How do I re-string a guitar?

Question:

How do I re-string a guitar?

it's a washburn acoustic electric.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Place the Guitar on a padded,well-lit work area.De-tune the strings starting with the thinnest.When the strings are slack, pop the bridge pins with the widget on the end of a string winder,or you can lever them out with a tablespoon but don't dent the bridge.Pull the strings off the posts ,one by one and coil them up,then chuck them.This is a good opportunity to clean and oil your fingerboard . I prefer to use lemon oil , just enough to clean and cover the wood.To re-string,my preference is to start with the High E (thinnest) and work my way over to the thickest.Place the ball-end of the string into the pin-hole and make sure it engages the front edge of the hole or the slot if the hole has a slot at the bottom as most higher-end guitars do.You can do this by holding the ball up with your finger-tip through the sound-hole.Push the pin in while keeping the ball-end up against the bridge-plate(inside bottom)of the guitar.Keep an easy strain on the string while you carry the other end toward the nut,over the nut -slot to the tuning post.This is the tricky part.I like to carry the end around the pin three times and the loop it through the hole twice while keeping the string tense enough that it wil be seated.As you wind the string around,hold each loop with your other thumb-nail,then when you have three loops ,put the end through the hole and pull it tight with your hand ,then once more through and pull tight.Loop the excess around the post once.Make sure the string is seated at the nut and saddle .Pull up slightly on the string at the sound hole and turn the tuner so that the string has all the slack taken up and is well-seated.Tune it up to near-pitch to ensure it's not going to slip at the post or pull at the bridge,This should take less winding than if you put the string on the post while it's slack..De-tune it just enough that you can easily put you hand in the sound-hole.Repeat this process for the rest of the strings.The wound strings will usually hold with one loop through the post.When you have all the strings installed,you can tune the guitar.I start with the fattest string.Tune it to pitch,then pull up on it at the sound hole about an inch or two, two or three times.Check the pitch,if it is flat,tune up to pitch again,and repeat the stretching.After doing this two or three times,the pitch should stabilize.Repeat this for each string in turn until you finish up on the High E.Then go over the strings from fattest to thinnest, tuning each to pitch.Try a few chords and runs .It should hold it's tune very well with this procedure ,assuming the guitar is stable and well-made.You can cut off the excess string-ends or coil them or leave them BobDylan in the wind,whatever you prefer.Happy pickin'.