Fender original bullets nickel roundwound strings 010-046

Even when you keep your strings well conditioned with Dunlop formula 65 Ultraglide, every string comes to a point where they loose their brightness, sustain and volume and they will have to be replaced. Sad but true, cause it's like old shoes; they are comfortable, but you can't make good miles on them anymore. So let's get those new strings on!

Start by removing your old strings. You can carefully remove them by loosening your tuners, getting them out and pull them out from your bridge... or you can cut them through and remove the ends from the tuners and bridge.

This is also the time to clean and polish your fretboard, you're strings are off now anyway.

Open your fresh pack of strings and remove the thickest bass string. Unroll it, but careful, they can jump out like a devil's box and the end is very sharp. Don't loose an eye there.

Fix it on your bridge side, depending on your type of bridge you either string it through, or you place the bullet in the holder. For your Floyd rose tremolo types, you need to cut the bullets of and secure the strings all together between the blocks. Lay the string over the position in your bridge saddle and in (or through) the corresponding nut slot while keeping slight tension on the string.

Hold it next to your tuner peg and hold the string with your thumb and pointer finger just after the peg. You can cut off access string just after your thumb and pointer finger.

Place the end of the string in the tuner peg, fold it in the right direction, hold it downward and start securing it in place by turning your tuner tight. It's useless to tune it now, as the tension will very greatly when you are placing the other strings.

Personally I would now prefer to place the thinnest treble string, but I guess you could also continue with the basses. I like to think that the balance is better working outside in. Anyway, complete all your strings in the same way and than just slightly pull on your strings to get a little of that elasticity going. This will help to avoid a lot (and a lot of lots) retuning.

Tune your strings and make some noise!

Btw, some tuners allow for placement of the strings and cutting afterwards, that is of course also an option. It's up to you!