Strings, one of the essential parts of your guitar

Besides the top of a guitar, the strings are also a crucial part. While the top determines the color of the tone (warm, sparkling), the volume and the sustain (length of the tone), the guitar strings also influence these sonic characteristics. The type of strings (material, thickness, and brand) and the condition (condition and age) determine the sound that a guitar produces. The type of strings is discussed in a separate blog. This blog is about when to change the strings and how to do this on your Homestead guitar.

When should you replace your guitar strings?

The short answer is: when the guitar strings are not producing as much sound as they should. If the sound of the strings is dull and has less “ring” (shorter sustain ), this is a sign that you need to change the strings for a better guitar sound.

The reduced sound quality of the strings is often visible from their condition. If you see rust, oxidation or discoloration, this is a visible sign that the strings need to be replaced. Especially rust and oxidation on the strings are a cause of reduced sound. Another visible sign is if the coating or winding of the (wound) strings is broken. If the coating or winding of a string is damaged, the tones that the string produces may not be optimal and this can lead to buzz sounds.

Another indication is that the strings do not feel good when playing. If you feel that your fingers move less smoothly over the strings above the fingerboard, or that the strings feel stiffer when you strum, it is time to replace them.

What should you prepare to change guitar strings?

Essential:

1. A new set of strings
2. Tuner (not necessary if you have perfect pitch, otherwise you can use one of the free apps or one of the many available makes and models on the market)

Important for the well-being of your guitar:

3. A flat work surface where you can put your guitar, such as a table
4. A protective mat or towel for your guitar to lay on
5. A neck rest for your guitar, this can be a special neck stand for guitars or simply a rolled up towel or a stack of books
6. An extra cloth to protect the top and to polish it if necessary
7. Cutting pliers for removing excess strings. Without cutting pliers you can leave excess strings, but it is useful to cut them away so they do not get in the way while playing.
8. Cleaning and polishing products for your guitar, such as fretboard oil, cleaning spray, wax

Not necessary, but useful (for the well-being of your hand and wrist):

9. A pegwinder to wind the strings on the tuning machines, manually or electrically
10. Bridge pin puller (sometimes in combination with the manual peg winder )
11. Long nose pliers, a tool to prevent the sharp end of the strings from injuring your hand or damaging the guitar when loosening the strings from the tuners

How to change your strings:

1. Lay your guitar on a level work surface with a protective mat or towel between the guitar and the work surface. Place the neck rest between the work surface (table top) and the neck of the guitar. If necessary, place a towel between the top and the strings.
2. Loosen the tuning pegs, from the outside in, so that the pressure on the top nut is evenly distributed. The order can for example are : 6th, 1st, 5th, 2nd, 4th, 3rd, or 1st, 6th, 2nd, 5th, 3rd, 4th. Uneven pressure can cause the top nut to come loose. With a closed guitar headstock, the winding at the tuning machine does not have to be completely unscrewed. With an open guitar headstock ( slotted ), this is necessary.
3. Pull the bridge pins out of the bridge.
4. Remove the strings one by one from the bridge and tuners.
5. Clean the guitar, if necessary. Now you have better access to the top, especially the area between the sound hole and the bridge of the guitar. Also clean the fingerboard and treat it with a special product for the fingerboard. Don’t forget the headstock of the guitar; without the strings, the entire part of the headstock is easier to clean.
6. Place the new strings one by one, from the inside out. The order can for example are : 3rd, 4th, 2nd, 5th, 1st, 6th, or 4th, 3rd, 5th, 2nd, 6th, 1st.
7. Starting at the bridge end, insert the ball end of the string into the bridge, with the bridge pin just behind it. Once the bridge pin is pushed all the way in, hold the pin and gently pull the string up. The goal is for the ball end to sit under the bridge. If it doesn’t go in right away, gently try again.
8. Make sure the holes on all tuning machines are oriented correctly (towards the string notches at the nut ) before installing the strings.
9. You can choose to cut the strings before winding them into the machine heads, or you can cut them later. If you want to cut the strings before winding, measure the length of the strings. Allow about 6 cm extra length from the machine head pin where the string in question will go. The risk of this method is that the strings (especially the coated strings) can come loose more easily when tightening the strings. The other option is to cut off the excess strings later (see step 11).
10. Insert the other end of the string into the hole in the tuning machine. Note which string belongs to which tuning machine.
    • a. Keep a length of 6 cm for the winding of the strings, as described in point 9. The advantage of the 6 cm method is that the strings usually have about three windings around the tuning machine. Too many windings influence the sound somewhat negatively. Too few windings give insufficient hold. Three windings is optimal (see the images below).
    • With an open headstock, wrap the strings so that they are as straight as possible in the direction of the strings on the fingerboard. This will reduce pressure on the top nut and prevent damage. So for the 1st and 6th strings, wrap outwards, for the 2nd to 5th strings, wrap inwards.
    • With a closed head you put one wrap above the hole of the tuning machine and then one wrap below the hole. This provides grip on the string so that it does not easily come loose or slip out of the post hole.
    • For thinner strings (such as the 1st, 2nd, and sometimes 3rd strings) the coating can make the strings smoother, making them easier to slide out of the post hole. To prevent this, you can attach these strings with a lock-wrap system or clamp winding. See below for images of different windings.
11. Before the strings are tuned, cut off the excess strings. Leave about 3-5mm at the post hole, as a margin in case the strings slip further. {Tip: If necessary, turn the tuning pegs back to get a better and safer angle for cutting the excess strings.}
12. Tune the strings. Pull the tuned strings one at a time to speed up the settling of the strings. When tuning, hold the bridge pin in the bridge with a finger to prevent it from slipping out. Tune the strings again. During the first 15 to 30 minutes of playing, the newly installed strings can still go out of tune, so re-tune them if necessary.

