Step 2 – Removing the strings
Removing the strings (and putting new ones on) can be made so much easier if we have a speed winder. Almost all guitar shops will have these in a bucket at their front counter. Best $3.00 you’ll ever spend (besides the cleaning cloth!).I’d like to take a few seconds to provide a good practice tip: get into, when working on your guitar, set the guitar on a table so that its not being balanced on knees.
Resist the urge to cut the strings off the guitar. Take the time to unwind them. If you cut them off the guitar there are a few problems that can occur:
• First it is a sudden tension release which could cause the bridge tension to recoil and bounce out of place.
• Second when trying to get the cutters around the string to cut it you can damage the wood and leave a mark that will be forever noticeable, cause nicks like to be noticed.
• Thirdly, if you cut the strings that are extremely taught, they will decide to fly all over the place. Although technically you don’t need your eyes to play the guitar, its always nice to have two working ones.
So were going to speed wind the strings until their loose enough to just pull off the guitar, one by one.