💥My new online guitar course is open! classicalguitar-pro.com Sign-up for lifetime access to this 6-hour course and start playing elegant classical music today!

A man threatening classical guitar students with a lighter (2021, colourised)

Those talking while playing intros are such a flex. I love it.

In high school I went through a phase where I was recording using Nashville tuning. For those unfamiliar, that's when you record a part twice with two sets of strings so that you get a kind of 12-string guitar effect. The first recording is done with normal guitar strings. For the second recording, though, you swap your strings with what would be the higher octave set from a 12-string guitar. In an effort to save money, I would often repurpose my strings. To that end, I never cut the tails off. You can't make nice little loops like this with steel strings, but I would sort of bend them around so that they laid flat in between the tuner posts. It was quite the conversation starter. Anyway, good video. I like your tip about melting the end of the unwound strings to make a stop. And you said it, Brandon. if you have a guitar, there's no reason to take it to a shop for a restring. That's like going to the doctor to change your pants.

that intro was smooth man gotta be honest

Funny story, when I first learned to play guitar, I started for a few months on an old nylon-string guitar. I changed the strings, figuring out how to copy the knot arrangement at the bridge from the existing strings. But the string set I used actually had ball ends, which I didn’t know what they were for. So I strung the balls through at the tuners, thinking it was so you didn’t have to tie them off up there! (I was a budding young Ned Steinberger.)

I'm definitely in the "fancy loop" camp for the excess string at the head stock. Ive been able to salvage a string more than a few times. And honestly, I like the aesthetic.

Keep those old strings. They make wonderful candle wicks for dark cult meetings.

On a very few occasions , as I put on the A string and tuned it all the way to A, it broke at the saddle. So lessons learned , I change my guitar strings one at a time. Also, I tune the new string about a note below. For example, I tune the A string to a G. Then, let it rest over night before I tune it to an A. I have had good luck with that.

what a pleasure to hear you play the villa lobos. We don't often hear you play it, what a shame! thank you again for this precious youtube channel and keep it up !

Beautiful playing and great information I’ve been playing for years, but still learned a good deal . Thank you kindly for the sweet tones and soft delivery 🎶☮️🎶💟🎶☯️🎶

Lovely video - clear instructions and reassuring! Guitar sounds great too. Thanks.

Thanks for some great tips. I am just about to buy my first classical guitar. I have always done as much as I possibly could myself whist maintaining electric guitars, but I’m learning all over again.

Great video as always Brandon! Please keep making more content, about to support you on Patreon soon as well!

Aaah my latest classical guitar was double holes on the bridge and oh man do I love it. Also knew all of these things as most guitarists after a few years but its just so relaxing to watch your videos so of course ill sit through it anyway! However, I don't agree with starting with the low string since the non-wounded strings take longer to settle so if you start with the highest ones they will stay in tune sooner. If you start on the highest and tune it to E again when you've stringed the B string and then retune E and B when u get to the G and so on it will almost stay in tune when your finished!

Just changed my strings for the first time today using this vid. Very satisfying when it started looking familiar after i tied the end to the bridge.

Great help. Thank you. If I may make one point-I, personally, like to change all strings at once as it gives an opportunity to give the face of the neck and body a good cleaning.

I was taught to stretch my strings as well! Great tip! Oh, I love the loop trick for saving excess in the back, in case of emergency!

Thanks for the video! My grandfather taught me how to change strings a while back and this was a good refresher. Also I personally wind the entire string at the end so that it can be use if a string snaps at the bridge and because I just like the cleaner look vs making a little loop of string. Personal preference I guess 🤷🏽‍♂️😂

Dearest Sir, it just so happens, that I managed to fix the A string of my gut / silk set 2 times, using your trick. thanks a lot.

So glad I remembered watching this video earlier so that I could find it again when I needed it. I've never had a guitar before, and the D string on my two-month-old guitar broke. I was able to replace the string with no trouble, thanks to the video. Yay! Thanks, Brandon!

Thank you sir for making this beautiful informative video

Love the movement in your playing---the Soul is evident:)

The 12-hole bridge does increase the break angle over the saddle a little bit, so you have a little (a little) more tension on the string.

