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Problem:
You're finding yourself constantly breaking your guitar strings and having to change them every time you play. Also your guitar goes out of tune easily. All this is very upsetting - I know how it feels, but here's an awesome trick to avoid it and make your guitar strings last up to 3 times as long!
The wrong way to do it:
When it comes to stringing their guitar, most people simply thread the guitar string through the tuning peg (i.e. pass it through the hole) and start to tighten!
No, no, no! This is the surest way to make your guitar strings break all the time. It is not very economical, not to mention how upsetting and embarrassing it can be when you suddenly have to stop, find a little corner and sit down to change the broken string. The problem is all in the threading! When you simply place your guitar string through the tuning peg hold and tighten, you have just created the highest tension, eliminated any form of slack and doubled your chances of snapping the string when you go to break it in.
The right way to do it:
The trick is not to thread the guitar string through the tuning peg on the first thread. Instead, gently wrap the string around the tuning peg 3 or 4 times over and THEN thread the string through the hole. The wrapping should start from the bottom of the tuning peg to the top, avoiding at the same time overlapping, i.e. one turn on top of the other, so that the string is at an angle with the headstock, and not parallel.
By doing this you allow more slack in your string, reduce tension and literally double or triple the life of your guitar strings. It provides your guitar with a heavier grip on the string and also prevents your strings from going out of tune so easily.
Tip:
When changing your guitar strings, do it by replacing one at a time. Don't remove all the strings at once and then string the new ones. Remove old E, string new E. Then remove old B, string new B, well, you get the point. Otherwise, you run the risk of dislocating the neck because of the sudden change in pressure. (Do you know that a properly stringed and tuned set of guitar strings poses a 220 pounds pressure on the neck?)
Here's a picture to see how it should look:
The string is wrapped several times around the peg before threading it through the hole.
So, next time you string your guitar, apply this simple but powerful trick. Your strings will last and stay in tune much longer!
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