Different types of string windings:

1.Normal winding

Normal winding from top to bottom

2. Clamp winding

The output string is clamped by the winding, the first winding is above the hole of the tuning machine and the rest below the hole.

3. Lock wrap

The excess string is clamped under the first winding of the strings. This is done by hooking the excess string to the other side of the string.

Here is the order to wrap and lock wrap.

• Example: D’Addario Acoustic Guitar Soundhole Humidifier

• Example: Oasis OH-6 Case Humidifier.

• Example: Philips HU4803.

• Regularly check and refill the humidifier as needed.
• • Use distilled water to prevent mineral buildup.
• Monitor the humidity levels with a hygrometer.

Dehumidifying your acoustic guitar

1. • Example: Dry & Dry Silica Gel Packets.

1. • Example: DampRid Disposable Moisture Absorber.

3. Electric room dehumidifier: Electrical devices that remove moisture from the air and convert it into liquid water (condensation).

• Example: De’Longhi AriaDry.

1. • Example: Boveda 2-Way Humidity Control Packs ; D’Addario Humidipak Two-Way Humidification System.

• Replace silica gel or desiccant packs as they become saturated.
• Store your guitar in a climate-controlled environment whenever possible.
• Use a hygrometer to monitor and adjust the humidity levels.

Traveling with your acoustic guitar

1. Use a Waterproof Guitar Case/Gig Bag: Make sure your guitar case/gig bag is waterproof, which prevents water from coming into contact with your guitar. In addition to keeping it dry from the outside, this waterproof case/bag will protect your guitar from rapid moisture loss.
2. Avoid Extreme Temperatures: Never leave your guitar in a trunk or other place where it can be exposed to extreme temperatures. Both heat and cold can damage the wood and glue joints of the guitar.
3. Allow time for acclimatization: When you arrive at your destination, allow your guitar to acclimatize to its new environment before playing. This prevents sudden changes in humidity from causing damage.
4. Use a hygrometer: Carry a small hygrometer in your guitar case to monitor humidity levels while traveling. This will help you take immediate action if humidity levels go outside of safe ranges.
5. Pack Carefully: Make sure your guitar is securely packed in its case or gig bag with plenty of padding to prevent physical damage. Consider using a flight case if you are flying.

• Loosen the strings slightly to reduce tension on the neck.
• Check with the airline about their policy on carrying musical instruments.
• Consider purchasing a seat for your guitar if it’s a valuable instrument.

Seasonal changes and guitar care

• Increase the use of humidifiers as indoor heating can dry out the air.
• Monitor humidity levels more frequently.

Summer care:

• Use dehumidifiers if the ambient humidity is high.
• Avoid leaving your guitar in hot, humid places such as cars or direct sunlight.

Long-Term Storage If you need to store your guitar for an extended period of time, follow these tips:

• Store the guitar in its case with a humidifier or dehumidifier as needed.
• Keep the guitar in a climate-controlled environment.

Regularly check the guitar and the humidity control device.

Guitar construction:

Quarter sawn and other types of saw technique.

Talking about solid wood for acoustic guitar, there is deeper subject to follow up; how the wood/ board is cut or sawn. There are several terms that are being used both by (mill) sawyer and (guitar) builder. There are: quarter sawn, rift sawn, and plain sawn (many also use the term: flat sawn).

