Kavanagh Customs

Project Guitar Help Centre: Stringing your electric guitar

One of the main causes if a guitar doesn't stay in tune properly or it's tuning is instable, is string slippage - where the string doesn't engage properly around the machinehead posts and subsequently slowly (or sometimes very quickly) slips back.

There are two main types of machinehead used on electric guitars:

SLOTTED (KLUSON AND OTHER VINTAGE-TYPES)
NON-SLOTTED (GENERALLY THOUGHT OF AS MORE 'MODERN')

Each of these types requires slightly different handling to ensure that the strings stay securely wrapped around the posts and don't ruin your tuning.

Whilst you have the strings off your guitar, this is also a perfect opportunity to check your machineheads and oil your fretboard. You should also take careful note of what gauge strings you're replacing, unless you want to go through the process of setting up your guitar again.

slotted machineheads

Slotted machineheads (such as the famous Kluson vintage tuners) are very easy to string correctly, although many people spend hours with winders and random coins trying to hold the string down into the slot whilst they frantically try to wind the string up.

With the string fed through the bridge of your guitar, run the string right the way up the length of the neck and cut it between one and two inches past the machinehead. Then, push the freshly-cut end of the string down into the hole in the middle of the machinehead as far as it will go and kink it in the slot. From there simply wind the string up. You should build up between two and four winds around the post before it reaches the correct pitch and the winds should always travel down the post so that the string comes away from the machinehead and towards the nut at the lowest point (see picture above).

Always try and avoid the strings overlapping or kinking and never wind the strings around the post by hand - if you really can't stand the thought of winding it up using the machinehead by hand then invest in a string winder.

Your final result should look a lot like the images above and below:

Non-Slotted Machineheads

There are two main schools of thought when it comes to stringing non-slotted machineheads. One wants you to believe that the same technique they've been using on nylon-strung acoustics since the Middle Ages of kinking the string around and under itself after feeding it through the post is the best way.

This article is here to tell you that this just isn't true or relevant when applied to modern metal-strung electric guitars. Kinks in the strings cause weak points in the string which not only leads itself more to stretching at that point, but also makes it brittle and easily snapped.

The best method, we've found, is to keep the string straight after feeding through the post.

Firstly, feed the string through the post hole, leaving some slack to allow for two to four winds to build up beneath the string when you start winding. Holding this in place, start to turn the machinehead. Make sure that each full turn builds up beneath the string end and beneath the last wind. You will find very quickly that the string holds itself in place. When done, the string should feed away from the machinehead and towards the nut from the bottom-most part of the post.

Once you've done, tune the guitar up and cut the ends of the strings off and you should be left with something like this: