Restring and care of strings
Being able to restring your guitar properly is of great importance; if a guitar is not strung properly the following problems may occur:
There are many types of machine heads on the market that require different approaches to restringing. Some general tips to make the process much easier are;
There are two ways of attaching the string, standard and with a knot locking string to post. The standard method is used by many manufacturers. It is easy to remove strings as well as install them, it is easier for the strings to slip out of tune on guitars with tremolos. Locking a string to the post requires an accurate technique which secures the string. This method is used by major manufacturers like Maton, Martin, and Gibson.
Care of strings
String to fret contact over time causes strings to wear therefore affecting the strings performance. The method I recommend for cleaning strings is to wipe down the strings after use with a lint free cloth, which can be purchased from a supermarket.
From the time you restring your guitar you will notice the following; the strings will be stretching out of tune and the tone of the strings will be very bright. However, as the strings settle the tone will even out and the tuning will stabilize. When excessive dents are left from fretting the strings you will notice the tone is mellower and in some cases excessive string wear will affect the intonation and tuning. This could be an indication to change strings.