Which type of sawn wood is best for acoustic guitars? First, let’s distinguish what is quarter sawn, rift sawn and plain sawn.

Cutting method from the sawyer (mill) perspective.

Plain-sawn cutting method, also know as flat-sawn cutting methode. No wood is wasted with this method of sawing.

This second section is called the ‘quarter sawn’ method. But four methods can be distinguished within this category, namely:

• Top left: common quarter sawing
• Top-right: triple-cut quarter sawing
• Botom-left: Alternate quarter sawing
• Botom-right: Rift-sawn, also known as Radial quarter sawing

At Homestead we only use wood that has been radially quartersawn.

Grain Pattern on the board from the perspective of (guitar) builder/ luthier

A. Plain-Sawn

B. Quarter-Sawn

C. Rift-Sawn

As you can see in the above picture, a sawyer has different definitions than a builder. This is based on how the sawyer sees the ‘cutting pattern’, while the builder sees the grain pattern of the wood.

When a sawyer cuts a log using the quarter sawn cutting pattern method, it produces some quarter sawn-grain patterned wood and many rift sawn-grain patterned wood. While if a sawyer cut a log using a rift-sawn cutting pattern method, it will produce only quarter-sawn-grain patterned wood.

From this point forward we will use the term plain-sawn, quarter-sawn, and rift-sawn based on the grain pattern definition, from the builders’ perspective. (unless otherwise mentioned).

As you can see from the picture, quarter-sawn wood is produced in less quantity when using the plain-sawn- and quarter-sawn- cutting method. When using rift-sawn-cutting method, it only produces quarter-sawn wood, but it also generates more waste. This is why quarter-sawn wood is more expensive than other type of sawn wood.

Stability of sawn wood

Wood product is highly affected by the humidity. Before being used as guitar materials, each wood part need to be dried to 6% – 9% EMC (Equilibrium Moisture Content), the point at which a wood board neither gains nor loses moisture. In a place with a lot of seasonal change, the EMC will change with the season. That is why it is important that the humidity of the environment where the acoustic guitar is be maintained between 45% to 55% RH (Relative Humidity).

Quarter-sawn wood (B) has the most stability than other types of sawn wood because quarter-sawn wood has even sections between grains. Those sections will react to humidity more uniformly than the diverse sections of plain-sawn wood (A). A rift-sawn wood (C) will have fewer diverse sections between grain, but a quarter-sawn will still has the most uniform sections between grains.

See the picture below of how different types of cut can change wood’s shape and warp when humidity changes:

As seen on the picture, shape of quarter-sawn wood changes uniformly when it shrinks. Still, the best way to maintain your guitar is to have it or store it in an ideal environment, i.e. 45%-55% Relative Humidity and 17˚ – 20˚ C, then the wood on your guitar will not shrink nor expand.

The Strength of Sawn Wood

In comparing the strength of different types of sawn wood, we also need to look at how the wood is being used. For acoustic guitar materials, the top wood receives pull force from the strings from the head side of the guitar to the tail side. Sawn wood with straight grains running parallel to the strings is the strongest wood for this usage. The more slanted a grain in respect of the string’s direction, the weaker it is. With plain-sawn wood, the grains are asymmetrical and crosses with the string direction. This makes plain-sawn wood weaker than the quarter-sawn wood.

For the side wood, the wood will be curved into the contour of the guitar body model. For a wood to be able to be curved, the wood will be moisturized with water and will be pressed by heated plate on both side or by bending rod on one side into the desired form.

A quarter-sawn wood with straight grain will be easier to bend and is less susceptible to break during the bending process, while other type of sawn wood (rift and plain-sawn) is less easy to bend and have a higher chance to break.

For the back of a guitar body, the wood will be bent a bit, but further, there will be not much force that will stress the back of the guitar body. Because of this, the back of an acoustic guitar is more friendly for figured wood that usually comes from rift or plain-sawn. But regarding strength, since the stress point of a back wood is situated on the bent, between heel and tail, a wood with straight grain is stronger than plain-sawn wood.

The Sound of Quarter-sawn, Rift-sawn, Plain-sawn wood

A quarter-sawn wood has the most uniform density due to the even sections between grains, followed by rift-sawn, while plain-sawn wood has the least uniform density. The more uniform the density of a tone wood, the better it vibrates, which is important as a top tone wood. While for the side and back, tone wood needs to project the sounds created by the strings and from the vibration of the top wood. Density uniformity does not make much difference in wood as projector/ amplifier. The wood density itself (hard or soft wood) determines the sound of tone wood as projector/ amplifier.

