occur at the bridge or the tuning peg. If it's from a Floyd style bridge, you will have to unwind the tuner a bit to get more length to the string and re-clamp it - make sure you have enough of the string in the block and are tightening the block hard enough. Also make sure the clamp block itself is not damaged, preventing it from working properly. For a Stratocaster style bridge, sometimes the ball end catches on part of the bridge before getting all the way to the place it's supposed to be. Just keep tightening the tuning peg. If the string slipped at the tuning peg, you basically have to start over - unwind the string until you can repinch it and start winding again. Some people may say to tie a knot in the string on the peg. I think it's unnecessary - I've only had the string slip off the peg a handful of times. If you follow the advice about starting with a karate chop's worth of slack, getting a good pinch, keeping tension while tuning up, and making sure each wind is lower than the prior, it should not slip.
=== Breaking New Strings In ===