Hahaha i was just looking for help as I hadn't bought new strings since years now. Thanks a lot for your videos!

The only thing that I’ve learned is that, I’m been pulling the living crap out of the bass strings . I’ve already wondered why it sounded dull . Treating these nylons strings like electric guitar strings. Thanks for the tip !! Keep them coming!!

the most entertaining re-stringing of a guitar i've ever seen! :D

Truly useful how-to video! Thank you! 👍👍

Oh my god, please release a version of that Villa-lobos prelude. One of my favorite pieces of all time. (alright, back to the video)

Friends, you can join me on Zoom on Oct. 9th for a group workshop all about RUBATO, the art of stealing time in music. Tickets are available here arpeggiato.com/events/

Another great video, Brandon 🔥

Enjoying your videos, and your playing is really superb. This one is particularly relevant for me, having recently acquired a 12-hole spruce-top Barbi classical (I am used to the 6-hole), and also coincidentally having purchased a set of Aquila Ambra 900 strings.Tuning the D here you seem to have arrived at a perfect 5th rather than a 4th above the A. May the 4th be with you (as they say) regardless.

Nice video, Brandon! Since you said that prefer light strings,(i wouldgently request to you, a video about string tensions and scale lenghts. Cheers

My J Godoy Classical with double string holes on the bridge came with the strings exiting over the saddle all on the underside (or second hole) relative to how you hold a right handed guitar and the string spacing is correct and plays normally.

Thank you for sharing ☺️❤️💕

Instead of cutting or making the loop with the knot in the headstock you can also roll the string completely in the headstock, it might take a few more seconds but it will have more friction to prevent any slip, you will have extra string and looks more clean.

Thanks for this video. I've got an ancient Yamaha student model classical guitar that I've been ignoring since a string spontaneously snapped* months ago. Restringing the thing seemed like such a tedious task. Thanks to the information in this video, the guitar is restrung and sounding as good as it can get in almost no time at all. *Maybe I ruined the snapped fifth string by stretching as I would steel strings.

That thumbnail has a _very_ threatening aura I am and terrified.

Great info, I subbed!! Thx!!

Thanks for some good tips. I really like the double hole system at the bridge. Looks like it makes the angle towards the saddle steeper, and then make more pressure (good for the sound?). That could be the solution for at least two of my older guitars, that I had to file down the saddles on (to make the action lower). Think I'm gonna find the mini drill (Dremel) and double up the holes (I pretend to be a guitar doctor sometimes).

Favourite series. Can you make a video about Music theory. Tips and etc

I call the loops at the headstock "flamenco loops" and I use them too. Sometimes they rattle, but it's all good.

Superb video on changing the strings. I’d like to add one little thing if I may… Always cut the excess off at the headstock if you have cats!

These old Martin Acoustic Guitars were originally made for Gut Strings, & today we use Nylon as the modern Substitute cause it lasts many times as long plus it really livens up the Guitar's sound.

Great stuff.

This dude has the best smile on KZfaq.

Good one.....thank you. 👍👍👍

Hello Brandon :) Nice video!

12-hole system improves the break angle behind the saddle and thus improves the tension of the string on the bridge

Brilliant !

Don't know if it was intended but: "...you're bound to make a mistake" was a nice pun.

You've always reminded me of someone and I could never articulate too. Today, after a long day of work, a good workout and a bowl of cereal I've finally realized that you remind me of Cilian Murphy. 😂

When it comes to changing strings, Uros Baric is the man.

Best channel on youtube

I don't have a guitar...I just find this relaxing

I trust this guy because he can actually play. You never know with some of those other string change videos.

I used the Aquila strings on two of my guitars, a Cordoba C10 and a Cordoba Fusion Orchestra and the intonation was not very good. I had the same problem on both. the notes at the 12th fret were clearly flat. I went back to d'addario strings Low tension and now the intonation is the closest to perfection. I wonder if someone else had this problem. Now I got stuck with several string sets that I won't be using. I love your channel Brandon, thanks for all you do.

Me: Literally restringing my guitar at 12am and found this then realized Ive been doing it all wrong!! 😂😂 Thank you for the tips Teacher! ☺️

Thank you!

