One string at a time
Leave the other five under tension. The neck stays where it is, the relief does not move, and nothing has to be reset afterwards. Change all six only when you want the fretboard clear for cleaning.
Three wraps, downwards
Feed the string through the post, leave enough slack for about three turns, and wind so that each wrap sits below the previous one. Wraps stacked downwards increase the break angle over the nut, which keeps the string seated and in tune.
Stretch before you judge the tuning
Fit the string, tune it, then pull it gently away from the fretboard along its length two or three times and tune again. Repeat until it stops going flat. This is the step that separates a set that settles in ten minutes from one that drifts all evening.
Cut the ends
Leave a few millimeters and cut the rest. A coil of loose string at the headstock is what catches sleeves and cuts fingers.
Classical guitars are a different job
Tie ends at the bridge rather than ball ends, and nylon takes several days to settle rather than several minutes. The knot is the part to look up the first time — done badly it slips under tension, which is alarming and harmless.
What to check afterwards
Tuning stability over an evening, and the action if you have changed gauge. A step either way is usually tolerable; more than that means the relief and intonation want revisiting.
The questions players ask
Should I take all the strings off at once?
Not routinely. One at a time keeps tension on the neck and saves resetting anything. Take them all off when the fretboard needs cleaning, and expect to retune more afterwards.
Why does a new set go flat all evening?
New strings stretch. Pull each one gently away from the fretboard a few times after fitting, retune, and repeat twice — that removes most of the drift before it happens.
Last reviewed 2026-08-18