Quarter-sawn wood is the best wood as acoustic guitar tonewood. It provides the strongest and the most stable wood for the guitar body. As top wood, a quarter-sawn wood is a must to provide the best open sound of a guitar. Homestead guitar uses only quarter sawn wood for its top, side, and back of our guitars.

Guitar Construction: Solid Wood Versus Laminated Wood

Solid Adirondack top and Solid Rosewood back for Homestead Guitars

In acoustic guitar, the guitar’s body has a major role in determining the sound a guitar produces. Although the main source of the sound of a guitar originates from the strings, it is resonated and amplified by the guitar construction: i.e. fretboard and guitar’s body, producing the acoustic sound people hear from the guitar. Yes, the fretboard resonates and amplifies the strings’ source sound, but with acoustic guitar, most of the sound is resonated and amplified by the body of the guitar.

The characteristics of laminate wood on guitar

Laminated wood is comprised of several layers of materials, as mentioned above. The composure of these layers dampened the free movement (vibration) of the wood as a resonator and an amplifier.

Laminated wood is cheaper than solid wood. Laminate wood is also more durable against weather changes.

Solid top grain continues along the entire edge, visible from the side of the sound hole.

Because of its natural and dense composition, solid wood is a better resonator and amplifier compared to laminated wood. 

Solid wood in general produces more waste (unusable wood excess) compared to laminated wood. This is why solid wood is more expensive compared to laminated wood. 

Sound characteristics

Conclusion

An all-solid wood guitar produces the best expression, volume, and sustain compared to a laminated guitar and a solid top guitar. The combination of a solid top, that best in resonating the strings’ sound, and the solid back and side, which is best in amplifying the sound created from the strings and top wood, will create a much richer and dynamic sound.

Moreover, as the solid wood ages, it will increase the tonal quality it produces, while the sound of laminated wood will not get better as it ages. 

Homestead and Javatar Guitars are made using all solid wood construction. The body construction also uses 100% quarter-sawn wood since our goal is to build the best acoustic guitars with the best sound. Furthermore, for Homestead Guitars we use the best available grade of Adirondack Spruce for the top wood of our guitars. You can read more about Adirondack spruce in the article “Why is Adirondack the best top for your guitar?”.

Terminology for the sound of an acoustic guitar

In the guitar world, guitarists discuss the timbres guitars produce in terms that may not be familiar to many musicians. This glossary briefly describes some of these terms, without aiming for completeness. Judging sound is of course very personal. For example, one guitarist prefers sparkling highs and the other prefers warm bass tones. Tastes differ and that is of course allowed. But to get to know those different flavors, here is a glossary:

Attack: The response of a guitar – or in other words, how quickly the sound reaches its peak volume. By playing with a pick, for example, you get much more attack.

Balance: A guitar where lows, mids and highs support each other and the notes flow into one harmonic entity.

Bassy: A guitar where the bass tones dominate. The larger the guitar, the more powerful the bass response. 

Bright: A guitar where the high tones dominates, in other words a guitar in which the treble is emphasized.

Complex: A guitar sound in which the tones contain a lot of harmonic detail in both the higher and lower frequencies.

Compression: The way a guitar produces a natural equalization effect. A mahogany top produces more equalization than for instance spruce. The equalization effect can reduce the attack when strumming vigorously.

Crispy: A ‘crispy’ sound can be characterized by its sharp tone with a clear and precise attack. The emphasis is on the high tones. 

Dark: the bass tones dominate.

Dry: Tones with a strong low focus, minimal overtones and a short sustain.

Fierce: A fierce guitar sounds sharp with a high attack and lots of treble

Growling: A particular overdriven sound produced by a guitar with a larger body, often as a result of a hard playing.

Intonation: The accuracy with which the notes on the different frets match the correct pitch.

Piano-like: A guitar that sounds like a piano with bright sparkling tones and excellent clarity of individual notes.

Projection: The physical range of the sound, in other words, the sound of a guitar with a lot of projection extends beyond those with a low projection.

Resonant: A guitar with a high resonant sound is characterized by long sustain with a strong presence in the lower and midrange frequencies. The guitar has a high reverberation and the tones blend harmoniously. See also warm, woody, complex and rich sound characteristics .

Responsive: A guitar’s response refers to how the guitar reacts to being played. A responsive guitar makes it easy to play soft and loud tones with subtle variations in volume and tone. The sound is then clear and full.