What a demure, sincere subscribe request. I don't clutter up my subscribers, but I like you and the unobtrusive request made me want to lol. I'm helping someone! Yay!

Just for the record, it's not "ice ice baby", it's Under Pressure ;) (I still hope you were trolling us there XD). But the rest of the video is pure gold - thank you for the precise and insightful tutorial! By the way Brandon, I've been an absolute fan of your instrument history interviews. I'm into the ukulele lately, still your videos are an excellent way to expand my awareness of other instruments out there. And your lute playing is so badass, it's unbelievable. I wish I had found your channel much earlier. Greetings from Hungary, the land of Bakfark! :)

So, two weeks ago I bought a 1981 Manuel Contreras (unsigned) that featured some nice Brazillian RW, an impeccable spruce top, Fustero tuners with genuine MOP buttons and the unique to Contreras curved fan bracing. Those gorgeous Fustero tuners needed a little TLC so I removed the strings and tuners and got them cleaned and lubed and when restringing I did my usual routine. I placed masking tape behind the bridge and proceeded to use a two times around knot making sure the end of the string was around the back of the tie block when it emerged from the knot and snugged. And for the first time in years my knot slipped while tuning and the masking tape was not stopping the string whip that happened. I was sick over it, because the guitar had made it over 40 years without a ding in the soundboard. And then it got in my hands and within minutes ..BAM! Don't get confident in your methods because they've worked on other guitars. Use a three loop knot and tie or melt the end before you start cranking. I was able to fill, smooth and polish the ding and it's OK, but you can still see where it happened as the wood was impacted. Because of this incident, I'm considering using those little tie blocks. I'd love to hear about anyone's experience with them.

Thank you Brandon, your vids have taught me a lot in choosing my next guitar. Is there a brand of Light Tension Flamenco strings that you would recommend? Thank you!

i do the excess string thing on electrics that can be wound that way. 💯. I wind the whole excess. it usually uncoils at the bridge so Ive had most strings last many years

Great!

I’m scared, yet, the most intrigued I have ever been

I really like this vid. But I do think it's weird you said go counter clockwise when it looks like your are going clockwise on the peg winder. Nice tip about tucking the string under and through the string it holds it really good. Thanks

Brandon: it takes me 12 minutes to go through the whole thing Me: 21 minutes for one string

I like taking off all the strings, it gives me a chance to clean my fret board with fretboard oil and make it feel fresh, and clean the dusty areas where it's hard to reach where the strings would normallt be in the way.

Something about the image of Brandon holding a lighter up to the camera with a big smile on his face is terrifying.

11:45 I learnt that the hard way today. I just got nylon strings to replace the steel strings because the bar chords were too painful. I pre-cut the high e string and it was fine. I then proceeded to pre-cut the b string and I ended up cutting it too short. I tried to put the b string in the tuning peg and winding it but since the excess was too short, it kept popping out. I ended up using the old steel string for the B string and did not pre-cut the rest of the strings. Sad times.

That song at the end sounded like Barrios❤️

Thanks.

I don’t even have a classical guitar and I still watched this entire thing.

Protect the finish by placing a sheet of paper down with blue tape behind the bridge before changing strings.

Yea, one thing I noticed is that if you pulled the wound strings especially the D string it will surely F up your intonation. It also causes the string to break easily.

I once broke a string and couldn't afford a new set for a while. I just knotted the string back together and had a knot at the second fret of the D string. Not great but better than not having a guitar to play. It also let me put a capo (I'm not a classical player so it's not a sin for me) at fret 3 and play everything I knew in a higher key.

Thanks! Nice to see a slightly less formal video. I am very much a beginner, but I prefer to wind the whole string because I don't like the idea of losing the full length, but I also don't like strings hanging out of the head stock. QUESTION: You mentioned preferring low tension strings. I have tried both medium and high tension strings. Could you address the differences between the different tensions? Why you might prefer one over the other? Or is it purely just a preference? I found moving to high-tension strings difficult, but once I got used to them, moving back to medium tension made them feel "soft" and found myself needing to be more gentle. I've heard high tension strings are louder - is there any other differences? When I tied the high tension strings, I had trouble keeping the high-E string tied. It slipped and hit the top of the guitar leaving a mark - a definite learning experience for me.

