You'll need a fresh set, a string winder (optional), wire cutters and a tuner. Many players change one string at a time, which keeps the neck's setup steady and makes it easy to see where each string goes.
Steps:
- Detune the old string until it's slack, then unwind and remove it.
- Clean the fretboard and the area under the strings while you have access.
- Thread the new string through the bridge. Depending on your guitar, that might be through the body, through a stop tailpiece or through a tremolo block.
- Pull the string to the tuner, leaving enough slack for a few wraps around the post. Wound strings usually need fewer wraps than plain strings.
- Wind the string so the wraps stack neatly downward on the post. That helps the string sit at a good angle over the nut.
- Tune close to pitch, then gently stretch the string by pulling it away from the fretboard along its length, and retune. Repeat a few times.
- Trim the excess at the tuner, leaving a short tail.
If your guitar has a Floyd Rose or other locking tremolo, the process is different. See our article on restringing a guitar with a locking tremolo. If you change gauges, check the intonation and setup afterward.