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My son just got his first guitar. I know NOTHING about guitars. One of the strings broke and we can’t figure out how to replace it. The videos I’ve found on YouTube make it look easy and spend about 5 seconds on the part that’s perplexing me. None of them look anything like my son’s guitar so they wouldn’t be helpful anyway.

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From what I can tell, I need to remove all of the strings, unscrew that metal plate, and thread the replacement string in from behind. Hoping there’s an easier way.

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  • Why not go to the guitar shop you bought it? The vendors will be happy to help, teach to replace strings, etc. (Maybe clarify if they will charge a fee for that, but they usually don't.)
    – Michaël Le Barbier
    Dec 5, 2021 at 12:42
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    I bought it on Amazon. :) I did end up going to a local music store to get some help. She was very friendly and didn’t charge anything.
    – Patrick McElhaney
    Dec 5, 2021 at 12:55
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    I’m also delighted at the response here to such a basic beginner question. They say musicians tend to make good programmers. I wonder if that has less to do with mathematical thinking and more to do with having learned a skill that takes a lot of practice in a community with an ancient ethos of welcoming and supporting one another.
    – Patrick McElhaney
    Dec 5, 2021 at 13:12

2 Answers 2

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Unscrewing the bridge is surely not the right way to do this. Rather at the back of the guitar there should be a removable plate (which might even have a slot for changing the strings). If there is no slot, remove the plate (if there is you might want to remove it too if it is too hard to get the string inside). Under this plate should be the springs for the whammy system and the bridge should have a block with holes. Find the right one and put the string through that hole.

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  • Thanks! It didn’t even occur to me to look at the back of the guitar.
    – Patrick McElhaney
    Dec 4, 2021 at 22:04
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    You’re welcome! I wish your son a lot of joy with his guitar!
    – Lazy
    Dec 4, 2021 at 22:15
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It appears to be a 'Stratalike' guitar. Google 'Changing strings on a Fender Stratocaster', and you'll find many sites that will show how it happens.

You may end up taking the backplate off, one, in order to find the way through with each string, and two, to recover the ballend that may be rattling around, or even stopping the new string entering the bridge from the back.

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