Wow ice ice baby is cool..😁 still thinking to change my coated acoustic guitar strings or not after 5 months..

Thanks!

I single loop all five strings and double loop the high e, never had them come out but I do the little tuck in technique. The bridge on my 20 year old looks barely resesed and damaged.

The string manufacturer needs to mark those strings. It would be far too easy to put the wrong string in the wrong place! Great video.

It's rare that I play any of my steel stringed instruments anymore, but they're sure easy to change strings on compared to the nylons, and I'm not a fan of the task. There is one added step I've used for years, and I'm not sure if anyone else does it. I put a small (single) knot in the string, once it's thru the bridge end- so it falls as close to the string's end as is possible. This seems to do two things. One, it anchors the string so buzzing is less likely. Secondly, should the string slip at the bridge end, it can't get thru the hole because the knot catches it. Having that happen in the past, despite 2 or three go -rounds at the bridge- (and my disdain for restringing) this prevents that occurrrence. (Of course, there is no clipping of the string a the bridge in this instance, without losing that small knot appendage).

I grabbed my guitar in a stupid way and bended the big E string out of wack :( I feel like an idiot 😅 it’s my first guitar that i got a month or so back so i’m really peeved but hey, here’s to my first try at replacing the strings haha. Thank you so much for the vid! I feel more at ease giving this a try. Wish me luck!😊

Great

What a happy chap 😁👍

we'd love to see u playing with your brother

I never understand knotting or folding things :-D I do this in a different way.

plenty of romantic guitars have pegs for the bridge. But you can tie a simple barrel knot in the strings and it works fine.

Mr. Acker, From your instrument collection video I saw that you are in possession of a beautiful Turkish oud. As a player of the instrument I was wondering if you are planning on making an episode of your Introducing: series on it, going over the tunings like Bolahenk and old fashioned, and the history of the modern instrument, which underwent fascinating changes in the 20th century. You continue to impress me with your skills as a musical ambassador for less-known musical instruments and I would love to see a video on your new oud or the kanun.

Dear Brandon, Thanks for this teaching. I was once told to make sure that the neck of the guitar doesn't point toward my face in order to protect a string from lashing my eyes should a string happen to break while stringing a guitar. Does that make sense? Warmly, Krsna prema das

Thanks for your videos. Just about to change mine. (Corroded and copper showing at fretts) Question about playing. I don't know name of chords i kinda wing it with what sounds right. Any tips for the best way to learn a song I'm figuring out by ear? Or any quick reference to leaning chords for picking. I do everything by ear when no tabs available.

It is better to go through from the outside going inside when wrapping the short end of the string under itself after coming back up through the headstock. This is because when the string is wound on it will then wind over top of that short end, locking it all in place.

Can u do a close up laying the guitar dwn,I’m new to classical being playing acoustic for yr now,I like finger picking so I thought why not have a go at nylon

Make sure your string pack contains the right strings before starting. I just wasted an hour stringing up all but the high e, turns out they sent me to b strings! I didn't realize it until it was time to put on the e.

Thanks Brandon… Appreciate the added tidbit on looping the excess at the headstock for getting more out of an expensive string. That’s very insightful. I have a related "string" question that maybe you could address in another video. I just bought a new classical guitar and now wondering how to go about choosing the best strings for that specific instrument. I don’t mean “just brand wise”, but more focused on tension, material, playability and of course sound dynamics and tonal balancing. I know that strings are as much a personal choice as was the guitar purchase. But I was wondering if there might be a “consensus” for a given guitar’s scale length, body size, top, back, sides, fret board and neck materials for the “best” string properties. Thanks again, for all your postings. Can’t get enough…

Hey Brandon, at 8 min what did you mean by the string going false? i also have the habit of pre-stretching my strings after changing them so i'm wondering if i should stop doing that too.

Great tips! I was always an excessive scroll winder so this was a big time saver, thank you! This content is a couple of years old, do you still prefer light tension stings? I guess I’ve never even tried them because I figured they would wear much faster and I tend to get lazy w/restringing..

Any lemon or something to protect and bring out the lustre of the wood before restringing?

The two-hole system allows for a more consistent break angle over the saddle, which can change the timbre, volume, or both.