How to Change Ukulele Strings, Step by Step

New strings make a real difference to tone and tuning. Here's the process for the common setups, from removing the old set to stretching the new one.

Changing ukulele strings takes about twenty minutes once you've done it, and fresh strings make a real difference to tone and tuning. Here's the process for both common setups.

When to change them

Change strings when they sound dull, feel rough or grooved under your fingers, won't hold tune, or show corrosion or fraying. A ukulele that's played often needs new strings about once or twice a year.

What you need

• A new set of strings made for your ukulele's size
• A string winder (optional, but it saves time on slotted headstocks)
• A pair of wire cutters
• A soft cloth for the fretboard and body

Step 1: remove the old strings

Loosen each string until it has no tension, then take it off. On a tie-block ukulele, untie or unhook the string at the bridge. On a slotted headstock, unwind it from the tuning machine. Remove one string at a time, so the others keep the neck in place.

Step 2: clean while the strings are off

Wipe the fretboard and the area around the bridge. With the strings off, you can reach everything. Use a dry cloth, or one barely dampened, and dry it straight away.

Step 3: fit the new strings

On a tie-block ukulele, thread the string through the bridge and fasten it as the maker's instructions show. On a slotted headstock, thread the string through the hole in the tuning peg, then wind it neatly in one layer, downward toward the nut so it sits in the slot. Leave a couple of wraps, not a pile of them.

Step 4: tune and stretch

Bring each string up to pitch slowly, so you don't snap it. Once everything is roughly in tune, gently stretch each string by pulling it a little away from the fretboard. Then retune. New strings drift out of tune for the first few days, so expect to retune several times. For the tuning itself, see How to Tune a Ukulele.

Always check your ukulele maker's instructions. Some tie-block designs and bridges use a different method.