Guitars are one of the most popular instruments to play around the world. However, part of the necessary maintenance is replacing worn or damaged strings. Sometimes the strings can snap, or they just don’t sound as good as they did brand new.

If you’ve never had to restring your guitar before, you may be wondering how much does it cost to restring a guitar.

The most important thing to note here is that the price will differ depending on whether you attempt to restring your guitar yourself, or if you pay for a professional to do this for you.

It will be much cheaper if you choose to restring your guitar yourself, as you will only have to cover the cost of the new set of strings. This should be anywhere between $5 up to $30 depending on the make of strings you choose.

If you choose to pay a professional to restring your guitar for you, this could cost anywhere between $25 and $50.

This will account for the cost of the new set of strings, as well as the labor costs of the professional who is attaching them to your guitar for you. If you want to save a few dollars, it will be worth learning how to string your guitar yourself.

How Do You Know When You Need To Restring Your Guitar?

It should be fairly straightforward to know when your guitar needs to be restrung. Most times this will be when a string snaps. In this case, it could be an indication that the other strings will also need to be replaced.

If your strings look worn or discolored, chances are that they will need replacing. You should also be able to tell if the strings need to be replaced when the tone of your guitar sounds off.

If the strings have been on your guitar for a couple of months, it could be time to change them. This is because as the strings age, they will start to lose their tone.

Is your guitar struggling to hold its tune? Then this could be another indication that the strings need changing. Strings can sometimes be the culprit for many intonation problems or any vibration patterns.

Another indicator that your strings need changing is if there is any gunk under them or along the fretboard.

Can You Restring A Guitar Yourself?

You can indeed restring a guitar yourself. This will actually be much cheaper in the long run, and will help you save on the money you would normally pay a professional to do the job for you.

You will need to know the gauge of strings that you prefer to play, and you will also need to make sure you’ve got all of the necessary tools to help you restring your guitar. The process is much easier than you think it will be.

If in doubt, you can always ask a more experienced person to show you exactly what you’re meant to do.

You will need a wire cutter, a tuner, some pliers, and a soft cloth to help you properly restring your guitar. A string winder may also be a worthy investment as this can help make the job much easier.

Find out how to restring your guitar in the video below.

How Often Should You Put New Strings On A Guitar?

It’s a good idea to change the strings on your guitar once every 3 months or so. This should help your guitar to maintain that great sound that you’re used to. How often you need to change your strings may also depend on how often you play your guitar.

If you play your guitar regularly, you may need to change it more regularly than this. If you’ve been playing for around 100 hours’ worth of time on this set of strings, they likely need to be changed.

As we’ve stated above, there are several factors that could mean your strings need to be changed. If you notice they’re not able to hold their tune as well, or the sound isn’t quite right, then they likely need to be changed.

It will be much better for you to change the strings ahead of schedule if you think this will improve the sound of your guitar.

What Happens If You Don’t Change Your Guitar Strings?

You may think that you don’t need to change your guitar strings. However, if you don’t change your strings, this could affect your sound and even the quality of your guitar. Metal strings will be more likely to rust and corrode over time.

Any moisture that gets to the strings from your guitar’s environment or from your fingers can make this problem worse.

You should also notice that the tone of your guitar won’t stay the same. The strings will likely not be able to stay in tune for very long, either. If you want to keep your guitar sounding great, then you will need to change your guitar strings every now and then.

How Long Do Guitar Strings Last?

Your guitar strings will typically last for around 3 months. Anything longer than this, and you should start to notice that their quality degrades. They likely won’t be able to retain the same great sound quality that they had when you first put them on your guitar.

In Summary

So there you have it! You now know that the cost of restringing your guitar will differ depending on whether you try to restring your guitar yourself, or whether you pay a professional to do the job for you.

If you are restringing your guitar yourself, it will cost you anywhere between $5 to $30. This will mostly cover the cost of the strings themselves.

If you pay a professional to restring your guitar for you, this could cost anywhere between $25 up to $50. So as you can see, it will be well worth learning how to restring your guitar yourself.