Rich: When an acoustic guitar produces a rich sound, it exhibits a well-balanced frequency response across the low, mid and high ranges. A rich sound refers also to the terminology of warm, resonant, woody and complex timbres. 

Round: Guitar with a round sound does not sound sharp. Low and mid are more dominant than high.

Sparkling: Usually used to describe acoustic guitar tone with pleasing clarity and tone definition, often with more overtones and no distortion. Especially the tones higher on the neck sound ‘sparkling’. See also “Piano-like”. The high tones also often linger for a relatively long time. Sparkling is often used as a counterpart to ‘warm’.

Sustain: The length of time that a note continues to be heard.

Warm: A sound with relatively many low and mid frequencies and somewhat softer high frequencies.

Wide: A ‘wide’ guitar sound refers to a sound that has clearly audible lows, mids and highs, in other words, guitars with a spacious or expansive character. In addition, the ‘wide’ sound is also characterized by natural reverberation and a lot of sustain.

Woody: A woody sound refers to a warm, resonant tonal quality that resembles the natural characteristics of wood. The emphasis is mostly on the midrange frequencies. 

Woolly: Warm sound, but with less sustain.

Which tones characterize Homestead guitars?

To answer that question, as we are not objective, we use the comments from the test reports of the magazine Guitarist.

“An impressive volume, with a warm timbre. The sound is perfectly balanced in proportion. This guitar sounds very exuberant and responsive right out of the hardcase, with a nice sustain. The intonation is perfect, so is the adjustment” (test of a Grand Auditorium with cutaway, Guitarist no. 319, October 2017).

“It is noticeable that the Slopeshoulder Dreadnought has a slightly firmer low end and sounds a bit less bright (than an OM with cutaway).” (Guitarist no. 333, December 2018).

About a 12-fret DS: “The sound of this DS is indeed a breath of fresh air. Lows, mids and highs are perfectly matched and the guitar is also very responsive, reacting instantly to the dynamics of your playing. The volume and projection are also impressive.” (test of a 12-fret Dreadnought Slopeshoulder, Guitarist no. 344, November 2019).

About the two Danny Vera models, a jumbo and an OM: “The sound of both guitars is equally impressive. The jumbo has a slightly louder and wider sound, which occasionally resembles a piano. The OM sounds were lighter and more defined. The difference in sound cancels out the similarities: a particularly beautiful, balanced sound.” (Guitarist no. 359, February 2021).

Robin van de Poll, 18 July 2023

Homestead models: different shapes of guitar bodies

At Homestead Guitars, we offer a variety of guitar shapes for customers to choose from. Besides the appearance, the shape of the guitar’s body also produces different tonal colors and a different feel when you wrap your arm around the guitar’s body. The best way to get to know the differences between these models is to try them out yourself, which you can do in our showroom.

The most important factors in choosing the right guitar model are the playing comfort, the sound and the ‘looks’ of the model.

Playing comfort

Let’s start with the playing comfort. Choose a model that you can easily play on. If you are relatively short, don’t get a Jumbo model, otherwise the guitar may cause pain in your arm or back. Guitarists with chronic back problems also often opt for a smaller guitar model.

The sound

A second factor is the sound of the guitar. With a smaller body, e.g. the Orchestra Model (OM), the higher notes resonate more relative to the mids and lows, while with a larger/wider body (Jumbo, Dreadnought) the lower notes dominate slightly more relative to the mid and high. Keep in mind that the sound of the guitar is determined by several factors, such as the wood species and a 12-fret or 14-fret (neck and body) connection (see also under FAQ). But the design of the guitar model also has an influence. So it’s not just about size. A Dreadnought is often said to be good for strumming and country, while the OM is more appreciated for fingerpicking. Also, the placement of the waist (the narrow part of the guitar) and its width change the way the vibrations move in the guitar and this can have a small effect on the sound. This all remains very personal and the best thing is to try out different models and choose what you like best.

The looks

Finally, the appearance of a guitar can also influence the final choice. This is also very personal. For example, the OM, Jumbo and Grand Auditorium have a thinner waist than the Dreadnought. The Dreadnought guitar is named after an early 20th century English battleship. The Dreadnought guitar is in fact much larger than, for example, the compact Parlor or Parlor model that was common until then. Some guitars have a cutaway. A cutaway has a clear function (see also under FAQ), but is sometimes also bought because of its appearance on the guitar.

Below we discuss various common guitar models with the associated common opinions.

*What does it mean:

Tone Balance: The same level of volume between high tone(treble), middle tone (mid), and low tone (bass).