Classical and flamenco (nylon-string) guitars are the scary ones when you’re starting out with stringing (and they’re still a pain when you’ve been doing it for years).
While it’s generally not necessary to ‘tie’ strings on other instruments, when we’re talking about nylon-stringed instruments, we do need to learn a couple of knots.
There are lots of variations in classical stringing methods and I’ve tried plenty of them over the years. What I’ll show you here is the method I’ve been using for a while and I believe it’s the easiest.
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Take a look at your string. Usually, you’ll find that one end has its windings wrapped a little more loosely—essentially, one end is ‘floppier’ and more flexible. This is the side we’ll tie to the bridge.
NOTE: In the photo, I’m demonstrating with the 4th (G) string. I felt it would be useful to see how the completed ties looked as you stepped through the process.
Photo 1. Pass the flexible end through the appropriate hole in the tie block. Leave about two or three inches (50–75mm) free.
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Photo 2. Bring the free string-end up and loop it around the rest of the string from the treble side, before pulling it back towards the end of the guitar.
Hold the string-end so it can’t move (it’s important it stays at the rear, below the corner of the tie-block) and pull tight on the rest of the string. This should lock it so it stays in position on its own.
The unwound strings are a bit more slippery. While it’s essentially the same procedure, we’ll loop these twice when we’re knotting them.
String Tie For Classical Guitar (brown)
Loop behind the tie block (below the corner) like you did above. For the top string, it can sometimes be useful to go for a third loop under to make sure it doesn't slip. It's not always necessary but it's not a bad idea to be safe.
If you keep those string-ends all pointing in the same direction, each will be further tied/clamped down by the next string in line. This doesn’t really make a difference to how secure it is but it does make it look neater.
This method isn’t all that tricky. It’s very secure but it’s actually one of the easier methods of tying at the tuners. Don't worry—it’s probably harder to describe than it is to actually do.
The Definitive, Comprehensive Guide To How To Change, Restring, And Tie Classical Guitar Strings, Part 2 Of 2
Pull the free end through but don't pull all the slack from the rest of the string. Ideally you'll want to end up with around four or five 'wraps' around the tuning post when you're finished. If you leave approximately two to three inches (50–75mm) of slack in the rest of the string, you should come in with the right number of wraps.
Photo E. Tune it up. You’ll usually wind the string towards the outside of the post but follow your instincts on this—depending on the hole position and the headstock layout, sometimes you might wind towards the inside (see note below).
On the path from the nut to the tuning post, sometimes the string can kink or bend against the wood of the headstock. I like to avoid this if I can.
String Tie Beads For Classical Or Flamenco Guitar, Brown
While you’ll generally wind the coils towards the outside of the post, if winding in the other direction would prevent a string contacting the headstock, I’d go that way.
Of course, sometimes it’s not actually possible to avoid contact. Avoid it if you can but don’t lose too much sleep over it if you can’t.
You can help them along a little by stretching them after installing. Use your thumb and fingers to give them a stretch along their length. You can also give them a ‘firm but gentle’ pull to try remove slack from the bridge tie and the post windings.This is one of my most popular pages - this and lots more like it are available in my free e-book - do download a copy.
How To Change Classical Guitar Strings
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In fact they are more than a bit like bicycle tyres - there's the guitar equivalent of a puncture - an infrequent, but sudden and premature failure of a string, usually mid-piece!
Guitars aren't as greasy as bicycles, so it's well worth getting the hang of changing strings yourself rather than taking the guitar to a music shop. But that first time of restringing can be a nightmare that seems to require you to have the dexterity of a brain surgeon. And three hands.
How To String A Classical Guitar — Haze Guitars
There are, of course, several ways to restring a guitar, and one or two enthusiasts will have their own style of knotting that gives their guitar an individual appearance. But here's my take on tying those knots...
I change one string at once (in the photos I've removed other strings so you can see what's going on more clearly)
I start with the bottom string - it settles fastest; by the time we replace the top string, we have a good string to tune to without needing electronic tuners or tuning forks all the time.
How To Change The Strings On Your Nylon String Classical Guitar
Some overwound strings have a good end and a bad end (with a sparse winding) - it's not a manufacturing fault. See the photo...
If we tie the bad end at the bridge and part of the “sparse winding” extends onto the vibrating length of the string, the string will sound “out”.
So I'll tie the knot using the end of the string that's at the top of the picture, and all the bad end is then well away from the vibrating section.
How To Restring A Classical Guitar: Complete Guide Frontman Philosophy
Lay the guitar on your lap, and sit well away from objects like tables, because the first time you do this, the guitar may slide around like a freshly-caught eel!
Pass the good end through the hole and leave yourself enough to work with. You can cut off any spare string later.
As you feed the string through in the direction of the red arrow, take the good end and pass it under the string.
Got Some Tie Blocks. For Me, Makes It Much Easier To String. I Also Like The Look. Got A Set For Each Guitar.
If you are left handed, you might want to do the mirror image of this - indeed, if you look at the photo, the top strings (which I haven't replaced yet) are a mirror image of the knot I'm about to tie.
In the next one it's gone under again - take the free end, pull it towards you, and thread it back under the the string, just to the right of where it goes under here. See the arrows in the next photo, but that photo is after the knot is tightened.
HINT : The monofilament strings are very slippery - loop them 3 times, rather than 2 - to be sure they will never slip.
How To Restring Your Classical Guitar (nylon Strings)
HINT : When you have looped it, trap the free end at the back of the bridge, as shown here - it is more secure!
Pull gently on the vibrating part of the string to tighten the knot, but don’t overdo it - let the knot seat itself under tension.
If you lever the knot really tight, you'll put a sharp kink in the string as it passes from the bridge saddle to the hole in the tie-block - see below!
How To Restring A Classical Guitar
A gentle kink is fine - it shows the knot is holding. A severe kink stretches the fibres in the taut portion of the string unevenly - some will snap, leading to the eventual failure of the string where the knot is tied.
If you just poke the string through the hole in the roller and wind, it may slip a lot until there is a substantial amount of string on the roller.
Here we go - at the tuning peg end, rotate the appropriate roller (arrowed) so that the hole is aligned as shown.
Installing Ball End Nylon Strings On A Classical Guitar
Many guitarists believe that the more windings there are on the roller, the more the string misbehaves when there are changes in temperature.
I've turned the peg a bit now so that you can see the arrows more easily, but there is no need to do so.
If your thickest string won't go back through, then don't worry - just wind the string - it's thick and rough so won't slip like the others.
Classical Guitar Lessons Video
Wind the string, ensuring that successive windings are adjacent, and on the side of the bobbin hole that's nearer the nut slot.
If you let the windings stray all over the bobbin, they may reach the sides; further turns of the peg wedge the string into an ever decreasing gap, jamming the bobbin. If you apply more force on the peg, you might crack it (I've seen that done!)
Because I pulled the string tight before I stapled it, there are only a couple of turns on the bobbin (the photo shows the string up to pitch).
How To Tie Nylon Strings To The Guitar Tuning Pegs
Don't worry about the string straying on the bobbin once it's up to pitch - the amount of adjustment you'll make is tiny.
CAUTION : A long string tail at the bridge will reach the front of the guitar and can be the source of hard-to-find buzzes!
The more often you can tune the guitar back to pitch in the first few days, the faster it will
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